Feral Darlings

Chapter Fifteen

Clemmy wiggles out of my arms as soon as we step foot outside of the saloon.

I don ’ t put up a fight because I can tell that ’ s exactly what she wants right now, and I doubt she ’ ll be able to discern who the enemy is once she ’ s overcome by the moon.

Now that I think of it, I don ’ t know how they ’ ve all managed to resist it so far, though I think that ’ s a secret I ’ ll never know.

“ Slow down, Clem!” I call out to her when I realize she ’ s suddenly a few buildings in front of me. She doesn ’ t, though. Clem is in a mood now, and the only thing that ’ s going to stop her will more than likely scare the shit out of me.

I ’ m hoping that it ’ ll be enough to scare Silas, the Sun Down Mob, and the rest of the stragglers he brought along, too.

I quicken my pace, damn determined to catch up to her without having to break into a jog, when she comes to a sudden halt outside of the old apothecary.

Now, I have no choice but to run because she ’ s starting to climb the stairs, and I can see what ’ s got her so riled up.

It ’ s Sara Belle sitting on the porch with her feet firmly planted on the stair below her, eyes on Clem, glistening in the moonlight.

I manage to catch up to Clemmy just as she ’ s about to stand face to face with her sworn enemy, wrap my arms around her tiny waist, and swoop her off the steps. I carry her down to the dirt road and tilt her chin up to look at me. But her eyes…they ’ re still on Sara Belle, who ’ s also glaring back at her with death in her eyes.

Leaning down, I wrap an arm around Clemmy ’ s shoulder and gently turn her face toward mine. I can see the rage of the hundred lives she ’ s lived so far reflected in her eyes. Her lower lip trembles as hot tears begin to stream down her rosy cheeks.

“ Keep it caged, Clemmy. I need to finish talking to them first.”

The same low growl that she let out in Mollie ’ s saloon radiates from her body, but I can see that she ’ s willing to give me time. Although how much time I have left now, I don ’ t know.

“ Get out of the town,” I bark at Sara Belle as I gently push Clem behind me.

“ Or what?” she asks, tilting her had to the side and giving me a taunting grin. “ You ’ ll let your dog loose on me?”

Something inside of me snaps the moment the mocking words are out of her mouth. I feel calmer now since I know that Sara Belle didn ’ t have anything to do with it. If she did, she would be on the other side of the town line, guarding Silas like a hawk.

She ’ s a decoy.

A distraction meant to keep me from finding out the truth, but what Sara Belle doesn ’ t know is that she ’ s sealed her own fate just by doing her master ’ s bidding.

With a slow shake of my head, I give her a half-smile and tip the brim of my hat to her.

She may think that this is over, that she ’ s succeeded in keeping the truth from me, but for her , it ’ s only just begun.

“ Come on, Clem,” I say as I turn back toward her, taking one of her trembling hands in mine. “ Let ’ s get this over with.”