Free Animal Heart (Beast & Beauty) by Jessie M Page B

He'd left his remonstrations until the morning as he couldn't trust himself not to lose his temper with them last night.
    And Lucas.
    For God's sake! Where was his pride?
    He was pining after Maddy as if he were a lovesick puppy. It wasn't on. Much to his delight, she'd chosen to sit next to him at the table. That should have been a good enough sign to Lucas whose company she wanted and preferred. But no, he obviously wanted to make a fool of himself. He'd told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't to come out on the trail with them today. No more of his ridiculous embarrassing behavior. Then of course, they'd had words. Exceptionally strong words. He tried not to remember them, but unfortunately they flooded his mind like an open sewer of obscenity.
    He turned the corner and was surprised to see the yard gate open. He was sure he'd closed it last night, he was always so careful with things like that. He shrugged as he walked into the stable yard. He was momentarily confused. Because there stood Storm, to one side, next to his stall, fully tacked up.
    Who had done this?
    Then his mind whirred into action. He felt the horse's flank. He was damp and hot. He'd already been ridden.
    “Maddy?” he called out, preparing to tick her off big time. He checked in the tack room and Storm's stall. Satisfied she wasn't there, he went back to the ranch-house to find her. He put his head inside the kitchen.
    “ Seen Maddy?” he asked Shane.
    “ Nope, not yet.”
    He continued along the corridor to her room and knocked loudly. There was no reply. He was starting to get concerned. He entered the lobby and plucked her spare key from the hook. Returning to her room, he opened the door. The room was empty. Her bed was made and the window was open.
    Now he really was concerned.
    Where the hell was she?
    He picked up the t-shirt she'd been wearing the day before, which was lying on the floor, and walked back to the main reception area. He said good morning calmly to the two remaining guests, who were leaving a little later. He wished them a safe journey as pleasantly as he could, and then, his heart beating madly, he summoned Rebel and Fire to heel and left the ranch for the yard. He rubbed their noses in her t-shirt thoroughly and leapt up on Storm.
    “ Find...” he growled out to the dogs and they all shot out of the gate as fast as they could. He had a feeling growing inside of him. A very, very bad feeling.
    The stupid, stubborn, girl... I'll never forgive myself if anything's happened to her. I should have let her ride him while I was there... I should have guessed she'd do something like this.
    The dogs raced ahead, criss-crossing each other on the trail ahead.
    “ Find...” he called out again, urging them on.
    He was praying he would see her wandering back any moment. That she'd just taken a small tumble and was unharmed. But there was no sign of her.
    They veered off to the right fork of the trail and he thundered behind them, his heart beating so wildly, he felt it would burst through his chest. The dogs began to slow and sniff their way through the trees to Eagle clearing. He didn't like to disturb the eagles normally, Storm wasn't that keen on them either, since they'd dived at him once before, but he didn't care fuck all about that right now.
    He dismounted and called his dogs to him. He reinforced her scent, rubbing their noses in it once more, and they ran around the woods randomly for a moment until Fire caught on to something and gave a loud bark. He re-mounted Storm and followed his dogs as they surged forth, crossing the clearing and down the long steep bank the other side. He pulled Storm up and gasped in shock at the sight before him.
    Rebel and Fire sat next to her broken body.
    Her bootless foot was twisted back on itself in an obvious break. Blood smeared the pale skin of her face and a large amount covered the rock beneath her head. But worse than that was the angle of her broken neck. His heart wept for her. He