Page 61 of Red's Beast

I watch in horror as each one stands beside my grandmother, and then she drops to the porch. Without hesitating, I move around him and look down at her. “What have you done with my grandmother?”

“Take her to the dungeons for the night for attacking the alpha.”

"What?" I whirl on my heel to face him, a scathing look on my face. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, it’s what I should have done to begin with. Take the little alpha, too. See you in a few days, honey."

"No, you can't do this. They will come looking for me," I scream.

One beta grabs my grandmother while the other gets me. They’re about to take us to the dungeon when Corbin steps in front of them, blocking the path. “Who is going to come for you? Do you think anyone in the village besides your grandmother cares for you? They didn’t stop when my father used you and they’re not stopping me now from doing the same. You are a means to an end, someone to keep the beast in line. This is so much bigger than you realize or will ever know.”

"How dare you?" I spit in his face, but he only wipes it away with a quick flick of his finger.

The next thing I know, my cheek is stinging again. I can feel the burning of his handprint there on my face.

“You will learn to not talk back to me. I know you are dominant, but that is what makes it fun to break you from these awful habits. Submit to me and all will be well.”

Corbin nods for his betas to take us when I don’t say anything. They carry grandmother, which I’m thankful for, but they drag me behind them.

One day soon I’m going to rip him apart limb from limb and bathe in his spilled blood. This pack hates me. They don’t deserve to be saved.

But what about grandmother? Am I ready to sacrifice her just to execute my revenge? What will be left of the pack if I shred them all to pieces? Can I even do that?

The steps press into my back as they drag me down them. Cold floor meets me at the bottom. I’m roughly thrown into a cell with the door slammed shut behind me.

Grandmother is in the one next to me.

Lily, are you okay?

I take a minute to form a response.Hey beast. I’m back in the dungeon again.

What?His voice booms in my mind.What about your Grandmother?

I look over to the left as he places her on the bed and then walks out to lock the cell door.She’s here too, but knocked out cold. They gave her something I couldn’t see.

Do you think he'll claim you before the full moon?His voice sounds breathless, as if he's panicked by the mere thought of it.

To claim a mating on a night that isn't one is bad luck, but with how he's going, I don't know that he cares. He just wants power, and he thinks I control you.

I hear him huff out a breath.That’s it. Curse be diminished. I’m coming for you.

When?

Soon. I can't leave the woods right now. I already used up one of the times I could.

I'm confused by his admission. What exactly keeps him in the forest?

Will you tell me about it?

The two betas head up the steps, only leaving echoes in their place in this dark spot. A story sounds good about now, but I’m not even sure he will tell me.

How much do you want to know?

And for the first time, it feels like someone is going to give me the answers I crave.

Beast

For a moment, it is quiet between us. I’ve asked her how much she wants to know, but she’s not responded. It’s almost like my question has rendered her speechless.

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