He promised she would be safe and protected.
Mine. Always mine.
Emme was more than just a mate—she was my scent match.
My everyfuckingthing, and Alpha had hit her.
My vision blazed red, and my dragon raged as we watched her pretty wolf struggle to her feet. The alpha tried to argue that she’d attacked first, but it was all white noise in my head as rumbles spilled from my chest and the fires in my gut burned hot enough to scorch the earth under my boots.We must end it now.
The voice wasn’t my dragon. It was my brother.
Tearing my gaze from Emme was hard, but this was a decision I wanted to make with Slade. The joining of our essences, and hearing his voice in my mind, was the second-best moment of my existence. Meeting Emme was the first.
When our souls bonded, whatever ragged, empty spots had been between me and my dragon vanished. The broken tendrils in my soul mended, along with the tendrils in my mate bond.
I felt whole and entirely un-alone for the first time ever. How it should have always been.
I don’t need the alpha any longer.
As that revelation struck me, I knew there was only one way to keep Emme safe from him. Only one solution left to me.He has to die.
Slade nodded, just the smallest incline of his head.Are you ready, brother?
Yes, I hissed back.
We knew how to dispose of an enemy—we’d been born to destroy as a team. If we still had dragon hordes, we’d have been their warriors.
I tensed my muscles, and didn’t even bother with a goodbye for the alpha who’d raised me. He’d never truly given a fuck about me. The second he touched my mate, he’d destroyed my final loyalty to him. I didn’t care if she attacked first; he should have let her tear his head off.
On the count of three, I said to Slade.One, two…I inhaled.…three.
Fletcher opened his mouth, but it was too late. I yanked, and Slade did the same. With a little help from Hunter, it was almost too easy to tear the shifter in two.
Blood spattered the air around us, but none of us flinched. Warriors wore the blood of their enemies as a warning to others, and we would warn them all. Five alphas protected our pack. Our mate.
Emme, who was back in human form, hurried toward us. Kellan had given her his shirt, but she was tall for a female, which left a long expanse of legs on display.
My mate.
Slade smirked at my side, and in sync again we dropped Fletcher’s remains on the ground and stepped forward so Emme wasn’t walking through that scum to reach us.
“Holy fuck,” she cried, her eyes wide and glassy. “He’s dead.”
Kellan caught her and lifted her into his arms. “There’s pieces of Fletcher all over the ground,” he said casually, and I was reminded of why I fit with this pack so well.
None of us were afraid of getting our hands dirty, and we’d fuck this world up to keep Emme safe.
“Okay, that’s gross, but good point,” Emme said, her little nose wrinkling up. She turned back to us. “Are you all okay?”
“Fine,” Slade said, wiping a hand over his face, smearing the blood. “His death was a long time coming.”
Hunter grunted as he nodded. “Yeah, the world would have been a better place had we killed him years ago. I figured it was either loyalty to me, or some threat against my life that kept you from attacking him, and honestly, I don’t even care anymore.” He opened his arms. “Now please give me my fucking mate before me and my wolf lose our shit.”
Kellan didn’t argue, and when he shifted Emme forward, we all caught her wince.
Hunter got to her first, his hand brushing over her chest. “Are you okay, baby girl?” he said. “I don’t think he broke anything.”
She pressed her hand to her chest. “Nah, it’s just a bruise, and it’s already healing. Not that it matters. I’d take way more than a broken bone to ensure that asshole was out of our lives for good. I honestly can’t believe it’s over.” She sank into Hunter. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
