“There are some things worth fighting for. There are some things worth dying for. Sometimes, the hard part is figuring out which is which.” ~Dillon
“DILLON!” Kevin’s voice boomed. “Let me in, now!”
Pounding on Dillon’s door woke him from a deep sleep. He leaped from the bed and landed in front of the door in one bound. He ripped it open and found not only Kevin but Rusty, and Gabe, as well, standing there looking like they’d just seen their own ghosts. “What the hell? Vampires?”
Kevin shook his head, his face pale, and Dillon could smell perspiration on the wolf. “Worse. Jeremiah.”
Dillon frowned. “What?”
“He’s calling you out,” Gabe answered.
Rusty nodded. “He’s challenging you for the right to mate his daughter.”
“Dammit.” Dillon turned and grabbed the jeans he’d thrown on the floor and pulled them on. He didn’t bother with a shirt or shoes. The chances he would get through this without phasing were low, so there was no point ruining any more pieces of clothing than necessary. What the hell am I going to do? Dillon didn’t want to fight his mate’s father. He and Tanya were on the precarious tip of moving in the right direction. The last thing he needed was for her to resent him for hurting her father. “Dammit.” He followed the other three males out of his room.
“What are you going to do?”
Dillon shot Kevin a look. “I was just asking myself the same thing. But Tanya is my true mate. I’m not giving her up.”
“You’re going to kill him?” Gabe sounded a little too happy about the prospect.
“No.” Dillon spat. “I’m going to try to reason with the ass.”
The three males all snorted.
“Good luck. You can’t reason with a madman.”
Dillon worried that his newly made comrade Kevin was right. Jeremiah was unstable at best and a downright lunatic at worst. “I don’t want you three getting involved. I don’t expect you to show me any loyalty or preferential treatment.”
Gabe scoffed. “Are you kidding me? You’re more dominant than any wolf in this pack by a long shot. You’re going to wipe the floor with him. I don’t cheer for the losing side.”
“Especially when the losing side is led by such a worthless bastard,” Rusty added.
Dillon’s wolf approved of their loyalty, but the man worried for their safety. Unstable supernaturals could be dangerous, especially if they felt backed against a wall. If Jeremiah knew of Dillon’s past, he would see what he’d done as a complete and utter betrayal of his daughter. Not that Dillon could blame him. The alpha would want blood shed as reparations for the disrespect Dillon had shown Tanya. And maybe Dillon needed to pay for what he’d done, but he didn’t want any of Jeremiah’s pack being punished for showing loyalty to Dillon.
They rounded a corner and headed down the hall that would lead out the side door and to the sparring grounds. Dillon heard a commotion of growls, voices, and unrest. The pack no doubt felt their alpha’s agitation and rage. Dillon could practically sense an electric charge in the air, and he wasn’t a member of the pack.
“Dillon?” Tanya’s sleepy voice filled his mind.
Dammit. He did not want her dealing with this. “Morning, T.” He attempted to sound as lighthearted as possible.
“Don’t do that,” she warned with a snarl in her voice. “What’s going on? No lies, Dillon. That’s the only way this will work.”
Okay then. “Your father has apparently found out that I am your mate, and it seems like he’s also found out about my past. I don’t think he’s too happy to have me as his future son-in-law.”
Alarm filled the bond. “You have to leave. Get far away.”
“I can’t do that, love. I won’t leave you. But don’t worry, I won’t hurt your father. I’ll try to reason with him—”
“That’s the problem, Dillon,” she practically shrieked. “He’s not reasonable. He won’t listen to anything you have to say.”
“I have to try. I promise I won’t hurt him.” As soon as he stepped outside, Dillon saw that the entire pack had gathered and made a circle around the sparring grounds—the area where he’d sparred with pack members only yesterday. The group parted, revealing Jeremiah standing in the center, also wearing nothing but jeans.
Dillon took a deep breath and walked forward. “Move away from me,” he told the three wolves that flanked him.
“Not a chance.” Dillon could hear the smile in Gabe’s voice.
“We’ve got your back,” Kevin added.
