Saving the Beast by Lacey Thorn Page B

we need to go, now.”
    “Go?” She blinked open her eyes, and he could see her mind engaging as she shook the sleep away. “What’s wrong?”
    “Shhh,” he urged her, placing his finger against her lips. “We’re not alone, any more.”
    “Kenzie?” she questioned, but he shook his head.
    “I’m not sure who it is, but it’s not Kenzie. We need to get out of here. We’re in a clearing, easy to find for anyone who’s looking. I should have thought of that earlier and moved you then.”
    “We were focused on other things,” she murmured and the heat of her gaze set his blood on fire.
    “I took my clothes from your bag. Thank you for thinking of it,” he said and slid the clothes he’d found for her into her hands.
    She sat up quickly and all traces of sleep were finally gone. “How serious is this? Could it be someone from the cabin? Tah mentioned sending Murphy and Holt after us.”
    Zane shook his head. “I don’t recognize the scents. It’s not anyone we know.”
    “Are they shifter or human?”
    “Human,” he answered and urged her with his hands to dress faster.
    He turned to gather her things, shoving yesterday’s clothes into her bag. He’d already been outside the tent and had left it unzipped, so it was easy to duck back out and take another glance around them.
    “It could just be hikers. Kenzie said there have been a lot of them around lately,” Diane said softly, sitting in the opening and hurriedly putting on her boots.
    “Doesn’t matter,” Zane grunted. “I’m on the edge here. If one of them looked at you the wrong way or God forbid tried to touch you, I’d rip them apart.”
    “I’m yours, Zane. Only yours,” she assured him.
    “I know that, but the beast is riding me hard. I might not be able to fight the instincts of my animal right now.”
    Diane nodded and ducked out of the tent opening as she stood. She reached behind her, and he noticed she’d rolled up the sleeping bag and had it ready to go. Together, they made quick work of the tent. He used his boot to scuff over the marks the stakes had made. If anyone came across this spot, they would know someone had been here, but there was nothing else Zane could do about that.
    “Are we going to Kenzie?” Diane whispered.
    Zane shook his head. “No. Her scent isn’t strong, which means she’s moved farther away.”
    “She wouldn’t have left us,” Diane said with a shake of her head.
    “She would have expected me to pick up on the fact someone else was here,” Zane countered. “And she would have put distance between herself and whoever is out here. She’s probably hidden somewhere, waiting to get a visual on them.”
    “We can’t just leave her out there on her own.”
    “My first priority is to get you somewhere safe. Then I’ll go help Kenzie if I can,” Zane informed her. He knew it would all depend on how intense the fever was. There was too much tearing through him right now, demanding he stay with Diane.
    “But—” Diane began, but Zane cut her off.
    “The more time you argue, the more you tempt the beast to bend you over and fuck you into submission. Whoever is out there could show up while I’m taking you. Do you want to watch me kill them? Because I will. The moment their eyes land on you with lust, I’ll snap their necks.” His voice was hard and commanding, but she had to learn now that he expected her to obey. He would never tell her to do anything she was dead set against, unless it was dealing with her safety. On that he would not be ignored. She was too important.
    Diane glared at him then shook her head again and reached for her backpack. He grabbed it first and slung it over his shoulder. She stood for another moment then blew out a breath of air.
    “Are we heading back?”
    “No. I don’t want to take the chance of leading someone to Tah and the others. Plus, there’s too much distance to cross. I don’t want to be caught in the open with you when I don’t know for sure