Page 48 of Taming the Beasts

And then Titan walked right up to me. “Is this about what you took from the vault? Because I know you took something, doll. And I’ll know what it is before the end of the day.”

“Titan, enough,” Bennett said.

Titan’s nostrils flared as he turned to Bennett.

“Emma, Zoey, let’s get out of here,” Callum said. He put his hand out for Emma, but Ace was still blocking her path.

“Zoey isn’t going anywhere with you.” Titan shoved Callum’s chest.

Whoa.Why was he suddenly defending me?

“Touch me again and I’ll snap your neck like a twig,” Callum said.

Titan had a thick neck. More like a tree trunk than a twig. But Callum looked dead serious.

“Titan, take a breath,” Bennett said.

Instead Titan’s body starting shuddering.

Oh no.

“Everyone get the fuck out of here!” Bennett yelled.

But Titan shuddered again and fell right in front of the door.

“Shit,” Otto said.

A deafening growl fell out of Titan’s mouth as his back arched upward.

This was all my fault. He kept losing control because I kept lying. But I was trying to come clean.Maybe I could help him calm down. Otto had calmed him down last night when he’d almost shifted. “Titan?” I tried to take a step forward, but Bennett kept me firmly against his chest.

“Callum,” Bennett said as he pulled out his pocket watch. “Take Zoey and Emma to the vaults.”

For the first time ever, Callum actually listened to Bennett. He grabbed Emma’s hand and they ran toward one of the vaults.

“Titan, I’m sorry,” I said.

But instead of calming down, he growled again. He rose on his feet and rose and rose higher as he turned into a huge cat, standing on his hind legs. His dark eyes locked on me like I was his next meal as he roared at the top of his lungs.

Ace pulled me toward the vaults. But I’d left the coin in my varsity jacket. I didn’t know how long it would take for Titan to change back. And I didn’t want to let it out of my sight. What if Titan accidentally ate it or something? I somehow managed to free my wrist from Ace’s grasp and I ran toward Bennett’s office.

“Zoey, watch out!” Callum yelled.

I looked over my shoulder. Titan was racing toward me from across the bank. He growled and pounced toward me.

Fuck.

But before he could reach me, Callum slammed into his side, knocking them both into one of the marble pillars. It made a crunching noise as the two of them fell to the ground.

Callum was definitely stronger than he looked.

Ace leapt forward, shifting in midair. He landed on all fours and swatted his paw against Callum’s side.Blood splattered on the marble floors as Callum flew through the air.

No.

Callum’s back slammed against the side of the front counter and papers fluttered everywhere.

“Callum!” Emma screamed. She was standing in the opened vault door. She tried to run around the counter toward Callum, but Huxley stopped her.