Page 84 of Court of Beasts

They haven’t found them yet.

Tilting my head, I follow the sound of quiet feet and look upstairs. I glance at Vale and then the stairs, and he nods. He points his fingers down, and Jai and Lucien move past him before he heads to the stairs. I trot after him, and at the top, he points left, so I go right, talking without words. It’s strange how right it feels, but as I come upon my first hunter, I don’t bother to think anymore. I slink through the open bedroom doorway, where he is ransacking the room, and quickly change back.

On silent human feet, I step behind him, grab his neck before he can make a noise, and snap it. The thud as he falls is loud, and I wait, but no one comes. There’s a grunt, and I stride down the hallway, only to still. Vale smashes his foot into a hunter, sending him flying through the plaster wall, all while a second one has a sword to his throat, cutting it. His arm wraps around Vale and hauls him back.

“Fucking monster loving traitor. We’ll gut you for this,” he hisses, even as Vale snaps his head back, busting the man’s nose. He slides from under the blade, twisting one in his own hand, and buries it so hard into the man’s neck that it pins him to the wall. Next, Vale turns and spins around the man climbing through the wall, locking one arm across his neck and placing the other on his head as he slowly sits him down. His face turns purple and then blue as he struggles, trying to breathe before finally giving in.

Vale lets him go and lifts his head, his eyes narrowed in fury. For a moment, I just stare at his heaving chest and the trickle of blood running down his neck, and then I’m moving. The moon streams through the window behind him, bathing him in shadows and light until he looks every inch the capable killer he is. He meets me halfway, our bodies clashing together.

His hand slides through my hair, gripping the wet tendrils and yanking my head back as his lips crash to mine. His teeth dig into my bottom lip before I give as good as I get. I pull back, both of us panting.

His thumb runs across my lower lip, pulling it down before gliding down my chin and between my breasts, leaving goosebumps in his wake before his lips are back on mine. His hand in my hair, yanking me close. My own grip his shirt, holding him still as I assault his lips.

My fangs pierce his lip, and I taste the copper tang of his blood, which only makes us more feral. My back hits the wallhard enough to dent it, and his hands grip me firmly enough to bruise.

A hunter comes upon us and smacks into Vale’s side, knocking him away. Snarling, I bury my claws into his chest then rip them free, offering Vale my hand. With a confident smirk, he slaps his into mine, and I haul him up effortlessly.

For a moment, we stare at one another before he leans in and kisses me again, softer this time. It’s almost comforting.

His hand slides down my bare back to grip my ass, tugging me forward until I’m pressed against his body. I feel every inch of him, including the metal pipe prodding my stomach.

“Fuck.” He groans against my lips, the sound husky and so fucking sexy. “Why do you taste so good?” He licks my lips, rubbing himself against me. “Like the freshest fruit. Forbidden.” He nips my lip. “Do you taste that sweet everywhere?”

“You’ll never find out,” I tease, nipping his lip again.

“Want to bet, she-wolf?” he murmurs before deepening the kiss.

A yell makes us rip apart, both of us panting. I change back before he can say a word and leap from the top of the banister, landing on the floor below.

I blame my wolf’s bloodlust, but that never should have happened, and when he joins me downstairs, I don’t bother looking at him. What is happening to me? I’ve kissed two hunters now!

Shaking my head, I growl as I prowl into the living room where a group of hunters have Jai and Lucien on their knees, their guns aimed at their heads.

“There’s the fucking beast,” one snarls, glaring at me. “Is this the one who made you betray us?” he demands, looking at Vale. “She must have a good pussy to turn you against your own kind. Didn’t realise you liked to fuck monsters, Vale. Do you do it doggy style while she’s turned?” he taunts.

“Why? Is that what you want to do?” Jai smirks. “It sounds like it. Someone has a thing for bestiality, do they?”

One of them slams a gun into his head. He falls back with a groan but quickly sits back up. His nose and lips are bleeding, but he’s still smiling crazily. He glances at me as he licks his lips, tasting his own blood.

I position myself behind the one with the gun aimed at him and glance at the one aiming at Lucien. He dips his chin slightly, and when I burst into action, slamming the human to the ground, he snaps up, grabbing the man’s arm and breaking it before he even sees him move. I change back, grab the gun, and fire into the man’s head before spinning to fire at the others, but Lucien is already there. His fist is covered in blood and gore as he holds one off the floor by the neck and slams his fist into the other. Vale just watches with an arched brow, but when the one Jai disarmed tries to run by, Vale kicks his leg out, tripping him, and Jai descends on him with feral delight.

I sit back and watch as Lucien pummels the man into a pulp before turning to the one choking and clawing at his hand with a growl worthy of a wolf. Lucien snaps his neck one-handed. I glance at Jai to see the man dead beneath him despite him still attacking.

“Well, shit, I guess there’s a reason you’re hunters,” I remark.

“The best.” Vale winks as I toss him a gun.

“We need to get back. How many more can there be?”

“At least a hundred—” A howl freezes my heart.

It’s one I know better than my own.

“Jang!” I roar as I burst from the house, changing mid-run.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Isprint as fast as I can, following the howl. Marie screams my name, but I ignore her, blinking through the rain as I slide to a stop just outside the ongoing battle. Wolves are falling, their howls of death breaking my heart. The sound of guns firing makes my ears ring as I frantically search the mass of bodies before me until I find him.

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