He looked like the monster he was.
And this monster was going to take me away from Cain. Take me away from this new life, take away my freedom.
He wanted to chain me up, and I’d never see Cain again—I’d never—I’d?—
Terror seized my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. It felt like the ground was falling out from beneath me all over again, except this time I was going to hit every single spike.
No.
I needed to fight him. To get away. I couldn’t let him take me.
I’d die before I’d let him take me away from Cain.
Hunter leaned over me, dangling the muzzle above my face. “This is all your fucking fault. It was those bastards from the lab we stole you from that attacked us. Did you know that? They came to take you back.You. A worthless fucking?—”
I lunged up and sank my teeth into his neck, biting down as hard as I could. He ripped the hair from my head as he tried to pull me off him, but I was latched on hard. The taste of metal flooded my mouth, thick and wet. Hunter punched my ribs, and I almost lost my grip.
I bit down harder, growling like an animal, gnawing at his tendon, wanting to crush it between my teeth, rip it from his throat.
“Get off?—”
A black blur came crashing through the foliage with a vicious snarl. I was knocked off Hunter when Luna sank her teeth into his arm, snarling ferociously. He fell back with a scream and dropped the gun.
“What the fuck—get off me, you fucking?—”
There was a sharp whimper when he kicked Luna. She bounced back quickly, latched onto his ankle and violently shook her head. Hunter screamed, reaching for his rifle, but before he could get ahold of it, Cain crashed through the brush.
His face was a hard mask of pure rage as he lunged at Hunter, and the relief that slammed into me was so intense that I immediately started sobbing.
He raised his machete and sliced clean through Hunter’s arm—the one with the muzzle still clenched in his hand. The severed limb dropped to the ground as he screamed, blood gushing from the stump.
When Hunter reached for his rifle again, Cain stabbed the machete into his other arm, pinning him to the ground. He kicked the gun out of Hunter’s reach, then left him like that and turned to face me. His chest and shoulders heaved as his wild eyes flitted over every inch of my face and body.
“Cain,” I whispered, my voice a faint, soft sound against Hunter’s screaming.
Luna was still snarling, holding onto Hunter’s leg, but I wasn’t sure he even knew what was happening anymore.
I didn’t care, either. All I cared about was Cain. Blood was splattered across his face, his clothes, and he looked utterly barbaric in that moment.
The deadliest predator with the gentlest hands. A walking weapon and a sturdy shield, born to protect me.
He blinked, like he was coming out of some kind of trance. “Bowen. Bowen.” He was shaking as he stepped toward me, those big, gentle hands trembling as he reached for me. He picked me up, holding me tightly, murmuring words I could barely hear over my own sobs.
“Tell me you’re okay. You’re okay, right Bow? Please, please, please be okay, you’re okay, you’re okay, please, Bow, please.”
I cried into his throat as he held me, stroking his hand up and down my back, kissing my head, rocking me slowly. He kept asking me if I was okay and telling me I was and asking me again. I finally choked out, “I’m o-okay. I’m okay.”
Cain fell to his knees, squeezing me tighter and burying his face in my hair. “Thank god. Thank fucking god, I was so worried, I was—I thought—” His breath hitched and he trembled. The fact that he was so shaken up was pulling me from the intense emotions I’d been trapped in. I wanted to make him feel better, he needed me right now.
I went to embrace him, forgetting my hands were chained to the collar, and growled in frustration when I couldn’t move them. Damn it, I needed to hold him!
Cain quickly realized my hands had been cuffed behind my head to a collar, and he gently set me down. His hands curled into fists as he turned toward Hunter, who had stopped screaming and was crying softly as he stared up at the canopy.
Cain crouched at his side and rifled through Hunter’s pockets for the key, muttering under his breath.
“You fucking son of a bitch. Fucking bastard. Motherfucking pile of goddamn shit.”
He found the keys, and the chains and cuffs and collar were carefully removed, then flung into the brush with a violent whip of his arm.
