I’m not supposedto be anywhere near downtown today.
I was supposed to meet Milton at the gym near the arena, work the skate machine, sweat the bullshit out before practice—but traffic’s a nightmare, and my patience taps out somewhere around the third stoplight. By the time I cut through the Scorpion business district, I’m two seconds from snapping.
I whip the car into the first open parking space I see, crooked as hell, kill the engine, and shove the door open. Screw it. I’ll walk the rest of the way before I lose my damn mind.
I’m halfway down the block, trying to outrun my own temper, when I see her.
Bayleigh Lennox.
She’s walking alone, hood up, arms full of folders like she’s running late. Head down. No clue where she is. In Scorpion territory.
Of course she doesn’t realize it.
My first thought is to keep walking. She’s not my problem. Hell, she’s the last person who should be anywhere near me.Benton would lose his shit if he saw me looking at her, and I’ve got enough bullshit with him without adding his sister to the list.
But then I see him.
Some alpha steps right in her path—tall, twitchy, pissed. His body language sets off every alarm in my head. I slow, watching as his face turns red, barking words too fast for me to catch. Even from across the street, I can tell it’s not a conversation—it’s a confrontation. She signs something, probably telling him she can’t hear him, and he only gets louder. Then he touches her.
That’s it.
I don’t think. I move.
My body reacts before my brain does—three strides, shoulder to chest, and the guy hits the pavement. I’m on him before he can blink. Years of hockey fights come back easy. Fist. Crack. Grunt. Repeat. His nose explodes, blood slicking my knuckles, and he still tries to swing.
Wrong move.
I hit him again until the fight drains out of him. I pull back, because whatever this is supposed to prove, it isn’t worth making her watch.
Bayleigh’s pressed against the wall, hands shaking, eyes huge. Papers flutter around her like snow. The sight stops me cold. My fist hovers midair, the guy half-conscious beneath me. She’s terrified—not just of him, but maybe of me, too.
That’s enough. I step back, chest heaving. The guy takes his shot and scrambles up, limping away down the sidewalk, leaving streaks of blood behind him. I let him go.
When I turn back, she’s staring at me. Frozen.
For a second, everything feels too still. Her pulse jumps at her throat; my heart’s doing the same damn thing in my chest. She crouches too, gathering the rest—shoving them into the folder, even though some are smeared with blood. I stay still, watching her, the adrenaline bleeding out of me slowly. Finally,I kneel, grab one of the papers near my boot, and hand it back to her.
She looks up, and her scent hits me—mint and green tea, clean and crisp. It slides through my system like a cold drink on a hot day, softening everything jagged. My alpha hums under my skin; steady, protective instead of wild. She’s safe now. Because I was here.
When she finishes, she stands, clutching the folder tight to her chest. Then, she does something I don’t expect—she lifts her hand, palm toward her, fingers together, touches them to her lips, then moves them toward me.
I have no idea what it means. A wave? A goodbye? Something else? But the look in her eyes tells me enough—it’s gratitude.
“Uh,” I manage, still breathing hard, “yeah.”
I force my hands open, trying not to look like the threat I just was. My voice comes out rough. “You okay?”
She blinks, doesn’t answer. Right—she can’t hear me. I touch my chest, then point to her, slowing my words so she can catch my lips. “You good?”
She nods once, studies me a beat longer, then turns and walks off. I just stand there, hands stinging, watching her disappear into the building across the street.
What the hell was she even doing here? This isn’t her side of town. She doesn’t belong anywhere near Scorpion territory.
I glance down at my knuckles—split, bloody—and shake my head. If I hadn’t turned down this street, if I’d been five minutes later… I don’t even want to think about it.
Out of all the alphas who could’ve crossed her path today, it had to be me.The one her brother hates most.The one who was never supposed to give a damn.
The thought of her alone grates on me until I hate myself for caring. I jog, catch up quickly, and fall into a shadow a few paces behind her. Close enough to see, far enough not to scare her.
