him.
Almost… a laugh. Only it wasn’t a child’s giggle or Mia’s tinkling joy. No, he’d heard it before—as he’d fought to protect the clan den from attack—and he knew there was only one source. Something, someone, had come upon Trista and her inner-beast was responding in kind.
Another growl, another bestial chuckle that signified her unease and fear.
The sound caused Keen to rush into action. His bear thundered, releasing a noise that he’d never heard before, and shredded his tenuous control. The transformation came upon him, tearing at his skin, turning him inside out with the shift from human to animal. His bones snapped and cracked, severing for a split second before reforming to his beast’s shape.
He pulled and fought the bear, reminding it they couldn’t finish the change before entering the hallway. Otherwise they’d be battling the doorway which would slow their progress.
The bear faltered in its fight, giving him the chance to rush through his bedroom door. He was anxious to get to Trista, to calm and soothe her as well as maim whoever had caused her distress.
Another shout, another scraping cackle, and he burst into the hall in a flurry of shredded cloth and reshaping limbs. By the time he’d taken two steps from his room, he’d acquired his bear’s form. With rapid, lumbering thumps of his massive feet on plush carpet, he ran toward Trista, using her voice as his guide.
Another roar and this time, he answered it with one of his own. No one would touch her. No one. He’d made the decision last night. No matter what it took, no matter how long he had to fight through her protective layers, he’d have Trista.
New sounds joined in the cacophony of the attacking bear and the nervous hyena creating a jangled, macabre symphony that echoed through the house. The coppery tang of blood hit his nose, filling his lungs with each inhale, and it made him run that much faster. It wasn’t Trista’s, not yet, but he didn’t want to see how long it’d take for hers to join the party.
He bolted down one hallway and then another before racing through the kitchen and on into the main areas of the house. As the roars and rumbles gained in volume, he realized his mistake in bringing her here.
Ty hadn’t been happy, but had grudgingly accepted her presence based on Keen’s word that she wouldn’t do anything but sleep and then go. He’d vouched for her and back up his actions with the law. He’d assured Ty that she’d behave, and to her that she’d be safe.
He wasn’t sure who he’d betrayed. No, he did. He knew Trista hadn’t done anything to provoke this violence. She wanted to live by the law and remain under the radar. Which meant he’d be going after Ty or one of the other bears in the clan.
Keen’s inner-beast didn’t give a damn who he’d have to tear apart. He just wanted her safe.
He slid around the last corner just as a wolf’s howl joined the fray and then… The term “seeing red” had always seemed so unlikely, an exaggeration used in fiction, and yet it was a very real thing. The desire to see blood flow like a river overwhelmed him, destroyed any semblance of control he gripped, and his bear’s instincts grasped power over his body.
Trista held a solid iron poker in her hands, wielding it like a bat before her, as she fought off two bears— Ty and Van —while a wolf seemed to be waiting in the wings. All the while her animal’s sounds flew from her throat, battling her tormentors.
He recognized the bears, knew the wolf, and the only thing saving any of them was the fact she wasn’t bleeding. Though it looked as if it was only a matter of time if the wolf had his way.
When it jumped at her, baring his teeth and snapping his jaws, Keen attacked.
He tore into the room, slicing and swiping at the males crowding the space, some strikes connecting while others did not. He distantly recognized the stinging pain of his own wounds, but they didn’t matter. They were
Almost… a laugh. Only it wasn’t a child’s giggle or Mia’s tinkling joy. No, he’d heard it before—as he’d fought to protect the clan den from attack—and he knew there was only one source. Something, someone, had come upon Trista and her inner-beast was responding in kind.
Another growl, another bestial chuckle that signified her unease and fear.
The sound caused Keen to rush into action. His bear thundered, releasing a noise that he’d never heard before, and shredded his tenuous control. The transformation came upon him, tearing at his skin, turning him inside out with the shift from human to animal. His bones snapped and cracked, severing for a split second before reforming to his beast’s shape.
He pulled and fought the bear, reminding it they couldn’t finish the change before entering the hallway. Otherwise they’d be battling the doorway which would slow their progress.
The bear faltered in its fight, giving him the chance to rush through his bedroom door. He was anxious to get to Trista, to calm and soothe her as well as maim whoever had caused her distress.
Another shout, another scraping cackle, and he burst into the hall in a flurry of shredded cloth and reshaping limbs. By the time he’d taken two steps from his room, he’d acquired his bear’s form. With rapid, lumbering thumps of his massive feet on plush carpet, he ran toward Trista, using her voice as his guide.
Another roar and this time, he answered it with one of his own. No one would touch her. No one. He’d made the decision last night. No matter what it took, no matter how long he had to fight through her protective layers, he’d have Trista.
New sounds joined in the cacophony of the attacking bear and the nervous hyena creating a jangled, macabre symphony that echoed through the house. The coppery tang of blood hit his nose, filling his lungs with each inhale, and it made him run that much faster. It wasn’t Trista’s, not yet, but he didn’t want to see how long it’d take for hers to join the party.
He bolted down one hallway and then another before racing through the kitchen and on into the main areas of the house. As the roars and rumbles gained in volume, he realized his mistake in bringing her here.
Ty hadn’t been happy, but had grudgingly accepted her presence based on Keen’s word that she wouldn’t do anything but sleep and then go. He’d vouched for her and back up his actions with the law. He’d assured Ty that she’d behave, and to her that she’d be safe.
He wasn’t sure who he’d betrayed. No, he did. He knew Trista hadn’t done anything to provoke this violence. She wanted to live by the law and remain under the radar. Which meant he’d be going after Ty or one of the other bears in the clan.
Keen’s inner-beast didn’t give a damn who he’d have to tear apart. He just wanted her safe.
He slid around the last corner just as a wolf’s howl joined the fray and then… The term “seeing red” had always seemed so unlikely, an exaggeration used in fiction, and yet it was a very real thing. The desire to see blood flow like a river overwhelmed him, destroyed any semblance of control he gripped, and his bear’s instincts grasped power over his body.
Trista held a solid iron poker in her hands, wielding it like a bat before her, as she fought off two bears— Ty and Van —while a wolf seemed to be waiting in the wings. All the while her animal’s sounds flew from her throat, battling her tormentors.
He recognized the bears, knew the wolf, and the only thing saving any of them was the fact she wasn’t bleeding. Though it looked as if it was only a matter of time if the wolf had his way.
When it jumped at her, baring his teeth and snapping his jaws, Keen attacked.
He tore into the room, slicing and swiping at the males crowding the space, some strikes connecting while others did not. He distantly recognized the stinging pain of his own wounds, but they didn’t matter. They were
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