Tavish parked his rentaldown form the Chamber of Commerce building, and grabbed his phone as he exited.He immediately recognized the man leaving was the same man Mairi had dinner with.Throwing caution to the wind, he hurried to follow, but the man abruptly stopped and turned.
“Why are you following me?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Tavish admitted.“Stay away from her.”
“How insecure are you that you have to warn me away?”
“She’s my mate.”
Rhodes stared at him for a moment.“You’re right.She is.What I don’t know is how the hell were you so blind as to not see the gift you’d been given?”
“I don’t have to justify myself to you.”
“Well, maybe you should.Maybe someone should knock the shit out of you.”
Tavish took a step closer.“Try it.”
Rhodes shook his head.“You’re an asshole.”
He turned away, but Tavish wasn’t ready to end the conversation.He grabbed Rhodes’s arm, and the man spun, decking him across the left side of his face.Pain blossomed, but he was a Highlander.Fighting was in his blood.He came back swinging, delivering the same punch, causing Rhodes to stumble back.Tavish stood there, fists clenched, anger pouring through his veins.Ready to take this fight to the next level.
Rhodes gently touched his cheek.“I’m not going to fight you because she wouldn’t want that.She’s a fantastic woman.Kind.Selfless.I was the one who wanted more, but she remained faithful to you.I hope you can say the same, because if you aren’t serious about her, then leave her to find someone who’ll love her unconditionally.”
“You?”
Rhodes lowered his eyes.“No.Not yet, but I was hoping to find out.”
At his admission, the tension eased a bit.Tavish rolled his shoulders and stared at the man who wanted to take his woman.There wasn’t anything else to say, so he turned and headed back to the Chamber of Commerce.
The same receptionist from before greeted him.He needed advice and the alpha was the only man he knew that could help him figure all this out.
“Hello, is Alpha Jericho available to meet with me?”
She smiled.“Let me ask.”
Rising, she headed back to the far office.A moment later she walked back.
“Go right on in.”
“Thank you,” he said, and walked past her.
Jericho was hanging up on a call, and ran a tired hand over his face before standing to greet him.“Lord Tavish, how may I help you?”
“No honorific, please,” he said with a wave of his hand.“Thank you for seeing me on short notice.Bad news?”He gestured to the landline.
“Oh, just a situation I’m handling.”
Tavish nodded his understanding.“Can we talk?”
“Certainly.”Jericho walked over and closed the door, then gestured to the chair in front of his desk.“Please.”
Tavish nodded and sat down.
“You look agitated,” Jericho observed.He pointed toward the bruised eye.“Anything to do with that?”
“Everything,” Tavish said dryly.
Jericho sat and bridged his fingers.“How can I help you?”
