Page 65 of Seized to Sacrifice
He said nothing for a moment. ‘You haven’t told the others about me,’ he said. It wasn’t a question.
‘No.’
‘He thinks you will.’
‘Thorne?’ Elle caressed the tiny scales on his face, realizing they were iridescent in the light of the torches. ‘He’s wrong.’ She hugged her to him gently. ‘He told me what happened to him. To you.’
The Beast was silent. He drew back, taking her hand and setting it away from him gently but firmly. ‘I don’t have much time,’ he said. ‘Tell the others about what happened here. Make sure they know what it did to you.’
And then he was gone, Thorne taking his place in an instant. He staggered back slightly, holding onto the wall for support.
‘Fuck,’ he growled low. He looked around him as if ensuring he was still in the same place as he had been before the Beast took over. ‘HERE, you cunt?’ he hissed. ‘Are you even more addled than you were before? You know what’ll happen to us if you’re caught.’
He noticed Elle and let out a groan, running a hand through his dark hair.
‘Why haven’t you told them? Waiting for the right time to really twist the knife?’ he sneered.
She let out a breath. ‘It doesn’t really matter. You’ll believe what you like.’
She turned and left him there in the corridor, going back to the library. She cracked the door, just making sure that Kora and the babe were all right after what had happened. She didn’t feel as ifitwas still here, but she’d never forgive herself if something happened to them because of her. Kora still sat in front of the fire. She was humming softly to Ana.
With a sigh of relief, she turned and went back to the stairs, finding Thorne gone from the landing.
She descended, making for the hall to tell Nyx she was going to find a place to sleep. She saw Kade leaving, striding down the lower hall in the opposite direction.
‘Wait!’ she called.
The great man paused and looked behind him, regarding her with a blank expression.
‘Yes?’ he said rather coldly.
‘It's just … Nyx said that you and Thorne are from the same realm.’
‘Aye,’ he replied, his tone bored though he had turned to face her properly at least.
‘So, does that mean you're both shifters?’
‘Yes.’
She hesitated, wondering if he would be offended.
‘Ask,’ he commanded.
‘Can you … can you tell me about it?’ she asked.
‘I can show you. Would you like that, female?’ he asked, slightly threateningly.
But she nodded even though she was nervous.
The change was immediate, as Thorne’s had been, but Kade’s other form looked as different from Thorne’s as it was similar; the same fine, black scales and solid eyes, but four legs. A snout. A tail. He was like a dog or a wolf, not a man.
She wondered if he could talk like the Beast could, but he simply stared at her. She didn't think so.
‘Thank you for showing me,’ she breathed.
He turned back into the man immediately, clothed and all, and she gasped.
‘Youcan change at will,’ she exclaimed without thinking.
