Saving the Beast(46)

“What’s that?”

“I need to teach you to defend yourself. I should have done that when I first arrived,” he said.

“Would have been hard to avoid me if you had,” she told him with a smile. “I doubt even then you would have been able to let someone else teach me.”

That sexy growl rumbled in his chest again, and he shook his head.

“I promise I’ll be smarter,” she offered with a sigh of regret. “I’ll listen when you’re telling me things to keep me safe. And I’ll follow your orders. I’m sorry I opened the door, and I’m very grateful it turned out the way it did. I don’t ever want to put myself in the position where I can be used to hurt you.”

“I would kill to save you,” he vowed.

She didn’t point out he already had. She took a deep breath and nodded. “I just don’t want you to die to save me.”

The look in his eyes told her he would, without reservation. She vowed to never place herself in a situation where that might occur.

“Why don’t you go help Angel while I check over Kenzie and keep an eye on her?” Diane suggested. She had a feeling Zane wanted to talk to the other man alone, anyway. “Grab my gear please. I don’t see Kenzie’s, and she’ll need something to wear when we leave.”

Zane nodded. “Lock this door behind me and so help me, you better not open it unless you hear my voice.”

“Promise,” she swore the bit her lip. “What if it’s Angel?”

He lifted a brow and glanced back at Kenzie before sighing. “I don’t think he’ll be back, but yeah, you can open it for him.”

She nodded and leaned up to kiss him on the jaw. He bent down and met her lips with his, taking her under with another kiss that scattered her thoughts.

“I’ll be close by,” he promised.

“I’ll be here.”

“Lock it,” he reminded her, making her grin.

“Go.” She shooed him out and laughed when he turned and faced her with his arms over his chest, one foot tapping. “I’m locking it.”

She shut the door and slid home the bolt. This door only had one. She heard his footsteps walking away and rested heavily against the thick wood. Zane was back, and though she had no idea how long it would take the fever to leave him, she didn’t doubt they’d handle it. Together. She was his mate, and that knowledge made her happier than she’d ever been in her life. She glanced at Kenzie and felt a tug at her heart.

She walked over and gently touched the bruises on Kenzie’s face, checking for any fractured bones that might need to be set before they healed. She moved carefully over Kenzie’s torso, checking her ribs then down to her legs before moving back to her arms and wrists. Nothing broken as far as she could see. She thought she saw some bruising by Kenzie’s neck and gently pushed aside her hair, gasping at what she uncovered.

Is this what Zane had meant when he asked Angel if he had? Diane knew exactly what the fresh mark on Kenzie was. Angel had bitten her at the base of her neck on the left side. And he was going to leave Kenzie? Mating was for life, as in there would never be another man for Kenzie. So why would he do that to her and leave? The more she sat and thought about it, the angrier she got. She took Kenzie’s hand in hers and squeezed the other woman’s fingers.

She felt as if she and Kenzie had started a friendship on this journey. Kenzie had done what she’d needed to make sure Diane made it to Zane. The other woman had even defied Tah in case he’d decided against them going. No matter what, Diane vowed she’d be there for Kenzie in the future. Zane would understand and support her. She didn’t doubt that for a moment. She would be Kenzie’s friend and defender whether the other woman wanted her to or not. She really hoped Kenzie would want to be her friend, as well.

Zane found a couple of shovels at the back of the cabin and went in search of Angel. He found the man dragging the last body deeper into the woods where he’d obviously decided to bury them. Without speaking, Angel took a shovel from Zane and they began digging. Zane could scent the sadness surrounding the guy, and he felt sorry for the other man.

“Tell me about her,” Angel said.

“I met her in the Marines. She was this little bit of nothing with a heart fiercer than any I’ve ever known. She was quick and quiet, deadly when needed, and they never saw her coming most of the time. She pushed herself harder than any of us, as if she felt she had something to prove because of her size.”

“She’s so tiny,” Angel agreed and Zane had to agree. Compared to the two of them, she was.