Page 111 of Psycho Shifters

My chest hurt, but it wasn’t from running. I had become so accustomed to physical activity it rarely registered; it was like breathing.

No, my chest hurt for what the fucker had been doing to Sadie. My chest hurt for what had already been done to her delicate flesh.

My sisters flashed before my eyes, and I wanted to retch. If anyone ever touched them that way, scarred them like that… Tears blurred my eyes, and I blinked away the frozen ice.

All the times Cobra, Ascher, and even I had taunted her or been rude to her flashed before my eyes. We were the worst type of men, lower than scum.

As the trees whizzed past me, more memories rose from my grieving heart. Every time Sadie had rolled her eyes and fought like a beast. Sun god, she had already earned the respect of every beta in the group.

She was so strong.

The image of her small, naked body coated in blood, gold skin covered in raised white scars, would be forever branded in my brain.

She didn’t have small scars or just a couple.

No, thick angry welts covered her entire torso, her back, even her arms. Her goddamn delicate, perfect little breasts were covered.

Once again, I swallowed down bile. I needed to gain control of myself.

My vision flickered, and I itched all over like my bear was trying to physically climb out of my skin. It had never acted like this.

I focused on breathing in and out and calming my racing thoughts.

The little alpha was a fucking survivor, and I would ensure no one ever hurt her again. She had just gained an angry bear as her protector.

Whoever had scarred her like that, I would hunt them down. I would beat the fucker till they passed out and shit themselves.

Then I would give them to Cobra to carve up. No one could torture like he could.

I shook my head and tried to calm my thoughts. First, I needed to figure out why one of our betas had just kidnapped my little alpha. Mine.

The forest whipped around me.

Still, my heart burned in my chest when I thought about Sadie begging me to not tell the others about her scars. A woman’s tears had always been my weakness. Nevertheless, John was a defector who appeared to be in line with the fae queen.

We would start by torturing every ounce of truth out of him, even if it wouldn’t appease the aching pain in my heart. I growled as I thought about Sadie’s scars and how she had trembled naked in the cold.

She should have been in the ward healing, not out in the fucking ice, naked and bloodied.

I sighed heavily with relief, and I stopped sprinting through the woods. John was still slumped face-first on the ground where I’d left him. Usually I pulled my punches.

Flipping him over, I saw John’s entire face was bloody and broken. It had already swelled significantly. An inkling of satisfaction swirled through me.

I was glad I had punched him with every ounce of my strength.

The fucker deserved it.

Thoughts of how delicate and sad the little alpha looked when I’d left her filled my mind. I needed to get back to her quickly.

Sun god knew Ascher and Cobra were probably needling her like usual.

If they only had an idea of the fucking truth.

Maliciously, I stripped every piece of clothing off John. When the beta lay ass naked in the freezing temperatures, I grabbed him by his ankle and ran back to the compound.

I had seen the scratch marks and dirt that covered Sadie’s naked back.

The bastard would get the same treatment.