Page 44 of Lake of Sorrow
As he leaped from the slab, loping through the ruins toward her, she scrambled down from the rock pile. She grabbed her pack but had no idea where to run. Belatedly, she realized it hadn’t been a good idea to turn off the druid’s alarm system, if she’d truly had anything to do with that.
As she ran around the rubble pile, she spotted a gap between two broken slabs that leaned against each other. She peered into a dark nook that they made. Could she fit? It would be close. Too close a fit for the beast. But what if he tore the stone slabs away with that great strength?
The sound of heavy footfalls drew closer, promising she didn’t have time to run anywhere else. Dropping to hands and knees, she squeezed into the gap. Rock scraped at her shoulders, and as she pushed deeper, a jagged corner caught her shirt. The fabric ripped as she squeezed in tighter, then turned, wanting to face the beast instead of being dragged out by her ankle.
Something thudded above her. Him. He’d landed atop the rubble pile.
Realizing she’d left the pack outside, she risked squeezing partially back out so she could grab it. She yanked it inside with her.
Two furred feet landed inches away from it. A shriek of pure fear escaped her lips, and she cracked her head on the rock as she scrambled back from the entrance, dragging the pack after her.
The beast bent low and peered into her dark nook.
In the tight, quiet spot, Kaylina could hear her heartbeat throbbing in her ears. Throbbing so rapidly that she might have been sprinting up a mountain.
“If only,” she whispered as those paws shifted.
Claws wrapped around the edge of one of the tipped stones, pulling. Dust wafted down over the entrance, but the tons of weight from the rest of the stones in the pile kept the beast from tugging the slab free.
Kaylina started to open her pack, thinking to read to him, but it was too dark in the nook to see words, especially when his body blocked the light from the entrance.
“What’d you do with your boots, Vlerion?” Kaylina called softly, struggling for a reasonable tone, a friendly tone. “It says in your book that rangers are supposed to keep their gear, clothing, and weapons in good condition at all times.”
The beast dropped to all fours, shifting so he could look in at her. Most of his clothing was missing too. Whether the change had shredded it or he’d torn it off, she didn’t know, but only the leather torso piece remained on him, flopping about since the fasteners had broken.
He sniffed, nostrils more like a wolf’s than a man’s. Then he growled, a very animalistic growl, then rasped, “Female.”
“Yes, I am.”
“My female.” He clawed at the stone, again trying to pull it free. When that didn’t work, he reached a long muscled arm in.
Kaylina drew back as far as she could, her back and butt jammed against rock. “Yes, I’d like to be with you but the Vlerion side of you. Please change back.”
He snarled, clawing at the ground. Digging, she realized with another jolt of fear. Yes, that might work. If he made a hole large enough, he would be able to reach her.
Though she couldn’t remember the lyrics of his song, she attempted to hum it for him, willing it to soothe him.
He snarled and dug faster. “My female.”
Kaylina trembled, knowing that if he got her, she would have no one to blame but herself. She’d wanted to help him fight off the Kar’ruk, and she couldn’t regret that she’d roused the beast, but…
A roar came from the forest.
The beast paused and whirled, crouching with his back to her as he faced the threat.
“That was a taybarri.” At first, Kaylina was relieved that one of them had come back, but she remembered Vlerion saying that Crenoch didn’t respond to him as well as others because Crenoch sensed the danger in him, knew about the beast. And knew the beast was a threat to taybarri. Vlerion wouldn’t forgive himself for killing Crenoch. “Your taybarri, Vlerion. He loves you and is loyal to you. You can’t hurt him. Just as you can’t hurt me.”
Another roar sounded. Was Crenoch, or maybe that was Levitke, trying to distract the beast? To save Kaylina?
The beast snarled and shifted his weight back and forth. Kaylina caught a glimpse of genitalia that suggested killing her wasn’t what he’d had in mind.
“He’s a friend, Vlerion,” she said, hoping that repeating his name would remind him of who he was. “He won’t hurt you, and neither will I. You dealt with the Kar’ruk, which we’re very grateful for, and now you can change back into a man.” She crept closer as she spoke, trying to make her voice soothing, hoping he would pass out, as he had in her dungeon cell under the royal castle. If the beast believed the threat was gone…
Though it felt like sticking her hand in a cobra’s nest, she reached out and touched the side of his furred calf. His muscles quivered, but he didn’t jerk away, nor did he turn back toward her. He sniffed again. Tracking the location of the taybarri by scent? She hoped he hadn’t caught a whiff of more Kar’ruk in the area.
“It’s all right, Vlerion.” Kaylina stroked the side of his leg, the fur soft and supple over the taut muscles. “You can relax. It’s all right.”
A low growl sounded in his chest.