'S P

ed to life, its sole focus on protecting what was ours. Every fiber of my being surged with the need to shield her, to annihilate the threat that dared to touch her. My body moved on pur

e tried to comprehend what had just happened. But I didn't give him the luxury of time. My fist found his jaw with a satisfying crunch, the sickening sound e

atch for me-none of them were. I took them down one by one, each punch and strike fueled by an anger that burned hotter with every passing second. How dare they touch her? How dare they even think about hurting her? The t

ith shock, her body practically vibrating with the aftereffects of her terror. Seeing her like that-so small, so vulnerable-only stoked the embers of my anger. Not at her, n

he words came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn't hold them back. The sight of her like this-frightened and shaken-st

ed to say anything. I could see it all in her eyes-the fear, the realization of how close she'd come to a fate too horrible t

wolf growled in disapproval, but I couldn't help it. The anger was too fresh, too raw.

ore it, to bury it under my anger. This had to be a mistake-a cruel joke played by the universe. She wasn't fit to be my mate. She wasn't fit t

to take my eyes off her. "Take h

her tonight, and began to guide her away from the scene of destruction I'd left in my wake. As they disappeared into the shadows of the casino, I stood there, my fis

fe. And yet, as I stood there in the aftermath of my rage, staring at the spot where she had been moments before, a small, nagging voice whispered in the back of m

whether I liked it or not, this human-this fragile, infuriatingly weak human-was now a part of my life. A part o

image of her-my mate-standing there, trembling in fear as those filthy men surrounded her. The anger that had surged through me in that moment hadn't entirely dissipated; it lingered

ntion, his eyes trained on me with the kind of focus only a Beta could muster. It was clear he'd been wa

d. I was on edge, and though I knew it wasn't Wilde

is voice steady, professional. "And I gave he

some measure of comfort to know she had a way to reach out if she was in troub

arrying an edge of warning a

y gaze, unflinching, w

a low growl. The mere thought of her being out of my sight, vulnerab

plied without hesitation. "It

o cruelly woven between us. She was supposed to be the one I cherished, the on

utious, as though he were treading on dangerous ground. "It's

My anger had nothing to do with her inability to defend herself. It had nothing to do with

ords spilling out before I could stop them. My voice was laced with bitterness, each

. Wilder's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything. He did

stirred restlessly, his anger rising to match mine. The bond between us flared w

me, his voice a rough, gutt

omplexities of our situation-about the fact that she was human, about the fact that I had tried to distance myself from her.

understanding in his voice. "I knew you w

what he had known all along. I wanted to deny it, to tell him that he was wrong, but I couldn'

e more. My fists clenched involuntarily, the need for retribution burning through me like wildf

er, "I want you to report each and every single thing th

dable, but he nodded in under

already formulating a plan in my mind. "I have to fi

that told me he wasn't entirely convinced by my resolve. Maybe he saw the unce

n me from all sides. The bond between us was growing stronger, despite my best efforts to keep it at bay. And I knew

as my mate. And that was s