Page 26 of Savage Giant

I rose to my feet and tried opening the door for the umpteenth time, but it wouldn’t budge. The antique oak bed frame was too heavy.

A horrifying thought struck me.

What if something happened to Gorran and he never came back? Would I be trapped here forever? My stomach flipped and I started pacing in the small space, occasionally running a hand through my hair.

I eventually returned to the floor and leaned against the wall. I sighed and then tried to stay very quiet for a few seconds as I listened to the sounds of the cabin. The wind kept causing the walls to creak, a sound that usually didn’t faze me, but right now, while I was in hiding, it sounded rather ominous.

What was Gorran doing at this very moment? Was he out in the forest, murdering a wounded male from another tribe? I understood his people had rules about trespassers—he’d made it sound like venturing into another tribe’s territory was the worst thing another Montikaan could do—but the darkness filling his gaze had unsettled me.

What if an innocent man (human or Montikaan) unwittingly walked into Starblessed territory? Were there no exceptions? Did Gorran and his people killallof them? I thought of my father and grandfather. If they would’ve run into a Montikaan, what might’ve happened to them?

I’d thought Gorran a decent, compassionate male, but I was starting to question his character, starting to worry my feelings about him had been clouded by my intense physical attraction to him. Not to mention the fact that before his arrival, I’d been so painfully lonely.

His offer to kill Salax had touched me. But that was different. Salax and his goons were evil men. I’d witnessed their crimes on a daily basis while living in the warehouse as his personal servant. I’d glimpsed their violence. I’d stood silently against the wall as brutal acts were committed in Salax’s office, keeping my eyes averted as the punches and kicks fell, trying not to gasp when a limp, unbreathing body was carried off.

So many times I’d wanted to speak up. I’d wanted to beg Salax to show mercy to those who owed him money or had angered him by not upholding their end of some random bargain. Yet I’d always stayed quiet, even trying to keep my breaths as silent as possible. Frozen with fear.

And now to find out Gorran killed trespassers on sight… well, it came as a shock. A disappointment. As crazy as it might sound, I’d actually started to believe hecouldbe my fated mate. Even though we’d just met. Even though a couple of days ago, I hadn’t known Sasquatches—Montikaans—existed.

I had no wish to return to Portland or any other city. I wanted to remain hidden in the mountains, far from human civilization. My very life might depend upon staying hidden. But how could I stay here knowing that Gorran (and other males from his tribe) would kill so easily?

I tried to view the situation from his perspective. He must believe he was protecting me, as well as protecting his tribe. But it saddened me that the Montikaan rules concerning trespassers seemed to be so absolute, leaving no room for mistakes. Leaving no window for compassion.

I flung myself at the door again, throwing all my anger into it.

To my great surprise, it finally budged, and the oak bed frame scratched across the floor. I paused and gasped at the two-inch hole I’d created. Apparently, I was stronger than I’d thought.

I threw myself against the door again, using all my strength. Thankfully, it budged some more. I kept going until I finally created a gap wide enough to slip through, and I exited the bathroom, struggling to catch my breath.

I immediately rushed to the nearest window and peered outside. I saw the wide path in the snow Gorran had left behind as he’d rushed off to track down the wounded male, but nothing else. No sign of danger.

Suddenly, multiple howls sounded in the distance. Coldness gripped me. Until now, I’d only heard the one—the echoing cry that had sounded full of pain. Gorran claimed his entire tribe was hunkered down in the cavern due to the snowstorm, and given that the cavern was so far from the cabin, I doubted the Starblessed were responsible for the numerous howls.

I rushed from room to room on the second floor, glancing out the windows as I searched for any sign of Gorran or another Montikaan. The howls kept coming and sounded like they weregetting closer, as though all the males would soon converge upon the cabin.

I tried desperately to discern how many males were howling, but I couldn’t quite tell. At least four, I thought, but what did I know about it?

All my anger toward Gorran vanished, and I started to feel guilty for giving him a hard time. He was likely in danger. And if there were several Montikaan males from a neighboring tribe… wouldn’t that put me in danger too?

I swallowed past the dryness in my throat, wondering if I ought to return to the bathroom. But no. It felt like the cowardly way out. I wanted to stand vigil and wait for Gorran to come back. I also had the strong urge to rush out into the snow and call his name, to search for him and make sure he hadn’t gotten hurt.

But the fucking snow would likely reach my waist. I wouldn’t be able to get far. Not quickly, anyway. I hurriedly got dressed just in case I ended up going outside, donning my warmest thermal pants and shirt, thick wool socks, and my tallest winter boots.

Just as I walked by the front window, a dark form caught my eye.

At first, I thought it was Gorran emerging from the snow-covered trees. But the male was shorter and thinner than him, and his eyes glowed a different shade of blue. A darker shade.

He looked straight at me and released an eerie howl that caused goosebumps to lift all over my body. My heart lodged in my throat, and cold fear pooled in my gut.

Then I watched in horror as the strange Montikaan male bolted toward the cabin.

Chapter 18

GORRAN

A trap.I could scarcely believe it. Four members of the nearby Fashoran tribe had set a trap for me. A false, pained howl to lure me outside, followed by an ambush.

Three Fashoran males lay dead at my feet, and I turned to face the fourth one, determined to send him to join his comrades in death.

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