Kill him. The beast had no sense of humor. Hunt. Kill him. Now.
Patience. Our mate needs us now. We will eliminate him. Later.
The beast snarled but acquiesced, content so long as our hands were on our mate’s skin. Her scent in our lungs. No immediate threat in the area.
“He said I belong to him,” she continued, her voice trembling but determined. “That I have to go back to him because I’m his wife. And if I don’t…” Her voice broke. “…he’ll have you killed.”
Something inside me shattered.
Rage surged through my body so fast it was almost blinding. My vision tinged red. My muscles expanded as the beast clawed its way forward, demanding release.
The hallway suddenly felt too small to contain me as the beast surged to the surface. My bones shifted beneath my skin. My chest expanded. A roar built in my throat.
“Egon.” Her hands flew to my face, gripping hard enough to force my focus back to her. “Egon, stop.”
Her fingers pressed against my jaw, holding me in place. “Look at me.”
I looked. Or perhaps the beast did.
Her brown eyes burned with determination—steady, fierce, completely unafraid. “I need you here,” she said softly. “Don’t lose control. I need you.” Her voice cut through the chaos inside my head. “I need you with me. Not hunting Derek. Not doing exactly what he wants you to do.”
The beast snarled in protest.
“He wants you to lose control,” she continued. “He wants an excuse to call you dangerous. Violent. A threat.” Her grip tightened. “He wants an excuse to get away with murder. Don’t give him one.”
“Destroy him.” The words tore from my throat before I could stop them. “Mine. My mate. Protect.”
“No. We need a plan.” The refusal was immediate. Firm. “Promise me, Egon.” Her gaze held mine, unwavering.
My jaw clenched.
“I will call my lawyer again,” she continued. “We signed the marriage paperwork two days before the wedding, but he never touched me.”
The words landed like a blade sliding free of its sheath. Marriage paperwork? What the fuck was she talking about?
“I have proof,” she continued quickly. “Proof it was a business arrangement. Copies of everything. I can take him to court and annul the marriage.”
The marriage? What marriage?
Her voice softened. “If you kill him… they’ll put you in prison.” Her thumb brushed along my cheek. “They’ll take you away from me.”
The beast howled in fury.
Every instinct I possessed screamed the same command.
Hunt him.
Kill him.
Protect your mate.
Now.
But Tori stood before me—shaking, frightened, and still trying to solve this the human way.
With rules. With courts. With mercy.
She was soft where I was brutal. Gentle where I was ruthless. Of course she would search for a peaceful solution.
