Moody And The Beast (Shadowvale #4) - Kristen Painter Page 0,61

skirt where it billowed out behind her.

She looked over her shoulder, saw him, and picked up speed with a little gasp. She laughed immediately after. “You’re not going to catch me that easily.”

He smiled. She was right. He wasn’t. He liked the chase too much. Except at some point, he would catch her so he could kiss her again.

They had to be at the very reaches of his boundaries. If she didn’t turn soon, he might hit a wall. He opened his mouth to say something, but a snarl filled the air, cutting him off. A shiver of alarm went down his spine. He reached for his blade even though it wasn’t there. A quiet curse fell from his lips.

Theo came to a fast stop, and he almost barreled into her. He put his hands on her shoulders to keep from knocking her down. “Hey, what—”

“Don’t move,” she whispered. “We have company.”

The sulfuric stench hit him as he looked at the path ahead. An enormous hellhound blocked the way. The beast’s head was at shoulder height with Theo. Muscles rippled beneath its black fur. It pawed the ground, claws furrowing the earth with deep grooves. Movement behind the beast made Robin realize the creature wasn’t alone.

A trio of red-eyed monsters stared them down. Saliva dripped from their toothy mouths as a low warning growl vibrated through the air. And he’d foolishly left his blade behind tonight. They both had.

Robin kept his mouth next to Theo’s ear and spoke as softly as he could. “You need to get behind me.”

“I don’t think moving is a good idea.”

“Probably not, but I don’t see what choice we have.”

“Do you trust me?”

He frowned. Not that she could see his face. “Of course, but why—”

She took a step forward, putting space between them. The air around her shimmered like the ground radiated heat.

Then Theo disappeared.

And a fourth, much larger hellhound stood in her place.

Chapter Twenty-one

She’d had no choice. Neither of them had weapons, and hellhounds had no natural enemies, except for other hellhounds. Other bigger, more powerful hellhounds.

So that’s what she’d shifted into. Doing that in front of Robin terrified her, because it meant revealing herself as a changeling, which instantly exposed her fairy blood. But being torn apart by the hellhounds frightened her more. She just prayed Robin would understand why she’d been quiet about her fairy half. Now was not the time to worry about such things, however. Not with three bloodthirsty beasts bearing down on them.

In hellhound form, she snarled at the group, pawing the ground just like they had, lunging forward with the same kind of threatening postures. She curled her lips back, showing off her fangs. When they faltered, she took a step forward. Inch by inch, she drove them back, until at last, they turned tail and, whimpering, ran off into the depths of the forest.

She snapped her jaws a few more times and let out a couple more deep growls for good measure. As soon as they were no longer visible and the sounds of them crashing through the forest faded, she shifted back to herself.

After a deep breath, she turned to face Robin. His expression opened a pit in her stomach. He looked shocked and upset. The darkness had returned to his eyes. She swallowed. Maybe she was reading him wrong and that was because of the hellhounds, not her revelation. “Are you all right?”

The steeliness in his gaze only increased her feeling of sickness. “You lied to me. There’s no way you could have done what you just did unless you have fairy blood in you.”

She’d hadn’t lied. Lying implied she’d denied what she was, and she’d never done that, but what good would that discussion do now? Instead, she chose her words carefully, trying to keep her voice and her body language cool and calm. “Robin, I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t like it. I know you hate fairies because of Vesta, but you have to know not all fairies are bad. I saved us from those hellhounds. You have to see the good in that.”

“A fairy who lies. Why should that surprise me?”

“Robin, please. I didn’t lie. You never asked me if I was fae.”

“You should have told me.” Disgust curled his lip. “You’re a changeling.” He said the word like it tasted bitter.

“Yes, I am.” She couldn’t very well deny it now. She didn’t want to either. There was a part of her that was very much done hiding the