Page 44 of Married to the Beast

“My husband!” Aleena gasped desperately. “He…he’s huge! He’ll kill you!”

“Husband, huh?” He flipped up her silver breast shield with one dirty hand, revealing her bare breasts. “You’re not wearing any nipple bands, girly—you ain’t got no husband!”

“Yes, she fucking does!”a low, rumbling voice growled.

Suddenly the man on top of her was yanked up and away and Aleena was aware that there were two red eyes glowing in the dimness of the alley above her.

“You fucker!” The voice was more like a roar now and she saw that the eyes belonged to Bear. But her husband had golden eyes—she was sure of it! So how had his eyes turned red?

But there could be no doubt that it was him—no mistaking his huge, muscular form. He was holding the shabby man by the throat and shaking him as though he weighed no more than a small animal—which was certainly not the case. He was actually quite heavy—Aleena could attest to that since he’d just been on top of her, pinning her down.

“You son of a bitch, how dare you touch my wife!” Bear’s big hand tightened around the assailant’s throat.

“I…didn’t…know,” the man choked. His eyes were bulging from their sockets and he was clearly having a hard time breathing now. His face was getting darker and darker as Bear choked him.

Aleena couldn’t say anything—she couldn’t even get up or make a move to cover herself though both her breast shield andher skirts were flipped up, exposing her. She felt frozen to the dirty ground of the alley watching in horror as her new husband seemed to swell and grow to the size of a monster as he choked the life out of the man who had attacked her.

“You’ll pay for what you did to her. You’lldiefor what you did!” he roared.

There was a cracking sound and suddenly the man’s head was lolling limply to one side and the life had left his eyes. Aleena felt cold all over as she realized what had happened.

Bear had broken the assailant’s neck with one hand and now he was standing over her with a menacing growl still rumbling in his deep chest.

The huge Kindred tossed the attacker aside. The body landed in the alley like a bundle of rags and just lay there, not moving. Then the red eyes turned towards Aleena and she felt her stomach fill with ice.

Her husband was out for vengeance. He had found her in the act of cheating on him—even though she didn’twantto cheat and let another man change the color of her eyes, it didn’t matter. By Karpsian law, rape was still considered cheating, even if it was against the woman’s will. Bear had punished the man she’d been with and she was no doubt next!

Aleena was certain she was going to die.

27

BEAR

Aleena started scrambling away, her eyes wide with fear. After a moment, some of the red haze began to clear from his vision and Bear realized it washimshe was afraid of.

He had gone into Rage when he saw her being attacked—it was a berserker-like fury that all Kindred warriors felt when they saw that the woman they loved was in danger. It made a Kindred look even more fierce and frightening than usual—he must have scared her when he’d killed the attacker who had been on top of her.

“Aleena—” he began, reaching for her, but she shrank away.

“I’m sorry, my Lord Husband!” she gasped, huddling in a corner. Her face had gone pale in the dim light of the alley and she was shaking with fear. “Please,” she begged. “Please, don’t kill me!”

“Kill you?” Bear said, frowning. “Why would I kill you, baby? I came here tosaveyou!”

But his words seemed to have no effect.

“I’m sorry!” Aleena was crying now. “He didn’t change the color of my eyes, even though he tried—please, my Lord Husband—don’t hurt me!”

Bear realized that she was too upset to understand that he truly wasn’t mad at her. Settling beside her on the dirty pavement, he scooped her trembling body into his arms.

“I’m sorry…I’m sosorry,” she kept repeating.

“It’s okay…it’s all right, baby. Everything is going to be all right.” Bear cradled her soft little body close to his chest and stroked her long coppery hair.

At last, she quieted against him and stopped apologizing but he could still hear her crying. The sound tore at his heart.

“Aleena, sweetheart, please don’t cry,” he begged softly. “I promise I’m not mad at you and I swear I wouldneverhurt you.”

“You…you’d feel d-different if you knew what I d-did,” she whispered brokenly.

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