The beast’s entire body tensed and his eyes flickered with something akin to fear.
Got you, asshole, she thought.
“He’s really going to flip when I tell him how you tried to touch me in bad places.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “I’m going to assure Aveoth that I only ran from you because you tried to get under my skirt. Sarong. Whatever.” She lifted her hand and shook a finger at him. “Tsk! Tsk! Shame on you. From what I hear, GarLycans are pretty vicious guys and Aveoth is the worst. Do you think he’ll just beat you or tear your limbs off one at a time?”
The beast lifted to his feet and snarled.
“What was that? I don’t speak growl.”
He crept closer and the threat of retribution showed clearly in his furious black gaze.
“I’m going to cry and cling to this Aveoth.” She inwardly winced at that image. “And as his future lover, I’ll ask him nicely to please hurt you really bad before he kills you.”
He pushed against two trees hard but his broad, hairy chest still wouldn’t fit. He squeezed until some of his body became trapped and he had to jerk back when he realized the pointlessness of it. Another snarl tore from him.
“What was that? I still can’t understand a thing you say. If you want to talk me out of my brilliant payback plan for tearing up my leg then you better change into skin so you have a voice, asshole. I’m willing to make a deal,” she lied. “I don’t want to be taken and you don’t want Aveoth to tear you apart.”
He just watched her.
“I’m going to lie my ass off to make sure this Aveoth guy wants you dead,” she promised softly. “Understand? Change into a person and let’s make a deal.”
His black glaze seemed to glisten with pure rage before he started to change. Hair receded and the squishy noises they made as they transformed was sickening. The good news is, she thought, the planned worked. The bad news is, now those trees probably won’t prevent him from reaching me.#p#分页标题#e#
The second his head lowered, she bent and grabbed the rock in her palm, hiding it behind her sarong skirt. She straightened and maneuvered it in her hand, cupping it until the sharpest part ended up in the open space between fingers and wrist. Her heart hammered from terror and uncertainty.
She may have to kill someone, beast guy or not. Anxiety had her stomach rolling with nausea as she realized it had come down to survival.
Chapter Ten
Craig rose to his feet to glare at her with dark brown eyes. He didn’t appear very friendly with the sneer plastered across his thin lips. In skin, he stood about five feet nine, had a wiry but average-sized body. She put his age in his early twenties.
“I’ll kill you before I allow you to tell those lies about me.” He had a rough voice, deep and raspy. “I didn’t try to fuck you.”
“You wouldn’t survive if you killed me,” she bluffed. “My grandfather is an asshole. He assigned you to complete a task and he won’t be a happy camper if you fail to bring me back breathing. We both know he doesn’t tolerate that kind of shit. I’m worth too much to him.”
He took a step forward.
“Freeze. Don’t come any closer.”
The guy glared at her but stopped advancing. “You don’t tell me what to do, you little bitch.”
“I can’t shift to gain a tail so I’m assuming you don’t mean that term in a doggy way. My feelings are hurt by that insult, really.” She hoped he could pick up on her sarcasm.
He snarled. It only sounded a smidgen less frightening when he made that noise looking human. “What do you want? I can’t free you. You know your grandfather will kill me if I don’t follow his orders. The team he sent knows I have possession of you.”
“Fine,” she lied. “You’re right. I’m reasonable. I’m not opposed to going with you but I don’t want to be strapped across your back as though I’m a side of beef. I’ll walk.”
His focus lowered to her legs. “You are injured and barefoot.”
“I’ll be fine right after I wrap this up to stop the bleeding and I can use part of this sarong to wrap my feet.” It sounded so good, she hoped she’d be able to really do that part of the plan. “Riding on your back doesn’t agree with my stomach.”
She noticed when some of the stiffness eased from his frame. He bought her bullshit. His gaze lifted. “And you won’t lie about me if I take you there your way?”
“Nope.” She had no intention of going anywhere with him. “I give you my word as a Filmore.” Her grandfather was a lying bastard who’d told Bat he was dying to get them to Alaska. She wasn’t a Filmore. She was a Dawson. Her father had been a good man. Decker Filmore could never claim that honor. “I’ll behave, and look on the bright side. Carrying me probably wasn’t fun for you either. That belt was cutting me in half and it was against your stomach.”