He stares at me for three long tension-filled seconds.
Angel launches himself at me, wrapping himself around me with all of his impossibly long limbs. I hold still, and when it’s clear he’s not leaving, I stroke his back and shift into a more comfortable position.
“Um?”
I startle and instantly coo to soothe Angel as Khaos and Riot storm into the room, pausing when they see us. The tension goes up and doesn’t come down. I feel like there are fangs settled over my throat.
“Hey, Riot and Khaos are here. Do you want to talk to them or hug them?” I ask gently.
He shakes his head and hugs me even closer. He buries his face in the crook of my neck, the feather-light hot breath sending shivers and tingles of something I should definitely not be feeling through me.
“What happened?” Khaos demands in his alpha bark, giving me no choice but to answer him.
Why do I feel compelled to obey these alphas?
“Um, Liz wants you back.” I wheeze as he grips my ribs harder.
Riot and Khaos stiffen, and their expressions grow predatory.
“And what was your answer?”
“If she tried to take you, I’d kill her.”
Riot relaxes and crouches so that our faces are at the same height. “And did you mean it?”
“Yes,” I snarl. “Of course, I meant it.”
Angel lets out a rumbling sound that vibrates through me in a way that has all my thoughts scattering.
“All right, let’s see if we can get you some air.” Riot grips me and pulls me out from under Angel while Khaos snags him and carries him off to a bedroom. “You okay? That would have been frightening.”
“Yeah. No, it wasn’t. I’m just…I need to think.”
He nods. “I’ll check on Khaos and Angel.”
But, no. Not really. My friend did something awful to that alpha. These protective, territorial feelings are from my shifter heritage. Packs are important, and, at the moment, even if it’s temporary, they are mine. Which means Liz just signed her own death warrant.
I close my eyes to process that. Was I seriously that desperate for a friend that I didn’t see her true nature?
Wrath flops down beside me. “I’m on babysitting duty. And you have been a very, very naughty baby.”
“Ah, are you capable of such a feat?”
“Darlin’, I could watch you in my sleep, you don’t do anything.”
He’s right, damn him. I don’t do anything. “Fine, want to play a game?”
He perks up, twisting, so he’s sitting up. “What kind?”
“Hide and seek out in the woods. You catch me in thirty minutes, and I’ll give you something you want.”
“And if I catch you. I want something from you.”
“Deal.”
“Deal.”
I get up and race to the door. He follows, but I shove his chest. “You have to give me a couple of minutes.”
