Ah, fuck.Feeling the mounting pressure of everyone’s stares, I slide my foot backwards. But none are heavier than Jace’s, who isn’t looking at Conan, but over his shoulder.
I take another step, magick tingling my palms. No matter what Ryder asked, if Jace attacks, I’m defending. If he goes forConan, I might protect him too, considering he has no reason to be injured because he’s doing a favour for Ryder.
“Little witch,” Jace coos. “One sniff.”
A gasp falls over the hushed crowd, and suddenly, Ryder’s there, shoving between Conan and Jace to send a hard punch into Jace’s face. It happens so quickly, no one moves. No one knows what’s happening. At least, I don’t.
“I told you to stay the fuck away from her!” Ryder roars in a guttural voice as he lunges. Two seconds is all Jace has before Ryder’s back on top of him.
Xander and Conan both dart to break them up, but a jerk of Ryder’s head reveals the wolfish teeth that are too large for his human mouth, the silver eyes, and the animalistic roar he sends his friends before shoving them off.
“Ryder, stop!” I charge forward, though getting into the middle of a wolf fight might be stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
“You.”Silver eyes flash up to me. “I’ll deal with you later. Get her the fuck out of here.”
Holly appears, wrapping her arm around my waist. Her voice, low and quick, blows over my neck. “Let it happen. Ryder’s displaying dominance.”
Hisdominanceis no excuse for losing his mind. Jace was harmless and Conan had him under control. Ryder leaping in “to save the day” for a witch days away from being shipped away is dumb and pointless. It suggests something to the other three packs and could affect his respect with them in the future.
I think.
Between Ryder’s punches, his half-shifted form, Xander and Conan trying to pull the two apart, and Jace’s swift kicks, no one’s getting anywhere. I yank from Holly’s arms—which is difficult—and call upon the swirl of energy within me, sending a wave towards the four men, jolting each of them in a different direction.
Jace leaps to his feet. Conan and Xander were merely tripped to move them out of my way. But Ryder lands a short distance further away.
And from the look of complete and utter betrayal, he’s pissed. Claws out, teeth prodding his bottom lip, eyes shining, his chest heaves. His low snarl is felt down to my toes—a warning.
Stillness falls over the area. Everyone’s watching the witch Ryder made clear about protecting turn on him.
My hands lower, showing him I’m done.
An older man approaches, appearing behind Xander’s shoulder. He scans the scene and then me, his brows furrowing as he takes it all in. “Don’t be stupid, Ryder.”
The statement snaps Ryder out of it. He’s on his feet and lunging forward, and only the trust I feel that he won’t harm me keeps me still, until he bands a hand around my upper arm and propels me away from the crowd and through the trees we entered by earlier.
“What the hell iswrongwith you, you maniac?” I jerk against his hold, but his fingers dig into my skin as he stomps us a dozen feet away. At least his claws have retracted, which saves my skin. “Let me go.”
He does, positioning himself between me and the clearing. His breaths seethe, lips parted in a snarl, but his teeth are smaller than earlier. Even his eyes have begun returning to normal.
“Conan was taking care of it. You completely undermined him. Take it from someone who spends half her life undermined by her High Priestess.”
“Says the witch who doesn’t know a fuckin’ thing about pack politics.”
Okay, he’s right about that. “Regardless, Conan was managing.”
“I’m aware.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“And why intervene?”
“You think I was gonna sit back and let you get harassed by that asshole? Or force my own pack member to domyjob protecting you?”
His job?Holy Hecate, possession all of a sudden. The feminism in me curls up and dies, though, because it’s also fucking hot.
“I made a point to every single one there” —he stabs his finger towards the party— “and he disobeyed me. If it wasanyone, even someone from my own pack, I would have done the same. Yes, Conan was doing his damn job, but you’remineto protect and no one else will ever be more capable of it.”
