Page 45 of The Breeding Cave
Instead of answering me, the beast held out his hand. “Come with me.”
“Through the woods?” I whispered, staring out into the darkness around us. “It’s dark.”
“I’ll protect you, mate,” he said, voice … different than normal. He scooped up my hand and pulled me onto a trail. “From anything.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
LUCIANO
“You’re back so soon,” Molly said when I walked into the penthouse with Yeosin.
“Where is Joseph?” I asked, carrying a sleeping Yeosin to my bedroom.
Molly followed after me and shook her head. “I thought he was with you. The last I heard from him, he was dropping Ms. Yeosin off at the cave and trying to find information for you on that car.”
“Shit,” I growled under my breath.
After I tugged down the blankets so I could place Yeosin on the bed, Molly clasped her hands together and furrowed her brows. “Did you walk all the way back here with Ms. Yeosin?”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve called me.”
“No service in the cave,” I said. “Get me a warm towel.”
Without asking any questions, Molly retrieved a warm towel from my bathroom. I peeled off Yeosin’s clothes, then gently turned her onto her stomach.
“Oh my Goddess,” Molly said, wide eyes fixed on Yeosin’s burn. “What happened?”
“The Dragon Clan happened.”
“The-the Dragon Clan?” she repeated, gulping. “They’re back?”
“They’re back.”
“Did you run into them? Did they find the cave? The packhouse?”
“No. Yeosin ran into them during her lunch break. They’re the ones in that car, chasing her down, demanding her to give them as much money as she has. And you know they won’t stop until they’ve worked her to death.”
She opened and closed her mouth a handful of times, then bowed her head. “I’ll let you heal her.” She gave Yeosin one last longing look, then disappeared into the other room. “And I’ll boil water for some tea. It will help with the pain when she begins to recover.”
Once the door closed, I knelt beside Yeosin on the side of the bed. She snored softly, her mouth ajar. I gently placed my hand on her bare back and outlined her burn with my fingers, making sure not to put any pressure on her skin so she wouldn’t wake up.
When I accidentally made contact with the wrinkled skin, a jolt rushed through me.
Flames suddenly burned all around me. Mom lay bloody in front of me, her body burning with blue flames—the hottest kind known to beasts. When I grasped her frail arms, they turned to ash in my hands. I grabbed for any part of her, to hold her one last time, but with every touch, more and more chalky ash covered my hands.
Packmates cried out from all directions, screaming in pain and terror. I lifted my gaze to the battlefield, knowing that if we continued … there would be nobody else left in my pack, knowing that everyone was dying because I couldn’t protect them.
I pulled my fingers away and jerked my head to the side to shake away the memory.
After all these years that we had been hiding in the shadows, after I had finally decided to settle down and start over, to rejuvenate my pack, the Dragon Clan were back to take it all away. But I refused to let them touch Yeosin again.
If they did … I’d rip off their heads.
I didn’t care what they did to me. I didn’t care how much they burned my body with fire. I drew my tongue across my lengthened teeth and growled. Yeosin was mine. Mine. Mine! I didn’t care if she was pregnant with my pup yet or not. I would do anything to protect her.
