When Mason stumbled his way, Ramon tore his gaze away from the beautiful goddess and fought for control. This wasn’t a good time to lose his shit, not if he liked his head on his shoulders—Mason Brown would be more than happy to knock it off and use it as a soccer ball. Ramon needed to have his wits about him. And it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea to tell him that the woman who had just addressed him and was more than likely a cat shifter like Mason, judging by the size of her incisors, was Ramon’s fated mate.
Wait a minute. She hadn’t just addressed Mason, she’dcommandedhim. Who in their right mind would speak to Mason Brown that way? She had to have known him very damn well to speak to the son of the dominant male that way, a man who himself was incredibly dominant, if as dumb as a box of hammers. Who was she to him? Was she…his girlfriend? Rage unlike anything Ramon had experienced tore through his body like wildfire and he felt the need to pummel something, preferably Mason’s face. Inside, his bird squawked and clawed, desperate to be set free.
Mine. Mine. Not his. She’s mine.
Tingles started at the base of Ramon’s neck and feathers sprouted. He tried to calm down and think logically, but his brain evidently wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Every calming breath he drew in only sucked more of her intoxicating scent into his lungs to fuel the jealous rage burning through him.Think, think,he urged himself, a counterpoint to his hawk’s steady cry ofmine, mine.
Maybe she was just a member of the pride, albeit a high ranking one. No, there weren’t many shifters who could speak to a dominant’s eldest son like that and expect to get away unscathed, especially when that son was Mason.
Won’t let anyone harm our mate,his hawk seethed.
Perhaps they were related? He didn’t like the idea of her being part of this Neanderthal’s family, but it was better than the alternative.
“Did you think you could come here and ruin my sister’s birthday party?” Mason shouted. “Well, if you’re looking for a fight, then you came to the right place.”
“We’re not here to fight,” Nash said calmly. “That’s the God’s honest truth. We just came to get those three fools.”
“Bullshit,” Mason spat. “You probably brought them. What, did you think the five of you stood a chance against all of us?”
The three young juveniles were standing behind Mason and shooting glares at Mason’s friends. The friends, Leon and Jason if Ramon remembered correctly, were goading the boys something fierce. If Ramon didn’t do something quickly, one of them was going to snap. All it would take was for one punch to be thrown and all hell would break loose.
Ramon’s gaze moved to the woman again and it was evident that she, too, was trying to get herself back under control. She had managed to shift her eyes back to their human form, but she’d had no such luck with her incisors, which were still visible between her parted lips. It was the hottest damn thing that Ramon had ever seen.
One of Mason’s friends said something, but Ramon was so focused on the woman’s captivating presence, he didn’t hear what it was.
“Shut your goddamn mouth!” Carlos shouted at him.
Before Ramon could do anything to prevent it, Carlos slammed his fist into Leon’s face and the sickening sound of bone breaking carried even over the din of the music.
“Oh shit,” Ramon and Nash said in unison.
Mason spun around and roared, lunging for Carlos, who deftly managed to sidestep him. Leon recovered quickly from the punch, too quickly, and snatched up a fistful of the neck of Carlos’s shirt. Carlos squirmed, but the lion shifter’s strength held the teenager in place while he threw a punch of his own. It caught one of Carlos’ cheeks, right below his eye, and blood immediately erupted.
This had gone too far.
“FBI!” Ramon shouted, pulling out his badge in the hopes that the sight of it would be a deterrent for the men and make then stop fighting. No such luck. The three of them completely ignored him and it, and rounded on the three young hawk shifters.
“Goddamn it.” Ramon and Nash moved into the fray. “FBI!” Ramon said again as he took hold of Mason’s arm to prevent him from throwing a punch.
Instead, Mason swung his body around and punched Ramon with his other hand, the impact making his neck snap back on his shoulders.
“That’s it,” Ramon growled. “I’m arresting you for assaulting a federal officer.”
Mason threw his head back and laughed as Ramon unclipped the handcuffs off his belt. He turned to share his amusement with his two friends, and Ramon moved in quickly, grabbing his wrists and snapping the cuffs shut around them. Mason’s amusement evaporated immediately.
“What the fuck!” Mason shouted, straining against the cuffs.
“I warned you, Mason,” Ramon said.
The sight of Mason in handcuffs stopped Jason and Leon in their tracks. They froze, their eyes wide in alarm.
“They’re FBI?” Leon said. “I thought he was just saying that.”
Ramon heaved a sigh. “Ted?” he said using Nash’s SWAT team nickname. “Can you put Ramon in my car, please?”
“Sure thing.”
Nash pulled an arguing, struggling Mason along behind him, leaving Ramon alone with the small gathering. He looked across at the woman again then frowned. This wasnothow he had envisioned meeting his mate. She glared at him, and it was like someone driving a lance through his gut. Damn. She must have taken his frown the wrong way. But how could she possibly think he was frowning ather?He’d talk to her, as soon as he got the chance. First, he turned to Mason’s two friends.
