Read Forgotten for Free Online Page B

big, hot hand closed over her wrist and pulled her to
her feet.
    His touch had an immediate
effect on her and not a good one. Had her heart been racing before? It was beating
triple time now—pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to beat
its way right out of her chest. Her breath got shallower and
shallower until she felt like she was sipping air through a straw.
Bright stars started to dance in front of her vision.
    Panic attack—I’m having a
panic attack! She’d never had one before
but her aunt had been subject to them. Kate had always prided
herself on being too strong for that kind of weakness but here she
was, following in her relative’s footsteps in the worst way
possible.
    “ Kate?” he asked, looming
over her, still holding her hand firmly. His piercing blue eyes
were actually glowing in the dim hallway, Kate saw. “Lalli?” he rumbled in that deep
voice. “What’s wrong? Don’t you know me?”
    “ I…I know you…” Kate’s
voice shook and she felt like her heart might burst. But suddenly
the Knowing was on her and she couldn’t stop the words from coming.
“The Beast…you’re the Beast,” she whispered. “Oh God, the Beast has
come to devour me!”
    “ What in the Seven Hells?”
He dropped her hand abruptly and took a step back. “Baby, no—what
are you talking about?”
    The minute he wasn’t touching her anymore,
some of the panic eased. Not much—Kate still feared for her life.
But at least the stars stopped exploding in her field of vision and
she no longer felt like she was going to pass out.
    She took a deep, shaky breath and another
measured step away from him. Somehow she had to get around
him—somehow she had to get free.
    “ Kate?” he said again and
was there hurt and confusion in those glowing blue eyes? Kate
didn’t know and she didn’t care.
    “ Look,” she said evenly.
“I don’t know who you are or how you know my name but you’d better
get out of my way now if you don’t want a hole blown in your guts!”
    She’d been too panicked and too close to
passing out earlier to think of it but now she gripped the Glock
and pulled it out from under her arm in one smooth motion. She
pointed it at the huge man and made a shooing motion with it.
    “ Go on—get out of my
way.”
    He looked at her incredulously.
    “ You’re not serious. You
won’t shoot me.”
    “ I’d shoot anybody who
attacked me in a dark hallway and you’re no exception, buddy,” she
snapped. “You might be too big to take down with one bullet but
that’s okay—I’ve got a full clip. And I’m going to empty it into
your stupid head if you don’t back up nice and slow and let me out
of here.”
    “ All right…all right.”
Still looking at her like she was the crazy one, the big man raised his hands
and began backing down the long, narrow hallway. Kate advanced on
him steadily, making sure to keep well away from him. He was
freaking huge and
those muscular arms of his promised he had a long reach. She didn’t
want to give him a chance to get his hands on her again.
    “ Kate,” he said again but
she shook her head.
    “ Zip it, buddy. Not
interested.”
    “ But if you would
just listen to me
for a minute…”
    “ What part of ‘not
interested’ do you not understand?” They were almost to the end of
the hallway now—Kate could see her freedom in sight. She motioned
with the gun again when it seemed like he might be slowing down.
“Keep moving. And once we’re out of this freaking hallway, you’re
going to take a right and walk away from me nice and slow. You do
anything else and I’ll shoot first and ask questions afterwards,
you got it?”
    He was still backing away but now he shook
his head.
    “ I don’t believe you—you
won’t shoot your own mate.”
    “ My what?” They were finally out of the
hall but instead of turning to go, he was just standing there,
staring down at her.
    “ Your mate,” he said
quietly. “ Lalli, I’m your mate. What you humans