Page 99 of Howling
Her presence in the house is old and faded.
On silent feet, I stalk Bellamy, and my eyes narrow when he disappears into the bedroom where we left kitten all alone. I press against the wall, following only a few steps behind, when his frosty ass scent cuts off abruptly as soon as he crosses over the threshold.
Nose in the air, I inhale sharply, then curse when I catch the faint scent of magic.
The fucker double-crossed us!
Claws burst from my fingertips, fangs fill my mouth, and I barely resist the urge to charge into the room. I nearly jump out of my skin when Bellamy steps out of the room with my kitten nestled in his arms—my unconscious kitten.
My lips pull back in a snarl. Just as I take a step forward, he looks directly into the shadows where I’m hiding and shakes his head minutely. Surprise holds me still, and my jaw drops in shock when scar face follows a step behind.
It takes everything in me not to leap from the shadows, rip his throat out, and paint the walls red with his blood. I’m not proud to admit that it takes me a second to gather my wits. If it were as simple as killing him, Bellamy would’ve done it in a heartbeat.
No, there is something more at play.
I pull on the shadows, slinking into the darkness, not even daring to breathe as they pass. My eyes immediately land on my kitten, needing to make sure that she’s okay, and I nearly lose all my calm when I see the blood soaking the side of her face from a nasty cut above her eye. Her busted lip is next, and my fangs snap at the air, the need for violence overwhelming.
It’s when my eyes land on her throat that my fragile connection to my sanity snaps, and primal instincts take over. Pure aggression pumps through my veins at seeing the vivid bruises wrapped around her delicate neck.
I’m not even aware of stepping away from the wall and stalking after the men who dared hurt my kitten, the urge to peel their fucking faces from their skulls pounding through my head. It’s only when the faint trace of her heartbeat reaches my ears that I’m able to wrestle back the homicidal rage.
Fuck face stiffens, as if sensing my presence, and I leap toward an open bedroom door seconds before he whirls to scan the hallway with narrowed, suspicious eyes. I hold still, my breath halting in my chest as I tremble against the need to tear him into itty-bitty pieces.
He pauses to sweep the hallway one last time before he touches a panel against the wall, and a hidden staircase emerges. I gnash my teeth, barely holding back a growl as he silently orders Bellamy to head down first.
I creep forward, the need to keep her in view overriding everything else. When my kitten disappears from my sight, nothing but pure instincts remain. I’m unaware that I’msprinting, my arm outstretched, and my claws just graze the door as it snicks shut. Chest heaving, I frantically dig my claws into the wall, searching for the edges of the hidden panel, uncaring if fuck face hears me.
Nothing else matters but getting my kitten back.
I roar in frustration when the door doesn’t open, and I fucking thrust my fist into the wall over and over, the skin of my knuckles breaking and blood splattering. The rest of the men charge up the stairs, their expressions grim as they surround me.
Garth is the first one to speak. “Where is Frankie?”
Tyler doesn’t say anything, just grabs part of the now exposed door, plants his foot against the wall, and heaves back with all his strength. It’s only when the passageway is big enough for me to fit through that I face the others.
My chest heaves, more from fear than exertion, and I snarl in rage. “He took her. Bellamy took my kitten.”
Not waiting for them to respond, I plunge headfirst into the darkness, skipping the steps completely as I leap from one landing to the next. As I reach the bottom, I don’t even hesitate to charge down the passageway.
Faint light rings the edges of a door, and I twist my shoulder, hitting the barrier at full speed. It doesn’t stand a chance, splintering into a million pieces, and I burst outside. I scan the darkness, narrowing my eyes as dusk creeps across the land, and I immediately spot the disappearing taillights of a car as it speeds off into the night.
My heart thumps so hard against my chest that I fear it might smash through my ribs. A roar of fury tears from my throat. Without conscious thought, my beast takes charge, and my cheetah form bursts from my skin. Within seconds, I’m sprinting after the car.
The guys curse behind me, but I don’t stop, knowing they will only slow me down.
Getting kitten back rests solely on my shoulders.
If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to find Bellamy and make him pay.
After that, I’m going to mark my kitten’s pretty little throat with my bite, over and over in a nice ring, so everyone knows she belongs to me. Then if she ever tries to disappear again, I’ll be able to track her wherever she goes.
She will never be able to leave me again.
To be continued…
