Page 29 of Rescued By the Beast
Then I see him.
He emerges from among the trees, bathed in the silver light of the moon, imposing and relentless, as if the forest itself bows down to him.
His presence fills the space, stifling any thoughts, and all I can do is stare at him, thinking of nothing else but who he is and what that means to me.
In the next second, he reaches me.
"There you are..."
My heart races and a faint meow escapes when his huge, animalistic hands touch my skin.
Then, once again, I lose consciousness.
Chapter 10
Mark
I find her, wounded and abandoned, among the roots of a tree.
Her fragile body is contorted, consumed by pain, and a knot of urgency tightens in my chest.
She seems so weak...
The sound of her weak, irregular breathing makes me growl softly as my protective instinct takes over.
She still resists, but not for long, unless I do something now.
"There you are..."
I crouch down, my large, beastly hands reaching out towards her. The touch of her soaked fur is ice cold, and blood mixes with the earth, creating a dark, viscous pool, almost indistinguishable from the mud around it.
Gently, I slip my fingers under her tiny body. She is too light, as if she could fall apart at any moment. When I finally hold her, her green eyes blink at me, weak and cloudy, before closing completely. She loses consciousness in my arms, andthe faint beating of her heart pulses against my palm, almost imperceptible.
"It'll be alright, kitten," I murmur, the words more for myself than for her, as if I need to believe them. "Don't be afraid."
With one push, I get up. There's no time to lose. With the cat nestled against my chest, I run, my long legs in their beast form cutting through the forest like a shadow. The wind whistles in my ears, but my attention is fixed on her, on the warmth I need to pass on to her cold body, on her weak breathing, on the faint beating of her heart.
I pass through the wolves' territory as I cross to the northwest, the pack of that idiot Liam. They may smell my presence, but screw them. If the alpha leader wants to complain later, I'll be ready to deal with him. Right now, nothing matters but her. I run so fast that I barely notice the two grey wolves in the clearing.
I spot the fence that borders the forest and jump over it, my body already beginning to transform in mid-air. Bones and muscles quickly reconfigure themselves as I continue running in my human form, the kitten safely in my arms.
The clinic appears when I turn onto the side street, integrated into the main building ofBeastShield Security, my company. The discreet annex occupies the ground floor, with a separate, well-positioned entrance. The company garage, with its imposing guardhouse, serves as an exclusive access point, ensuring secure and private entry for employees and their families.
I pass through the guardhouse, and the gate opens automatically when the scanner reads my iris, verifying my identity and granting access. The soft glow of the garage lightsreflects off the clinic's frosted glass door. The sign, simple and straightforward, reads only "BeastCare."
I push the door open firmly, the sound echoing in the small lobby. The receptionist looks up, surprised, her pen falling from her hand.
"Sir, Dr. Ethan is with a patient. You'll have to..."
"I have priority." My voice comes out firm, sharp.
I walk straight past her, ignoring the hesitant look that follows my advance. I sniff the air, smelling the clean scent of disinfectant, but I find Ethan's scent and follow it to one of the doors at the end of the corridor.
Without thinking twice, I enter.
Ethan looks up, wide-eyed. He is wearing a surgical mask and gloves as he finishes dressing Keelan's arm, in his human form.
"Mark?" His voice carries genuine disbelief as his eyes meet the small, furry black bundle in my arms.
