I’m going to fucking rip him limb from limb.
The bear roars inside me, fighting to get to the surface. It takes everything in me to push it back down. It won’t help, I have to focus.
Forcing calm into my voice, desperate to keep control of the situation, I go on. "See, I'm a werebear. Were’s mate for life. And now that Goldie has chosen me, my bear won't let another male take her without a fight."
“She hasn’t chosen you,” Eddie screams at me like a wild hyena, bending over at the waist. But in doing so, he’s taken several more steps closer to me, to the door. He’s dragging Goldie with him too which means she could get a chance to kick the crystal away.
My eyes dart to a crystal before meeting her eye. Understanding registers in her soft brown eyes and she nods almost imperceptibly.
If she gets a chance, she’ll take it.
I work to placate the madman with the gun as well as the raging blood thirsty beast inside me. “You’re right, you’re right, Eddie, I said it wrong.Ichose her, but now I can’t let her go. It’s the law of my faekind. Just like how there are rules you enforce for your boss. So if you want her, you'll have to go through me first. Just you and me, man to man. We'll settle this the right way."
I see a flicker of doubt in Eddie's eyes as he takes in my hulking form. For a second, his male ego wars with his fear, tempted by the challenge.
But then his face hardens. "The thing about my line of work is we may enforce rules, but we—” He hits his own chest with the butt of the gun. “Make up the rules. We take what’s ours and I don’t owe you shit, you filthy animal.”
Faefucks.
Backing up several feet, taking Goldie with him, he raises his gun, pointing it at me again.
My muscles swell, fur fighting to sprout from my skin. I have to do something or I’ll explode and lose my mind.
Instead, I raise my hands in surrender. They shake as they rise, which likely makes me look afraid.
I am for Goldie but more than that, something dark has woken in me and I can’t get it to calm down.
But I have no choice but to back down for now, hoping another opportunity presents itself. Goldie's life is on the line.
Then Goldie’s eye catches mine and something akin to an apology flashes on her face. “Eddie, I'm so glad you came for me,” she says, her voice still trembling but I can tell she is trying to get it under control. “You know I was waiting for you, right?” she says softly.
He turns his head up to search her eyes with a hungry eagerness. “You were?” He almost seems like a child the way he drinks her attention up.
Goldie sets a hand on his wrist. I’m about ready to swallow my tongue. Any movement or thing could set him off, he’s clearly on the edge of sanity preparing to cliff dive off.
Gently, she runs her hands up his arm in a caress. A growl rumbles from my chest.
Mine. She’s mine.
I'm not under a spell, but I love her more than anything or anyone ever.
I shut my eyes tight, trying to hold the reins on my animal side.
Don’t. You turn, you’ll lose her.
Slowly, she rotates Eddie so his back is angled toward me, as she keeps his attention on her eyes. His hands including the one holding the gun hold her now even as her fingers slide up over his shoulders, she gazes up at him and says, “Yes, I was waiting for you and now that you are here, we can be together.” Then she pushes up onto her tiptoes and kisses him.
Everything inside me freezes in disbelief.
My bear wants to split me in two to rip him off her, but her eyes are open and looking at me even as he succumbs to the kiss. It’s then I notice her fingers working the clasp of his talisman necklace.
She’s smart. Too smart. And it may get her hurt.
My weight shifts from foot to foot at the threshold, as I wait for my moment.
Then Eddie yanks his head back too soon. “What are you—”
Goldie grabs the chain on his neck and yanks. It breaks free, and she doesn’t waste time, throwing it in my direction. The talisman flies through the air, but from her awkward angle, I’m not sure it will pass the threshold. If it doesn’t cross the door, she’ll be trapped in there with him, and I won’t be able to do a godsdamn thing about it.
