Saving the Beast Read Online Free PDF Page A

said and was gone, her footfalls echoing as she went up the staircase that led from the lab to the main floor.
    “The Professor called me,” Abby said after a brief moment of silence. “He’s worried.”
    “He called you? We’re in the same house! And why the hell would he call you? The last thing you need to do is worry about me. You need to be concentrating on your health and the baby getting ready to make his appearance in this world.”
    Abby smiled. “Trust me. I’m not going to do anything to put my child at risk. That doesn’t mean I’m not here for my friends. And we are, you know. Friends.”
    Diane smiled. “I know.”
    “I’ll never forget the moment you came in my bedroom to see Tah. You checked on him and muttered under your breath before you left.”
    “I did? What did I say?” Diane asked.
    “You vowed that you’d save him. You made a friend for life in that moment. In me. I heard you, and I found comfort. I knew you would do everything you could to save him.”
    “Reno saved him,” Diane said.
    “Yes,” Abby agreed. “But you kept me sane with that vow. I was less afraid because you were there. You gave me hope at a time when I felt like my whole world was ending. And you’ve continued to do so. When Tah and Logan were shot, you removed the bullets and saved their lives.”
    “Oh, Abby, I’m pretty sure Tah would have survived with or without my help on that one. This shifter ability to heal is something else. Plus, the Professor was the one overseeing everything during the surgeries.” Diane said.
    “Overseeing isn’t the same, and we both know it. He trusts you implicitly. There is no one else he even considered when I told him what I’d found.”
    “I don’t think I can live up to his expectations of me,” Diane admitted.
    “You don’t have to,” Abby countered. “You’re family, Diane. We don’t need you to be perfect. We just need you. As soon as this little guy makes his appearance, we’ll both be down here more to help out.”
    “Abby, you’ll have a newborn.”
    “Yes, and I’ll have a lot of help with him. I’m very lucky. We’ll set up a playpen for him to sleep in. Between you, me, the Professor and everyone else who wanders through down here, this little guy will be spoiled rotten. And I’ll get the chance to help more. I’m a hell of a scientist. I know my way around research. I should be able to step in and at least give you a break on the constant analyses the Professor has running.”
    Diane almost snorted. She wished the Professor good luck in keeping anything from Tah if Abby was down here helping him with his testing.
    “Promise me you’ll think about it?” Abby asked. “Staying here with us. I really don’t want you to go.”
    Diane believed her. She could see it in Abby’s eyes. Diane had never really had many friends. Most of the people she’d had in her life consisted of colleagues who were as busy as she was. They might share a drink or dinner, usually as a platform to discuss whatever they were currently working on. She’d never once thought she was missing out on something until she arrived here. The deep love Tah, Reno and Logan felt for one another was obvious to everyone. They really were more brothers than friends, and they swept up everyone there in that sense of family. Then there was Abby. For one so young, she mothered all of them. Scolding and offering love and wisdom depending on what was going on. Diane had to admit, she didn’t want to leave. These people were the only family she had. Before, she would have easily walked away. But now, she knew what family was supposed to mean, and despite her self-doubt at the moment, there was no going back.
    “I’ll think about it,” Diane vowed. She’d be thinking about a lot of things, but mostly about Zane. If Clara was right, if Diane was his mate, then it was imperative she go after him as soon as possible. The idea filled her with hope and dread at the same time and set