Devil Takes His Innocent by Emma Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

she asked, looking
over Gabby’s shoulder. “It sounds like something is boiling over on the stove.
Why don’t we go and check on it, and I’ll answer any questions you have.”
    Gabby’s inquisitive mind demanded
she say “yes.” It would also give Bobby a chance to find out some answers as well,
because she knew he had many questions that she had no way of answering. A
quick look down at Bobby told her that she had assumed correctly. He wanted to
discover more about what he was. With a slight nod of her head, she and Bobby
reentered the cabin, only this time three other people joined them.
    “ Something smells delicious,”
Maryanne said cheerily.
    Bobby stood tall and proud,
puffing out his chest and said, “ Me and Gabby made it. It’s beef stew.”
    “ Yum, maybe you could teach me how
to make it one day,” Maryanne said, smiling kindly at the boy. “Do you like
cooking, Bobby?”
    “ Yes. Gabby’s been teaching me
how.”
    “ Your mum never let you cook with
her?” Maryanne asked.
    “ Nah, she never cooked. I just got
sandwiches for dinner when she remembered. When she didn’t, I used to sneak out
of bed once she was asleep, and make myself one,” came the heartbreaking reply.
    While both Gabby and Maryanne had
tears in their eyes, the two men chose that moment to remind Gabby of their
presence. The hissing she heard had her jumping in front of Bobby, ready to
protect him. Maryanne went over to both men. She placed her hand on Jason’s
chest and whispered softly. The men’s gazes both landed on Gabby. They seemed
to take in her stance, and both took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly as if they were trying to force themselves to calm down.
    “ I’m sorry, Gabby,” Judge
apologized while Maryanne cuddled up to her husband. “Feeding our women and
children is a high priority to our kind, and the idea that that woman failed to
provide for Bobby has our animals displeased, to say the least.”
    “ What do you know of our kind?”
Jason asked, now visibly calmer.
    “ Only what Bobby has told me from
his experiences. Before I met him, I had no idea that your kind existed,” Gabby
replied before looking over her shoulder at the stove where the potatoes were
boiling over.
    “ Don’t worry about that, Gabby.
I’ll watch your dinner while the guys answer both your and Bobby’s questions,”
Maryanne said, accurately reading Gabby’s worry. “Do you want the potatoes
mashed?”
    “ Yes, but I can do it later.”
    “ Nonsense, you and Bobby need to
eat it while it’s hot. We have rudely come at dinner time. We won’t stand in
your way of eating once it’s ready,” Maryanne called over her shoulder as she
headed toward the kitchen.
    “ So are there others like us?”
Bobby asked before they had all sat down.
    “ Yes,” Jason replied, seemingly
proud of his son’s question. “We belong to a pride of just over two hundred. We
have an Alpha, who’s our leader.”
    Bobby looked at Judge, and asked,
“That’s you, right?”
    “ Yes, cub, your instincts serve
you well,” Judge responded. “I have to make the rules and ensure everyone is
following them. Without our rules, our kind could be exposed to the humans. Can
you understand how dangerous that could be?”
    “ No.”
    “ Humans often fear difference in
people. If our secret got out, the humans might try to catch us or kill us,”
Judge explained. “That’s why it’s against the rules to show them what we are.”
    Bobby moved in closer to Gabby.
“Am I in trouble for telling Gabby? You won’t hurt her, will you?”
    “ No, cub,” Judge reassured,
reaching over and ruffling Bobby’s hair. “I’m proud of you for finding a way to
survive until you could find your dad. We do trust some humans with our secret.
From what I have seen, Gabby would protect our secret with her life, if only
for your sake. She protects you like your mother should have. It would seem
that she is deserving of your trust, and I’m going to give