Free Beasts Within by Lexi Lewis

the pride and instead go straight for trying to get as far away as possible. Eventually, he would find her, but if he had to deal with a police investigation first, then it would take longer for him to be able to search for her.
                  “We don’t know what happened, sir!” Thomas insisted. “She was here for dinner, but then she was just… gone. ”
                  “She was not just gone. People do not just vanish, Thomas. They sneak and hide like rats, and then they are found and caged. And we will find her, do you hear me?”
                  They both nodded immediately.
                  “Good. Search the entirety of the woods. Leave nothing unchecked. More than likely she went across the bridge into the town proper, and we can only hope that the rain delayed her escape. She is likely still there, and I want her found and dragged back here, is that understood?”
                  “Yes, sir,” the said in unison and then turned to leave quickly. Good. They should be afraid. If Camilla got away, then there would be hell to pay. It had been annoying when Chris, one of the former members of the pride had gotten a strange woman pregnant and then run off with her, but when he’d turned up three years later with a toddler with amber eyes and a strange power, it had been a blessing.
                  Of course, he’d had to be killed. Paul had known that Chris wouldn’t have allowed them to use his daughter like a tool, but with him gone, Camilla had then had no one but the pride to look after her, and Paul had been able to manipulate her into all sorts of things from a young age. She knew nothing else but them and the things he made her do, and he was going to get her back before she could get any more ridiculous ideas about freedom in her head. He needed her, and he was going to have her back no matter what it took to make sure that happened.
                  There were only so many places she could hide in the town, and someone would have seen her, surely. She’d gotten that infernal job, so she had a little money, he knew (and that was going to be nipped right in the fucking bud when she was returned to him), but she couldn’t have gotten far.
                  “You will regret this, Camilla,” he murmured under his breath as he looked out the window, watching Thomas and Adam and a few other members of the pride head for the tree line. “You will regret it and you will never get this chance again, so I do hope you enjoy your little adventure, my pet.”
     
     

Chapter 7: A Feeling of Belonging
     
    Karic had never had so much trouble concentrating before when it came to his job. Usually he was focused and charming, making sure older women and even the men took their medicines on time and followed whatever treatments had been outlined for them. But tonight his mind was thoroughly with the girl he had left in the back office, wondering if she was doing alright, if she was worried about her pride finding her here, and what he would do if they did.
                  “Are you alright, Karic?” Dr. Dearborn’s voice cut through his thoughts, making him look up in surprise.
                  “Oh. Yeah. Definitely. Why do you ask?”
                  She smiled at him mildly. “Because you just filled out Mr. Hampton’s prescription for two hundred and fifty ten milligram tablets instead of the other way around?”
                  Karic looked down at his pad and then sighed. Yep. He was definitely losing his mind. He tore off the prescription and balled it up, tossing it with impressive accuracy into the nearest trash can.
                  “Is this about the young lady?” Dr. Dearborn asked him.
                  His face got hot, and Karic just knew he was blushing. Awesome. “I…don’t know what you mean.”