Cole cursed and ran his fingers through his hair."Isabelle…" he called again when she still didn't look up, he lowered to his knees, reached for her face, and cupped her chin,  making her turn around to face him. Her eyes and nose were red from crying and he felt a protective surge so profound he breathed through parted lips. "Don't ever say that to me again. I'm going to get you to safety if it's the last thing I do. And nobody and nothing is going to stop me. Do you understand me?" She nodded hesitantly. Her lips trembled and tears streamed down her face again. Cole fought the urge to kiss her. She looked so damned vulnerable and fragile that he almost forgot she wasn't some helpless female. Her natural beautiful features slowly drew him in. He longed to taste her full pink lips again and feel the soft flesh moving against his. 

"Sir? Mr. Miller," a voice called and Cole looked up from his sitting position.  All the chairs and decorations prepared around the private graveyard of the Millers had been cleared away, leaving the one Cole sat on. His hair was wet and the shoulder pads of his suit were dampened. He blinked to focus; he had been a bit drawn in by the memories of his dead relatives that he had forgotten where he was. "Yes, Mrs. Pepple," Cole responded, allowing a polite smile to surface. He remembered she was the housekeeper and was a bit surprised to see she was still working for his father. She looked older too from the last time he saw her. The round figured woman with her bright red hair that was always tightly pulled back in a bun was one of the motherly figures he had growing up here on this estate. She stood with her hands clasped wearing her matronly uniform with about ten women standing behind her.

Cole lunged forward and was about to push hard on the secret door when a knock sounded on his door, he jerked back as if scalded by hot water and growled like an animal. He marched to the door and pulled it open, the look on his face made the petite woman by his door startled back. Her eyes widened and she swallowed. “What do you want?!” Cole spat the words forcefully, baring teeth.. “I…I… I thought you might want me to come and clean your room—”“What?!”“I used to clean your father’s room as you are well aware of course. I thought perhaps you might have use of me… I mean—”“Get. Out!” Cole yelled. “And don&rs

Cole got up, naked as the day he was born and went to peer out through the window. His side window had a view of the side of the building but the one by his bed overviewed the front of the mansion. He saw his father’s men firing shots into the woods surrounding the house and the sight of a body sailing through the air to land on the side lawn made him jerk his face in that direction. The man stayed down and didn't get up. Cole thought perhaps a shotgun had been used on the guy at close range. That was the only logical thing he could think of. Otherwise, what or who could be that strong to toss a grown-ass man that far? He left the window and hurried to the closet. Isabelle had found one of his old pullover hoodies with sweatpants. He loved that it looked smart on her. That would make it easier to run in. Speaking of running, he lowered his gaze to her legs and saw she was barefooted. He cursed.

“No!” a loud feminine cry sounded from somewhere to his left, then a growl and another creature lunged at the one ready to deliver the killing blow. Pushing him away from Cole. The creature's claw swept down, tearing flesh from his shoulder to his massive chest, missing his neck as he had evidently intended. Cole panted as excruciating pain rented through his big frame. It was almost like getting shot all over again. He took quick breaths, trying to contain the pain. while his eyes watched the two creatures wrestling on the floor. “It’s Belle!” someone shouted. The tumbling bodies stopped and Cole saw the same colored wolf Isabelle had shapeshifted into to show him what she was. Only this time she was not on all fours - not a mere wolf, but a half-beast half-woman, standing on hind legs, tall and about 250 pounds of all muscle and sinew. Her white fur was pure as the col