Runt of the Litter by Sam Crescent Read Free Book Online Page B

to Tori. A teacher would be far easier.”
    “There’s no one else I want more than Tori.”
    “This explains why you were always drawn to her even
before the transition.”
    “Yes.”
    “And why you went into a mood when she left that
summer after you almost hurt her.”
    A lot of questions had been answered with regards to
Tori.
    “Will you do it for me?”
    “You want me to kill you?”
    “I want you to handle your friend. I’ll never mate
again. If Tori dies , I want you to kill me.”
    “This has to be the worst day of my life.”
    “Tell me you’ll do it.”
    “Fine, I’ll do it, but I don’t actually agree with it.
This is fucking crazy. I thought I had a struggle with Scarlett being human.
For fuck’s sake, why can’t anything be easier?”
    Sitting down beside his friend, Jack let out a sigh.
“I can’t believe I’m having to make these kind of
deals.”
    “ Does Tori even have an
inkling of what she means to you?”
    “Nope. She doesn’t have a clue at all. It’s crazy, insane, and not fair at
all.”
    “I’m sorry, man. This is what I went through with
Scarlett.” Marshall pressed a hand to his chest. “She’s in here now.”
    “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
    “Do you love Tori?”
    “Yeah, I do. How strange is that? The moment I saw her
again everything became blurred, and as I spend more time with her, everything
is clear.”
    “It’s the bond, or at least that’s what my father
says. We’re all bound to each other, and the bond between mates grounds us.”
    Silence descended, and Jack stared out over the
street. The sun was high. It was too fucking hot, but being in the pack felt
right.
    “She’s training herself, Marshall.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “Her uncle has been training her so she’s ready for
the transition. At the end of the summer when she leaves, I’m going with her.”
    “To what? Train her?”
    “Think about it, Marshall. If she doesn’t survive the
transition I’ve only got two years with her. I’m not going to give up, no
matter what anyone thinks.”
    “Two years away from the pack?”
    “I’ll be back for holidays and vacations. When Tori comes back, I’ll be back.”
    “That’s a great deal of devotion.”
    “Wouldn’t you do the same for Scarlett?”
    “I would. Shit, man, this is fucking harsh.”
    “We’re all handed different things in life.” Jack
slapped him on the back. “Come on. They’re going to start thinking we bailed on
them when we didn’t.” They walked through the house, and Jack stopped as he
took in Tori’s laughing face. Her head was thrown back, and she looked
completely relaxed.
    “Are you okay?” Marshall asked.
    “I can’t lose her. I’ve only just found her, and I
can’t lose her.”
    “There’s nothing you can do until she becomes of age.
You know that.”
    “I hate this. I hate waiting.”
    “We can’t do anything about it right now. Let’s go out
and enjoy them.”
    Exiting the house, Jack went to Tori’s side. Snagging
the soda from her hand, he took a sip. “What’s so funny?”
    “Hey, that was my drink.”
    “And I’m sharing it.”
    “I like Scarlett,” Tori said, whispering the words
into his ear. Her breath fanned across his neck.
    I’ve got to protect her.
    “I like her as well.”
    Tori rested her head against his shoulder as they
watched Marshall hold Scarlett close.
    She’s got to survive.
    He couldn’t survive without her. There had to be
something he could do.

Chapter Five
     
    “Why are we trekking through the forest again?” Tori
asked. She followed behind Jack as the sun beat down. It was too hot, and she
was so hungry. It had been five days since she’d met Marshall, and every day
since then, Jack had shown up at her door at the crack of dawn. Each day they’d
gone into the forest for hours at a time.
    She was sweating so badly that her clothes were
soaked.
    “I’ve been talking to Paul.”
    “Why are you talking to my uncle?”
    “He wants