2: Leer - Pack Takeover by Carys Weldon Read Free Book Online

females. It doesn’t work that way.”
     
     
    Silence stretched. I saw Chaos’s throat convulse in a hard swallow.
     
     
    Leer said, “I’m not gonna let Tee kill her.”
     
     
    That got me blinking. Panicking. Thinking I was gonna die.
     
     
    “Relax.” To my surprise, it was Chaos who eased the word through his lips. And his gaze was on me, ignoring Leer…something about him made me want to slip past Leer, to take Chaos’s hand. The kin recognizing the alpha? Knowing there was safety if he said it was so? I almost moved toward him.
     
     
    “I’m not afraid.” Leer put an arm out, as if he could read my mind, stopping me before I could step forward.
     
     
    He was, though. But he was getting over it fast. He kept rolling his shoulders. I heard a pop or two. He warned Chaos, “Don’t make me angry.”
     
     
    Chaos, clearly, had no intention but that. “I can assure you--you will be angry before we’re done, and in pain, if you don’t walk away now.”
     
     
    “Not happening.”
     
     
    “I have to do this,” Chaos said. “You don’t.”
     
     
    Chaos tried to get Leer to circle, like two men in a gunfight or something. He moved a step one way, and then the other. He said, “I will have her before it is all said and done.”
     
     
    “You can die trying…” Leer suggested awkwardly as if the next thought hit him out of the blue, “or walk away. Let me have--”
     
     
    “That’s what it’s all about.” Chaos had a catch in his voice as he cut Leer off. I heard it and peeked around to see their expressions. Chaos looked ill. “You know I can’t.”
     
     
      Leer shook his head. “Wrong.” He was intent on keeping his gaze on Chaos. “This isn’t a fight you have to pick.” His tone changed. “Tee loves you.”
     
     
    Chaos glanced at me, sized me up. Sniffed.
     
     
    I wouldn’t say there was indecision in his eyes. Resignation maybe. A dullness, like he wasn’t feeling anything--just going through the motions. His gaze shifted back to Leer.
     
     
    “You have to fight for it to appreciate it. You and I both know that.”
     
     
    I remember trying to swallow, trying to speak--then trying to scream. Leer told me that he wanted to apologize, to warn me, to explain to me what I was about to see. But he didn’t have time. He couldn’t turn his back on Chaos. And I know that’s true now.
     
     
    More popping sounds.
     
     
    You know, until you see it--you don’t get the whole shapeshifting thing. It’s got to hurt. Right before my eyes, Leer grew bigger. His muscles bulged--like they weren’t already bulbous, stretched, Popeye-type muscles. Well, they stretched more. Bones cracked.
     
     
    Chaos laughed, “She’ll hate you now.”
     
     
    I was backing up into the corner. It was horrifying. With every word that Chaos lipped, Leer seemed to grow--and when hair started to push its way from his pores, or folicles, or whatever--I feared for my life. What the hell had I gotten myself into? Staggering backward slowly, I hit the wall. My eyes must have been like saucers.
     
     
    All I could see was his back. His shoulders hunched a little, so he wouldn’t hit his head.
     
     
    Leer said unequivocally, “I’m gonna kill you.”
     
     
    I sunk to the floor, crouching in fear, still clutching my shirt. From there, I could see Chaos better. He chuckled. I wondered how he could not be afraid.
     
     
    But then, it didn’t take me long to figure it out. He said, “Bring it on.” His eyes flashed. I could hear cracking sounds. He let out a horrible wailing, gnashing, growl thing. And, much faster than Leer had changed, he was looming over us.
     
     
    I’m sure I muttered, “Oh my God.”
     
     
    Leer flinched. I knew he heard me. I wondered if I was distracting him. I was. I was also empowering him. I wondered if he would be too tired--after what we’d done--to come out on top.
     
     
    Chaos sent me another message. If you care for him--at all--come with