widened
and a whimper came from her parted lips. She slapped at him.
“There is one thing that will ensure the beast’s presence, isn’t there, Liam?” He chuckled. “I know what
you’re thinking, but, no, not that. It has to be more intimate, doesn’t it?”
Liam snarled, shaking the bars while his beast lowered, ears flat against its head, threatening growls
vibrating its body, gathering every bit of power it had. Pressure built in Liam’s chest. He forced sharp, short
puffs of air through his mouth, preparing for the attack about to come.
The man ran his hand over Ava’s waist to the underside of her breast. She jerked, and made a gagging
noise as the grip on her throat tightened again. All the time, the fucker kept his attention on Liam…waiting,
expectant.
Through clenched teeth, Liam sucked air. Violent tremors shook his body while his beast tortured his
insides and the man tortured him from the outside.
“Oh, that’s right.” He put his hands on Ava’s thigh. “It’s these, isn’t it? Marks that are only supposed to
be stroked by you or her. Never another man.”
Ava squirmed as the man slid his hand to the inside of her thigh. Then she stiffened and a shudder
shook her body. Liam knew what those marks were designed to make her feel if someone else deliberately
touched them besides himself.
Revulsion. Disgust.
The motherfucker had touched one. Had touched his mark.
And it had the intended result. Teeth bared, foam dripping from its jowls, his beast sprang forward.
Crazed fury erupted inside him as the feeling of a thousand needles pricking his skin stabbed at him. Liam
squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the unholy blaze of his beast was in his gaze. For the first time ever, he
was certain the beast was going to explode out of his body, splitting him in two.
When Ava whimpered, an agonizing roar ripped from his lips as his beast took one final charge
forward. Fighting for dominance was never fun, but this…this was excruciating.
Stand down! He wants this! Do you want her to die?
His beast snarled, but retreated, seeing he was not going to allow the shift. The pain immediately left
him and he almost collapsed as he opened his eyes.
The man released Ava and she slumped to the floor again. Had he choked her unconscious while Liam
had battled the beast?
She wasn’t dead. He could still feel her.
Come on, baby, get up .
The man walked closer to the cage, his masked head tilted to the side, staring intently at Liam. “You’re
just as Dserted as ever. How does it feel to have your beast rage, but be incapable of tapping into it?”
Again the question was delivered calmly. There was no sign of the previous lunatic. Had it been a
show? A way to cover his identify?
He still had no idea who he was, but one thing was clear. For a condition that was extremely rare among
their race, this other shifter understood Dsershon too well. And he hadn’t shifted earlier to stop Liam when
he’d busted through the glass. He’d run instead.
Clarity slammed through Liam. And now he knew why .
The man couldn’t shift. He was in the throes of Dsershon, just as Liam had been until Ava’s kiss had
freed him just hours ago.
Why would he punish another Dserted shifter? Wasn’t the hell they had to live with enough?
Ava stirred in the background, pushed up on her arms, shook her head, then collapsed back down, just
to push back up again. Dea, please give her strength.
She’d been hit so hard, so many times, had to be dazed, disoriented. He needed to give her the time to
recover. Keep this bastard’s attention on him. And he knew exactly where to hit him where it hurt.
“It’s not my fucking fault your mate Dserted you.”
The man charged the cage, grabbing the bars and shaking them. “It is your fucking fault!”
Not yet. Wait. Make sure she’s on her feet. “How is it my fault you couldn’t keep your woman happy
enough to stay?”
The scream that came from the man was all
and a whimper came from her parted lips. She slapped at him.
“There is one thing that will ensure the beast’s presence, isn’t there, Liam?” He chuckled. “I know what
you’re thinking, but, no, not that. It has to be more intimate, doesn’t it?”
Liam snarled, shaking the bars while his beast lowered, ears flat against its head, threatening growls
vibrating its body, gathering every bit of power it had. Pressure built in Liam’s chest. He forced sharp, short
puffs of air through his mouth, preparing for the attack about to come.
The man ran his hand over Ava’s waist to the underside of her breast. She jerked, and made a gagging
noise as the grip on her throat tightened again. All the time, the fucker kept his attention on Liam…waiting,
expectant.
Through clenched teeth, Liam sucked air. Violent tremors shook his body while his beast tortured his
insides and the man tortured him from the outside.
“Oh, that’s right.” He put his hands on Ava’s thigh. “It’s these, isn’t it? Marks that are only supposed to
be stroked by you or her. Never another man.”
Ava squirmed as the man slid his hand to the inside of her thigh. Then she stiffened and a shudder
shook her body. Liam knew what those marks were designed to make her feel if someone else deliberately
touched them besides himself.
Revulsion. Disgust.
The motherfucker had touched one. Had touched his mark.
And it had the intended result. Teeth bared, foam dripping from its jowls, his beast sprang forward.
Crazed fury erupted inside him as the feeling of a thousand needles pricking his skin stabbed at him. Liam
squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the unholy blaze of his beast was in his gaze. For the first time ever, he
was certain the beast was going to explode out of his body, splitting him in two.
When Ava whimpered, an agonizing roar ripped from his lips as his beast took one final charge
forward. Fighting for dominance was never fun, but this…this was excruciating.
Stand down! He wants this! Do you want her to die?
His beast snarled, but retreated, seeing he was not going to allow the shift. The pain immediately left
him and he almost collapsed as he opened his eyes.
The man released Ava and she slumped to the floor again. Had he choked her unconscious while Liam
had battled the beast?
She wasn’t dead. He could still feel her.
Come on, baby, get up .
The man walked closer to the cage, his masked head tilted to the side, staring intently at Liam. “You’re
just as Dserted as ever. How does it feel to have your beast rage, but be incapable of tapping into it?”
Again the question was delivered calmly. There was no sign of the previous lunatic. Had it been a
show? A way to cover his identify?
He still had no idea who he was, but one thing was clear. For a condition that was extremely rare among
their race, this other shifter understood Dsershon too well. And he hadn’t shifted earlier to stop Liam when
he’d busted through the glass. He’d run instead.
Clarity slammed through Liam. And now he knew why .
The man couldn’t shift. He was in the throes of Dsershon, just as Liam had been until Ava’s kiss had
freed him just hours ago.
Why would he punish another Dserted shifter? Wasn’t the hell they had to live with enough?
Ava stirred in the background, pushed up on her arms, shook her head, then collapsed back down, just
to push back up again. Dea, please give her strength.
She’d been hit so hard, so many times, had to be dazed, disoriented. He needed to give her the time to
recover. Keep this bastard’s attention on him. And he knew exactly where to hit him where it hurt.
“It’s not my fucking fault your mate Dserted you.”
The man charged the cage, grabbing the bars and shaking them. “It is your fucking fault!”
Not yet. Wait. Make sure she’s on her feet. “How is it my fault you couldn’t keep your woman happy
enough to stay?”
The scream that came from the man was all
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