Page 38 of Rescued By the Beast
"Heard you got yourself a new girl," says the big man, with a smirk.
Mark growls, clearly annoyed.
"Apparently, Ethan big mouth has let the cat out of the bag." He is about to close the door when the bear enters.
This is my chance.
I jump to the floor and run with all my strength, my paws barely touching the floor. My heart is beating wildly, the pressure growing with every second. Everything around me seems to come into focus, as if time has slowed down, and I mentally calculate the distance I still need to cover, the time I have left.
The gap is closing quickly, but I'm almost there!
Just a few more milliseconds... and...
"Here she is!" says the bear, with that mocking tone, as he grabs me in the air as if I were a football. The movement is sudden, making my throat tighten. "Look, even she can't stand your grumpy face, she already wants to escape."
I'm hanging by my feline armpits, a desire to squirm, show my claws and try to scratch him taking over me, but my instinct for self-preservation makes me freeze. Honestly, who's to say he won't throw me like a ball too?
He chuckles softly, but Mark's growl tells me he doesn't find it funny at all.
"Don't touch her," he orders, his voice low and threatening.
The big guy lets out a dramatic sigh. Either he's crazy, or he's close enough to the Beast not to be scared shitless.
"Relax, I won't hurt her." He stretches his arms towards Mark, as if I were an offering. "But seriously, a cat? I thought you were more of a dog person, being kind of... lupine."
I feel the bear's hands loosen around me. But before I can even struggle to escape, Mark pulls me out of his grasp, holding me against his chest with possessive strength.
I stand there, feeling the warmth of his body, trapped in his arms.
"I had no choice, but..." Mark murmurs. "Now she's mine, and I take care of what's mine."
Now I'm his?
Those words hit me like a punch in the stomach. I can barely breathe, and panic takes hold of me. Nausea rises quickly, a huge wave rising from my stomach, and I try to hold it back.
I try.
I try.
I try...
But I swear, to make matters worse, I still feel some hairs stuck in my throat, as if my body had decided to betray me in every way possible.
Oh, by the stars, I'm going to...
Then I vomit.
On his shirt.
And, of course, on one of his arms too, because the universe apparently seems to hate me.
The bear starts laughing and Mark growls at him, the sound shaking my body from the tip of my tail to my snout, my hair standing on end.
My mind spins between horror and despair.
I lift my head and blink at him, trying to offer the most innocent look my feline face can produce, trying to survive.
He stares at me with his jaw clenched, his brow furrowed more intensely, his gaze deadly.
