A Forbidden Taking by Kathi S. Barton Read Free Book Online

thought it was her imagination. She’d always tanned easily and
couldn’t understand why she felt as if she was burning. Her belly began to
rebel at the heat and her skin blistered. Megan turned back to the cave just as
large blisters formed on her arms. Running now, she made her way back to the
cave just as the pain became nearly unbearable. Screaming from a mixture of
pain and terror Megan made it inside and fell into a deep sleep as soon as she
was in the darkness. She thought at the time that she had died.
    She
woke that night hungry and still blistered. Cautiously, she made her way out
into the darkness and moved toward the lights she could see in the distance. Her
belly rumbled and she was hungrier than she’d ever been. But somehow she didn’t
think she wanted a cheeseburger and fries.
    The
sounds were so loud that she felt as though she had to cover her ears, and the
scents? She could smell everything from the sweat on someone’s body to the
smell of vomit in the alley. Her head hurt, as did her eyes and belly, and she knew
that she had to find relief soon or go insane. When she came upon the man in
the alley pissing, she moved up behind him so quickly that, at first, she
didn’t know what to do. Then her fangs had dropped.
    Pain
shot through her head and mouth, blood poured from her gums, and she felt as if
her mouth was being ripped apart. When she swiped her tongue over her teeth,
she cut herself with the sharp incisors. But the explosion of taste in her
mouth made her leap at the man before her. She was at his neck with her teeth
deep before she even realized what she was doing. Jerking back from him, blood
poured from her bite and she nearly left him, but the doctor in her made her
grab at his wound to try and stop the bleeding. Hunger tore at her until she’d
had no choice in the matter and leaned down and covered it with her mouth.
    Rich
and hot, it poured into her mouth. Her hunger was so great that she continued
to drink greedily long after she should have stopped. When she finally lifted
her head, she knew that she’d killed him. Dropping his body from her lap, Megan
jumped up and backed away until her back hit the wall behind her. She’d killed
a man. It didn’t matter that she didn’t mean to, or that she had no idea what
she’d done. He was dead and she was responsible. She made her way back to the
cave and stayed there for four days hoping that she’d either die of starvation
or that someone would come along and kill her. Megan had never been so
depressed in all her life.
    ~~~
    Sara MacManus was sitting in the
living room when Beau came up from the lair. He didn’t know how he’d ended up
in the master’s home, but was grateful that someone had seen to him when he’d
been hurt.
    Beau refused to think he’d done
anything wrong or anything that warranted his mate to treat him like she had.
He’d only been looking out for her best interests. He bristled when he thought
about how everyone had seen her bring him low. He would have to have a word
with his female. Just as soon as he found her that was. Beau was nearly across
the room and out when Sara spoke.
    “Have a seat, Beau Desjardin . I would like to discuss a few things
with you.”
    “I’ve things to see to, mistress. And
I have need to find Kyle. He and I had plans for this night and—”
    “Perhaps you didn’t understand. I
didn’t ask you to come and sit with me, I told you to do so. Now sit.”
    Beau didn’t have a choice. She was
as much his master when he was in this realm as Aaron himself. He moved over to
one of the couches and sat lazily onto it. Beau looked at the mistress of the realm
much like he’d done his female from the night before.
    “If she doesn’t hit you again,
I’ll be surprised. You are an arrogant bastard, aren’t you? She has a name, use
it.”
    “I’d prefer that you stay out of
my thoughts. They are mine and mine alone. As for the female.” Beau used the
title harshly. “I do not know her