Sprinting down the stairs from where I’ve torn apartthe two bedrooms, I search for the source of the sound. Then comes another one—a massive bellow of anguish.
It’s coming from down the hall, through the kitchen. My legs work before I command them, and inside the kitchen I see it. The door to the cellar. It’s shut, and when I run over to pull the door, it’s locked.
Selene’s fear is so close now that I can taste it. Her scent is everywhere, and I’m growing hotter and hotter as I drink in even more of it. My omega is here. She’s in danger. I have to get to her before this monster does.
But this time when I pull on the door, it’s far too heavy to open. It’s solid wood all the way through, with strong hinges and a sturdy lock.
Damn it. I’ve come this far. I’m so close, and I need to get to Selene.
Her panic fills me again. It’s acute this time, so near that it blinds me, and for a flash of a moment, I see him.
Greld. My boss, blood running down his face, his cock out.
My eyes fly open and I leap at the door, slamming into it with all the force in my body. It creaks, the hinges bending, but it doesn’t give.
“Selene!” I shout, imagining that horrendous creature using that thing. The fury in my heart burns brighter, and I hurl my shoulder into the door again. My body feels… strange. Bigger, perhaps. My muscles stronger. My bones harder.
When I hit the wood once more, the door snaps like a twig, sending splinters flying. A few bury themselves in my flesh, but I don’t feel a thing.
All I know is that I need to get to Selene.
With the door shredded, I leap over its corpse anddown the narrow, steep steps. When I see Greld kneeling over Selene, I don’t think twice before I barrel into him with everything I have. We both go sprawling across the hard packed floor.
I glance up. There she is, in her nightgown, dirty and covered in blood that I’m almost certain isn’t hers. Good. She’s alive. She’s safe. And she’s mine.
Then something collides with my head, and I reel to one side. My whole world shifts as Greld clambers to his feet, and I barely get my hands under me before I hit the floor.
“Harry,” he growls, raising his fists. He’s panting and smeared with red, and I’m proud of Selene for however she inflicted these wounds.
I don’t acknowledge him by uttering his name. Instead, as he lunges forward, I remain crouched, and grab his leg out from under him. Greld stumbles to the ground with athump, and I don’t hesitate in leaping up to my feet even though I’m still dizzy from the blow to the head. My gaze turns to Selene, and she stares at me with huge, frightened eyes.
I want to tell her I’m all right. Everything will be fine. But before I can speak, Greld has thrown himself at my knees, knocking us both down.
But the pain I expect doesn’t come. I roll over and elbow him in the face, right in the eye socket, and he howls with misery. As fast as I can, I roll away, then get my feet underneath me again. Greld is too busy wailing with pain as I approach him where he lies on the floor.
Then, on pure instinct, I raise my foot and smash my boot down on his chest. He doubles over, so I do it again, crushing one of his hands.
It feels good, far too good, to get this revenge.
But then the heady scent of Selene turns sour, and fear of a new kind lances through me. My head whips to the side to find her reaching toward me with bound hands, her eyes laced with worry.
I run to her side immediately, Greld forgotten. I try to free her hands, but the ropes are difficult, so I grab the knife I carry at my hip and pull it out to saw through them. When her hands are released, I untie the cloth wrapped around her head, and she spits out the gag.
“Harry!” Selene cries out, throwing herself at me. I wrap her in my arms, squeezing her close, drinking in the glorious smell of her.
“I’m here,” I whisper to her. The longer I hold her, the more the heat of fury inside me twists and changes. But I can’t let my guard down, either, so once I know she’s all in one piece, I turn my gaze back on Greld. He’s trying to get up, so I gently lower Selene to the ground and rise to my full height once more.
He will pay for this.
“What are you going to do, Harry?” Selene says.
I don’t speak as I approach him. Greld raises an arm to fight me off, but I kick it away, sending him back to the floor.
“Harry…”
I almost can’t hear her. No, this man stole her. This man tried to hurt her. But I can feel the thread between us suddenly pull tight, and I stop in my tracks.
“I want to go home,” Selene whimpers, and the sound of her voice pulls me back to reality. “Take me home. Please.”
