Chapter 40
Murphy stormed into the teahouse like a crazed beast, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled the stench of wolf. It filled the air, a stark reminder that their enemy had accosted his mate while he’d been away. He should never have left her alone.
It didn’t matter that Jasper had been with Nessa, that the enforcer was more than capable of protecting her from danger. What mattered was that Murphy hadn’t been here.
Nessa was his to protect, and he’d failed.
What if the wolf had attacked her? What if she’d brought backup, overpowered Jasper and taken Nessa? What if Angela had killed her in retaliation for Dante’s upcoming punishment? The possibilities had Murphy shaking with rage and thinly veiled terror, his bear pacing back and forth in his mind, as on edge as he was.
His gaze snapped in every direction as the door closed behind him, assessing the room for any hidden danger, the tinkling of the bell setting off his hackles.
Angela was gone; Jasper had informed him of that a few minutes ago via telepathy. Even if he hadn’t, the wolf’s scent was slightly stronger outside, indicating her very recent departure, though he hadn’t spotted her as he’d pulled into the parking lot.
Eyes locking onto Nessa, who was standing beside Jasper, a wide doe-eyed look on her face, Murphy stalked toward her. He needed to reassure himself she was alright. To hold her close and keep her from harm.
Reaching her side, he swept her up into his arms, a slight tremor wracking through his body as he fought back the incessant urge to shift and chase after the enemy.
He ran a hand through Nessa’s soft, long hair, breathing in her sweet perfume. She grounded him in a way nothing else could, alleviating the torrent of emotions running rampant in his heart and mind. “Are you okay? She didn’t scare you, did she?”
“Murphy,” Nessa said, her warm breath seeping into the material of his shirt and spreading across his chest. “Everything’s fine. Angela just came here to talk about Dante.”
He ground his teeth together at the sound of that female’s name. “Talk?” he all but sneered the word. “If that was truly her motivation, she should have come to me. You’re not involved in this.”
“I’m not?” Nessa pushed away from him, frowning. He mourned the loss of contact immediately, crowding into her space until she was pressed against his front. “I don’t think that’s very fair of you to say. And besides, how could she talk to you? You wouldn’t listen!”
Jasper cleared his throat, drawing Murphy’s attention. He jerked his thumb toward the front door. “I think I’m just going to—”
Murphy fished his car keys from his jeans pocket, tossing them to the male. He caught them with ease. “Go. We’ll discuss your lack of proper decision-making later,” he growled.
“Fuck,” Jasper cursed under his breath, leaving out the front door with a quick wave to Nessa.
His mate, who clearly didn’t understand how dangerous a position she’d just been in, planted her hands on her hips. “That was rude, Murphy.”
“Rude?” He bit out. “Rude is my brother letting a wolf shifter, anenemyto our bear clan, through these doors without a moment’s hesitation. Rude is allowing her to stay and spew whatever nonsense she could at you in the hopes of saving Dante.”
“Jasper objected to her being here,” Nessa countered, moving toward the front door and flipping the sign hanging from it to ‘Closed.’ “I told him to leave her alone because I wanted to hear her out.”
“That’s even worse, Nes!” Murphy pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before he lost his temper. “He’s here to keep you safe—”
“From my brother, if he’s even here!” Nessa exclaimed, whipping around to face him. “Not from a woman who posed no threat—”
“Sheisa threat,” Murphy interrupted, furious that she would disregard her own safety so callously. “What did she say to you?”
Jasper hadn’t told him. In fact, he’d barely kept Murphy updated as he’d rushed to his mate’s side. He’d likely broken several traffic laws in his haste to get here, not that he’d worry about the repercussions of that right now.
“A lot,” Nessa answered, crossing her arms over her chest. She pursed her lips as if she wanted to say more before shaking her head. “She offered to trade places with Dante. She said that hewas a good person and that he didn’t deserve to die because of her.”
Murphy scowled.
A good person? He’d thought so, too, until he’d seen Nessa covered in blood, pinned beneath a rabid wolf shifter hellbent on killing her. Hellbent on snuffing out her light, her life, on taking away the only female who’d truly made Murphyfeel—
“Is that so abhorrent to you?” Nessa asked abruptly, misreading the disgruntled look on his face. “That she wanted to protect Dante? Of course, she did, Murphy. That’s what people do for the ones they love. You know that. You’ve done that for me,” she chastised, her voice softening. “So will you please calm down?”
He ran a hand down his face, letting out a small breath of frustration. Forcing his stiff muscles to relax, he nodded. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Nothing about this is easy. I just don’t want Dante and his mate to come between us.”
“They won’t, Murphy. No one will.” Nessa wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest as she held him to her. “Your heart is beating so fast.”
“I was frantic to get to you,” he admitted. He pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. “I was already on my way when Jasper got ahold of me, but it felt like I was days away.”
