Page 109 of Vengeance Becomes Her

His face had become red, he was equal parts angry and shocked. “Get off me bitch.” It was dead quiet in the tavern now, everyone collectively holding their breath.

“I wouldn’t be rude if I were you. You’re not really in the position to make demands, are you?” She shifted her weight forward, putting more pressure on his wrists. He squirmed beneath her, fighting to keep in a groan.

“That’s enough. Get off him and get out. No weapons, no fighting. Those are the rules.” The barkeep was standing directly behind her, hands on his hips.

Irritation prickled up her spine, but she forced herself to stand. As she rose, she put all of her weight on her knees, which were conveniently still placed on his arms, she felt them dig into his biceps as she stood. She walked back several feet until she was no longer hovering over him, but she never turned her back to him.

The man scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible. She could see the greasy perspiration on his face that had turned several shades redder. He was humiliated.

He took two steps toward her, spittle leaving his mouth as he barked at her. “If you didn’t want to be touched, you shouldn’t have worn suchtight clothes.”

As soon as the last word left his lips, she had shoved him against the bar, his hand splayed out. Her blade came down on his thumb before anyone had time to intervene. Blood spurted across the barmaid. Rhiannon winced, wishing she hadn’t been standing there. The man howled in pain, gripping his wrist and babbling, unable to getreal words out.

A satisfied smirk grew as she admired his bleeding thumb on the ground. She leaned down to whisper in his ear. “I don’t think you’ll be grabbing anything that doesn’t belong to you again.” She laughed in his face.

That laughter turned to struggle and curses as two heavy sets of hands nearly knocked the air out of her. Next thing she knew, two large men dragged her out against her will, throwing her on her ass in the snow.

She let out a grunt as she whipped her hair back off her face, looking around for someone, anyone else, to take her frustration out on. She was alone. Everyone else was inside where it was warm. The echoing silence of the snowy night pressedin around her.

Rhiannon got back to her feet trying to decide what her next move was. She moved to the side of the tavern and paced as she thought. She couldn’t go back; she’d never intended to. She knew that now. But she also couldn’t walk straight into certain death. That stubborn thread of survival tugged at her, urging her to find another way.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she sank down in the alley, not caring as the snow slowly soaked her pants.

The alcohol surged through her veins. She smiled, welcoming the numbness she’d come searching for. Her nose and lips grew numb as she sat there crouched against the wooden wall of the tavern. But better yet, so did her inhibitions. They drowned in the fireale that now flooded her system.

Finally.She thought.

Now she was in the right headspace to make the decision looming in front of her.

Rhiannon breathed evenly as she ran her choices through her head again and again. She knew the Volskruga wanted her to make a deal. For her that wasn’t an option. She’d told it as much. She was doubtful it would allow her to live on the small chance she would change her mind.

She was stuck at the same dead end over and over again.

Rhiannon balled snow in her fists and screamed out in the bitter emptiness around her.

“Fuck!” Each letter was drawn out until her throat throbbed. She choked on her sobs, the cold tearing at her dry throat.

She thrust herself forward, pressing her forehead to the ground. Her fists pounded the soft powder sending tufts flying in the air.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!”

The chant of frustration was cut off by a howl. Every hair on her body pricked painfully. Heat shot up her spine. Her cries died on her tongue. Her breath froze in the column of her throat.

It responded with low growling that rumbled in the space between them.

Rhiannon gathered every last bit of courage she had, slowly raising her eyes from the ground.

Two massive black paws stood before her.

Shock rocked through her, stalling her ascent. She took another deep breath and then continued to raise her body off the ground until she sat back on her heels. The entire time her gaze shifted up the long legs of the wolf. It was much taller than any she’dever heard of.

When she sat back, she met black eyes that pierced through her as if they knew each other intimately. Its lips pulled back revealing sharp fierce teeth that could rip her jugular out in an instant. She lowered her eyes, tiltingher head down.

She was shaking violently, and it wasn’t from the cold. The power that radiated off the creature was the same she felt from the Volskruga. This was the wolf from the cottage. The one that had appeared out of nowhere and had defended her. Her mind raced but her body remained frozen. She dared not even breathe.

Beats of silence passed between them. Rhiannon waited for a growl, an attack, something. Frustration was mounting fear as they sat there in stillness. But then the wolf did something unexpected. It nuzzled her.

She jerked back in surprise. Instead of warm fur, it was cool shadow. She stared at the wolf now, truly took in its form. It was swelling mist and black shadow. The plumes rolled off it and high into the air around them, nearly blacking out the alley completely. Where fear should have been there was a moment of comfort and recognition as she returned her gazeto the wolf’s.

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