Page 25 of Beauty and Her Beasts (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 1)

I glanced at Gunnar, when he didn’t seem inclined to answer I said, “This one is all yours.”

“How generous of you,” he said as he narrowed his eyes.

I shrugged. “I do try. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“Enough,” Allana snapped. “Answer me. Now.”

He let out a sigh that ended in a partial growl. He turned his attention to Alana. His gaze almost instantly softened when he settled his eyes on hers. “What if what I have to say only pushes you closer to the door?”

She shrugged. “It’s a risk you both have to make. Take the chance or I’m gone anyway. I think we all know how bad this place needs me.”

We nodded. What she didn’t realize is we both needed her too. We’re up shit creek without a paddle or even a hope to cling to.

Gunnar ran his hands along the length of his face. “I didn’t lie to you when I told you we needed someone to take over running the business. But what I didn’t tell you is I had a hidden agenda as well.”

“And that is?” she asked, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms over her chest.

“And,” Gunnar started, “It was to find someone who would give King a reason to live again.”

She stopped breathing. For a second, she didn’t so much as flinch, move, or blink. I wondered if we broke her.

Gunnar continued as though he wasn’t so much as phazed by her lack of response or anything. “I know how bad this sounds. And I wasn’t anticipating how hard it would be once you got here. How badly we would want you. It was wrong of us to leave you the way we did, and we want to make it up to you.”

Gunnar’s words continued to flow out of his mouth completely unchecked. He stammered through parts of it, and I stared at him in shock when he included me in his explanation. He seemed so selfish when it came to her before. I figured he had only thought of himself, but he didn’t.

When Allana finally spoke, I wondered if we both had made a grave mistake. Perhaps it would have been better to have not mentioned our intentions. Hell, it would have been better not to have entertained kissing her, to begin with, but there was nothing I could do about that. Not that I wanted to.

“You what?” she asked, voice low and dripping with anger.

Gunnar went to open his mouth but she stopped him.

“Not another word,” she snapped. “You brought me here to give me to a man I didn’t know? You do realize I have my own mind and won’t just throw myself at any man I come across? I’m not some desperate, dim-witted, dame. It’s not up to you to decide who I bed with or even fall in love with. How dare you take that choice away from me.”

She stood from her seat. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she practically shook with rage.

She turned her blazing gaze on me. “You. You were in on it?”

I nodded. “I didn’t like it, but we have a good reason as well.”

“My body isn’t for you to throw where you think it fits! How dare you! So help me. If I so much as even hear you approach my door, I’m done. I’ll be gone before you could so much as blink! I have half a mind to leave now. Let you two wallow in the mess you made. I certainly hope that you don’t toy with another woman the way you did me. If you do, you deserve what comes to the both of you. Mark my words, you won’t have another chance with me.”

She stormed away.

I settled my attention on Gunnar, who sat with his face in his hands, elbows resting on the top of a table.

“Well, that could have gone worse,” I said.

“You think?” Gunnar muttered. “Thanks for throwing me to the wolves, by the way.”

I smirked. “My pleasure.”

He glared at me.

I shrugged. “Hey, this entire thing was your idea.”

“Yeah, look at how well it panned out for us,” he said.

I nodded and fell into my thoughts. Gunnar and I sat without a word or so much as a move for the longest time. Finally, I said, “You think she’s packing her bags to leave?”

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