Free Grayslake: More than Mated: Make Her Howl (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Flora Dare Page B

the car.
    Grace grabbed the door frame, her voice tight, and said, "I won't tell him, them, anything. I made that mistake before, doing what I thought was right."
    Magda was flat and cold. "Do you really think they'll ask?" She wasn't part of the pack and was only peripheral to the Grayslake Clan. "I'm sure in a few days, any interest will die down."
    Grace's head shook side to side and gave a sad sigh. "Oh Mags, you have no idea do you? Are you sure you don't want to sleep on your decision?"
    Her mouth had a wistful turn, but Magda shook her head no and whispered, "Bye, Momma," as she backed away from the house.
    Tears nearly blinded her as drove down the road. She grabbed a tissue and scrubbed at her eyes, pushing down her feelings and focusing on the road. The silence of the car was overwhelming, but she let the whir of the wheels on tarmac be the music she drove to.
    Long minutes passed and she realized she'd unconsciously chosen the same route out of town they'd used all those years ago. The same section of road she'd very carefully avoided since she came back. Her foot eased off the gas pedal and her heart beat faster.
    As she came to the stretch of road where her mate and her youthful dreams both passed away from her, Magda's throat tightened. Before she could think too hard or long, she pulled to the shoulder and stopped the car.
    A deep, shuddering moan escaped her lips and she flung the car door open. The headlights illuminated the side of the road and she walked forward. How could this ordinary, boring stretch of road bind her so tightly.
    Magda realized there was a plinth in front of her that she didn't recognize. She stepped forward and realized there were words engraved on the black stone. Her fingers traced them as it took a moment for her brain to process the words. The world fell away from her as her vision tunneled in on the simple words.
    It was a memorial. For Stuart and Lira’s father.
    A shaft of ice drilled through her heart and her ears rang. Was this something Deidre did? Why else would it be here?
    A wooden crack in the underbrush broke the mood and scared her. She shouted, "Is someone out there?"
    A dark shadow broke away from the trees and Magda growled. Fur sprouted on her arms and her claws began to push out from her hands. Her lips stretched to cover her fangs and the taste of blood combined with her fear started to push her shift out of her control. Her bones were twisting, and if he was human and saw her shift, she'd have to kill him.
    Besides not wanting to kill a potential innocent, it would force her to stay in Grayslake until she could report it to Ty. And she could face punishment.
    A scent carried to her, it was familiar, but she was starting to lose control. She growled a warning, telling the other shifter something was wrong. She still couldn't visual identify who it was, but he stopped and his scent washed over her. Reid .
    Fear and rage and the deep pain at losing Marc took hold of Magda's mind and she saw only red. He was going to force her, like they'd tried to force them years ago. Right here, where she lost Stuart, she was losing everything again.
    She gave into the blind rage and released the chains on her wolf. She shifted and leap at him, screaming out her defiance. She would not go back in chains.
    He twisted away from her, shouting words that the wind whipped away. She sprung back towards him. As he danced away, he got a hand on her ruff and suddenly she was human again. Her wolf was shoved rudely into the back of her mind and she landed heavily on the ground, the wind knocked out of her.
    His foot was on her back and she waited for his killing blow, but he stood there for a long moment before he finally said, "You done? Didn't mean to scare you, thought you would recognize my scent."
    "You'll have to kill me, you can't force me to go back."
    Reid stepped back and said, "I realize I have a fairly well deserved reputation, but why the hell would you think I would kill you? Or