Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,103

the hell,” Justin muttered.

Pack members in human form were gathered in a semicircle. Lee Fenner’s back was to Katelyn, and he was kicking something on the ground.

Not something, someone.

Babette.

She was curled up in a fetal position, arms covering her head as he drew back his booted foot and kicked her in the back. Justin’s hand went across Katelyn’s mouth as she cried out. Oblivious — or unconcerned — Mr. Fenner bent over Babette and pushed her onto her back. Then he grabbed her by the hair as if he were going to scalp her and lowered his face toward hers. His face sprouted hair; his jaw jutted forward and his teeth morphed into huge, white fangs. Drool roped off them onto the woman’s neck, and he opened his mouth to tear out her throat. Babette’s face flickered in and out of her human face and the she-wolf within, her jaw slightly elongating and her ears lying flat against her head.

Justin yanked Katelyn hard towards his chest, his hand so tight against her mouth that she couldn’t breathe.

“Not a word,” he whispered.

“Go ahead,” Babette snarled between clenched teeth. “Do it. Then you’ll never know.”

With a ferocious growl, Mr. Fenner’s face became mostly human again. Katelyn tapped on the palm of Justin’s hand and he loosened his grip.

“Know what? Tell me,” Lee growled.

“Why don’t you ask her little friend about your daughter?” Babette growled. “They were always whispering in the store about their boyfriends — about my alpha Dominic Gaudin, and the boy Trick Sokolov.” She threw back her head and howled, beginning to change fully, but another lunge from Mr. Fenner sent her sprawling semi-conscious on the ground.

“So,” Mr. Fenner said over his shoulder. He looked straight at Katelyn. “My girl was talking treason all that time, and you never told me?”

The crowd quieted for Katelyn’s answer. On the ground, Babette lay unmoving. Dizzy with fear, Katelyn remembered to duck her head to show submission.

“Mr. Fenner, I didn’t know anything. This was . . . before. She said she liked this guy who was older, and that you didn’t like him.” She prayed she could deflect Mr. Fenner’s focus from Trick. She didn’t want any of this to come near him.

He glared at her. “You should have told me, girl.”

She started to sweat. She didn’t know if he was following what she was saying. If he even knew who she was.

He gestured to Babette. “All these years, she’s been spying on us for the Gaudins. Listening to every stupid thing she said in that store. Stupid, careless. You both deserve to die.”

“Mr. Fenner, I didn’t,” Katelyn began, but behind her, Justin whispered, “Ssh.”

“I’ll do better,” she said, changing course, raising her chin but staying low, maintaining the respectful body position she knew he would expect. “Now I know. I swear it. If you’ll just give me a chance to prove myself.”

He blinked at her. And then smiled. “All right. Take this piece of garbage out in the forest. Kill her, and bury her. Come back and tell me that you’ve done it.”

“Let’s kill her here, Uncle Lee,” Lucy called out, baring her teeth and snapping toward the semi-conscious Babette. Clearly this was an occasion when it was okay to let out a bit of inner wolf.

“Now there’s a good girl,” Mr. Fenner said, smiling. “Lucy knows her place. You’re going to go far, darlin’. But no one has ever died at our home, and I mean to keep it that way. Justin, make sure Kat gets it done.”

Justin gripped Katelyn’s arm tightly, silently begging her to agree. Although she wanted to start screaming, she dipped her head again. Then Justin left her, walked to the inert woman, and picked her up in his arms. As he approached Katelyn, she had to look away.

“Follow me,” he said through clenched teeth. She fell into step behind Justin: dazed, disbelieving.

Bypassing all the Fenner vehicles, Justin carried Babette up the driveway, lingering at the road for Katelyn to catch up. There was never any traffic on their country lane, and Justin crossed into the forest without even looking. Katelyn thought about running; he must have sensed it, because he glanced over his shoulder at her and slowed down.

Time slipped away from her. She was so lost, inside and out, and when he stopped and lay Babette on the ground, Katelyn crossed her arms over her chest and gave her head a quick shake.

“She’s healing,” Justin said. “It’ll be better if you do it now while