Of pain.
“Please let me out,” he begs.
I’m not stupid. There are children in a schoolroom feet away. Finan told me all about the feral who escaped this cage and killed Aren’s parents. It wasn’t that long ago that this guy lunged at us and would have killed us if Aren hadn’t acted as fast as he did.
“What’s your name?” I ask instead. “I can speak to Aren.”
Raised voices from outside pull my gaze from the cage.
Thud.
And I jump, flinging myself back when the feral lunges toward me, howling and growling at the top of his voice.
It doesn’t last long.
The silver cage does what it was designed to do. He collapses, muscles jerking, and I turn and quickly walk away.
I looked away from him for a second.
One second, and he lunged at me.
If that cage hadn’t been there…
I swallow hard as I step outside the cabin, mentally cursing while I pull the door shut and spot Aren stalking toward me.
He doesn’t look pleased to see me.
Finan is standing on the deck, his face twisted in sympathy.
I brace myself for battle as Aren, blank-faced, closes the distance between us.
He is not blank-faced inside. I can practically feel the rage simmering beneath the surface of his calm façade.
“I wasn’t letting him out,” I say. “I was just trying to find out where he came from and if someone brought him here.”
Aren doesn’t say a word.
He grasps my right arm and leads me away from the cabin and into the forest.
The second we’re hidden from view, he stops and stares at me.
He opens his mouth.
No sound emerges.
He closes his mouth, walks away, and I flinch as he drives his fist into a tree, literally decimating the bark.
I stiffen my spine, refusing to let him intimidate me.
“If that was supposed to scare me or…” I back up as he stalks toward me. “What are you doing?”
He doesn’t respond.
“Aren, what are you?—”
He hauls me against him, wrapping his arms around me, and kisses me hard. This close, I feel something that I somehow missed before. He’s shaking.
He quickly releases me as suddenly as he grabbed me.
