Hunting Human - Amanda E. Alvarez [81]
“It’s not obvious. Let your hair down, no one will notice,” Lucy instructed as Chase cut a path to the door. The bell jingled as they exited the shop. Chase’s car sat on the curb and Lucy followed Beth into the backseat. She kept their fingers laced together for the entire ride back to the house.
***
Markko shifted the moment he slipped into the forest, allowing his wolf to run and burn off some of the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He hadn’t intended to do more than follow the bitch, he certainly hadn’t intended to corner her and give away his presence. But the opportunity had been too good to pass up.
She’d trembled and quaked beneath his hands, her face in the mirror a perfect reflection of her terror. She’d been delightfully cooperative when he’d threatened her friend. And what a delightful discovery that was. The Edwards clan had another female. It made his unplanned visit with the bitch completely worthwhile.
His threats against the Edwards female would drive the woman wild with fear. And the death of both women would drive the Edwards clan directly to his father’s doorstep.
He couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. He’d bide his time and bring Alek in from Europe. He’d need his help to pull this off. But while he waited he’d have a little fun, let the bitch settle, and then remind her was out here.
Are you ready for me, Lizzy? I’ll see to it you are.
Chapter Eighteen
Beth hissed under the alcohol-soaked pad Braden pressed to her forehead.
“Sorry,” Braden apologized but didn’t pull his hand away. “The cut’s not deep. No stitches.”
Beth’s head throbbed where it had hit the mirror, her neck stung where Markko had nicked her with the knife and the cut on her ribs burned and pulled with every movement.
“Alright, that takes care of that.” Braden pulled a tiny butterfly bandage over the cut, wadded up the wrapper and tossed it on the counter. “What else?”
Beth hesitated. Braden had carefully treated both the cut on her ribs and the cut and bruise on her forehead. With each new injury his jaw tightened and his eyes flashed, his anger mounting until it simmered just below the surface, like a pressure cooker beginning to rattle. The atmosphere in the house was charged enough. She didn’t want to add to it.
“What else, Beth?” His eyes narrowed into pricks of suspicious fury.
Beth pulled the hair away from the nape of her neck and slid the collar of her shirt down.
“That son of bitch bit you!” He slid a warm hand across her cheek, cradling her head with more gentleness than she thought him capable of. The thumb of his other hand moved in soothing circles as he inspected the area around the bite. “At least he used his human teeth.” He withdrew his fingers but the hand on her cheek remained. “Still, human bites are nasty.”
“I’ve had worse,” Beth quipped, trying to ease the tension radiating off him. Instead, he went absolutely still, as though he were holding himself on the edge of a point.
“I know,” he acknowledged quietly.
Beth laid her hand over the one cradling her cheek and sought his eyes. “I’m okay.” She put all her will behind matching her expression to the words.
He studied her face, as though trying to determine the truth for himself. Finally, he nodded, then tilted her head and began to clean out the bite.
“That bastard won’t touch you again.”
Beth blew out a breath and closed her eyes. “He’s not going to stop, Braden.”
“I don’t care. We’ll send you somewhere until we can handle him. But I won’t have him near you again.”
Beth heard the resolve in his voice, read the deadly promise in his eyes. He wasn’t going to be reasonable about this. “I can’t leave.” Beth pulled away when he reached for the antibiotic ointment. “It’ll only delay the inevitable. And make things worse for your family.”
“I want you out of that monster’s path. We can handle him, but I don’t want you involved,” he argued. “Don’t fight me on this.”
The moment he stepped back, Beth stood and moved away from him. “I can’t. You don’t understand. You didn’t face him in the dressing room