Free Taken by the Beast by Natasha Knight Page A

hour or so before it’s ready. I’m going to chop more wood in the meantime.”
    She eyed the already ridiculously high stack next to the fireplace.
    “There are some books over there; you can help yourself,” he added.
    “Thanks,” she said, trying to meet his eyes.
    He walked out the door.
     
    * * *
     
    There was an elephant in the room and nobody was going to mention it.
    Kayla set the table, chose a book, and curled up on the couch. She stared at the first page, not reading a thing. What the hell had just happened? She’d let him fuck her. Without protection. Should she have resisted? She shook her head. She hadn’t. Hadn’t even wanted to.
    She’d just finished her period a few days ago so she wasn’t overly worried about getting pregnant, but there were other things to think about.
    “Relax,” she told herself. It was one time, one stupid time.
    Fuck. She’d feel much better about it if they’d used a condom. She set the book down and went into the bathroom. He’d been so big that she’d bled a little and wanted to make sure the bleeding had stopped, which it had.
    She went back into the living room as Elijah returned carrying a stack of firewood. He placed it on the already tall pile, obviously feeling awkward about what had just happened.
    “Elijah,” she said, determined to just face this, talk about it and move on.
    He looked at her.
    “We’re not going to be all weird now, are we? I mean, you spank me. That’s not weird for some reason. It’s not like you…” What the hell was she trying to say?
    “Did I hurt you?” he asked.
    She shook her head.
    “We should have used a condom. Are you on birth control? Is there any way you can get pregnant?”
    “I just finished my period, so I don’t think so.”
    He seemed physically relieved by that. “Good. It won’t happen again, Kayla. I’m sorry.”
    She only looked at him, realizing that wasn’t the reaction she’d been looking for.
    “Let’s eat; the rabbit’s probably ready,” he said.
    They sat at the table and he served their meal. The rabbit was remarkably tasty. The beans were soggy and a side of roasted potatoes would have hit the spot, but this was better than she’d expected.
    “I have a question that I can’t figure out. Why me, Elijah? I don’t understand. Why did you decide to kill to protect me ? I mean, why do you care?” she asked, taking another bite.
    He carved out more meat for himself, seeming ravenous, taking his time to answer.
    “I don’t know,” he began. “Ever since that day I met you, do you remember when that man bumped into you and dropped your things?”
    “I remember.”
    “I’ve just felt the need to take care of you, I guess.”
    “And that’s it? You just saw me one day when some asshole knocked my things out of my hands and you decided that you’d kill to take care of me?” She put her fork down and sipped her water. “That sounds a little strange, to be honest.”
    “I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe it’s a wolf thing.”
    It was her turn to study him. There was a piece missing, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
    “And I’m serious about the swearing. I’ve let you go on it so far, but the next time, I’ll spank you.”
    “I’ll see what I can do about it,” she said, not sure if she meant she’d try to get spanked or try to avoid it. “So we go into town tomorrow?” she asked.
    “You do realize it’s not a vacation, right?”
    Danger seemed a distant memory; she felt safe here, safe with him.
    “And no, you will stay here while I go into town. I don’t want to take a chance on people recognizing us, especially if they see us together.”
    “How long are we staying here?”
    “I don’t know. I’ll find out more tomorrow, hopefully. Are you finished?” he asked.
    She nodded. “I’m full.”
    He eyed her plate. “You need to eat more,” he said. “Are you sure?”
    She nodded.
    He reached over, forked the pieces she hadn’t eaten, and popped