Read Protect Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #3) for Free Online

blood turned the snow to strawberry slush. The man’s face had been replaced by pulp. Holy shit. He was definitely dead. The gravity of what I’d done brought me to my knees beside him.
    I’d never killed a human before. Deer, elk, and moose, of course. We needed them to survive. One lonely area of my brain attempted to think rationally, reminding me if I hadn’t done this Kiera, one of her friends, or my brothers could have suffered the same fate. But it didn’t take the absolute finality away from being responsible for someone’s last breath.
    This secret would follow me to the grave. Baron Channing didn’t kill humans. I didn’t want this war between the packs and everything that went along with it. Especially this. But I’d never forget the way I felt now, my heart pounding against my rib cage with adrenaline, the nausea from looking at the attacker’s ruined face. This could never be just part of my job. Shadow and Major might be able to look themselves in the mirror after something like this, but I wasn’t going to recognize the man in the reflection anymore.
    Thankful my ski jacket and pants hid the blood splatters, I went back to Kiera. The crowd had thinned.
    “What the hell are you doing?” the woman who’d been checking Kiera for injuries cried. “You can’t move her. We don’t know what happened. Help is on the way!”
    “I am the help,” I roared, pulling her limp body into my arms. “She’s going to be fine.”
    Protests echoed behind me as I broke away from the crowd. I didn’t respond, I couldn’t convince them I was right. I’d been stupid to ride so far ahead of Kiera. No one followed me, just gave me glares and odd looks as I marched through the snow, the dead weight of an unconscious woman hanging from my arms. I had to go slow to keep my footing, not to hurt her anymore. As far as I knew, the blow to the head was the only injury she had.
    This afternoon we’d all laughed at Shadow’s orders to keep an eye on the girls. Now I wondered if I put her in more danger by bringing her out or if they would’ve found her tonight without me.
    Kiera moaned. I dropped to my knees, laying her back down in the snow. “Kiera. It’s Baron. Can you hear me?”
    “Yeah.” Her voice was mushy and she struggled to open her eyes. “Where are we?”
    She had no idea what happened. Please don’t let her realize there was anything different about me. She’s human, she won’t smell the blood and the evil. “On Baldy. Do you remember snowboarding?”
    “Kinda.” She winced, bringing her hand up to her head. “The last thing I remember is you kissing me.”
    Pulling her up, I slanted my lips over hers, recreating our last kiss the best I could. I was so fucking grateful that she was awake and talking that I wanted to add some flourish, but I refrained. This kiss several jobs: to jog her memory, welcome her back to me, and make me forget what I’d just done.
    Kiera ran her fingers over my face. She still needed help remembering. “My head hurts.”
    “You’re not bleeding. Can I touch it?” She nodded, then stiffened, surprised I knew right where to go. “You’ve got a lump. Someone said they thought you got hit. I should’ve never gone so far ahead of you.”
    She laughed softly. Good sign. “I shouldn’t have fallen behind.” She sounded sleepy. “Do you think it’s the same people who came for Trina?” I probably should’ve waited for a medic, but mixing pack and human business would be far messier in the long run. She had a concussion. As long as we were careful, she’d be okay.
    “I know it was,” I growled. Kiera slumped against me. Shit. I needed to keep her awake, right? “Can you walk?”
    “I think so. Don’t leave me, Baron.”
    “I won’t.” I put my arm around her once she was up. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Six
    K iera
    “You should go to the hospital.” Lyssie hovered over me, pouting. Baron had kicked Dallas out for the night and insisted on