Chadwick gains the upper hand, throwing Raya down underneath him and baring his fangs, ready to strike, but Raya isn’t a weak human. She’s the biggest cat I’ve ever seen, and she doesn’t stay down. She uses his momentum against him and they roll one, two, three times, trading places as my heart pounds to life again.
My brain clicks into motion and I blur toward them, but their momentum has carried them too far away from me and before I reach them, it’s over.
Raya’s jaws are spread wide, encircling Chadwicks neck. Her massive front paws pin his shoulders down, claws shredding into his skin. Her back haunches rest on his legs, immobilizing him. Blood is dripping from them both, with a pool already forming beneath Chadwick.
I slide to my knees, skidding up to them, but unsure what to do or how to help. I don’t want Raya to kill him—not because he doesn’t deserve it, but because I don’t want that on her conscience. Before I can decide what to do, the presence of others crowds my senses, and I look up.
“Everybody freeze!” a security officer yells, one of the ones I hired for this event.
I don’t move, except for my eyes, which dart to Raya. She’s breathing hard, the air gusting in and out of her, but I notice her teeth haven’t pierced Chadwick’s skin. She’s holding him down, but hasn’t done any fatal damage.
“Easy, sunshine,” I whisper to her as I slowly turn towardthe wall of drawn guns and black security uniforms, placing my body between them and Raya.
My hands rise into the air as I slowly stand and compose my face.
“Explain to me,” my voice is deathly cold, shaking with anger as it ripples into the air around us. “How the man I told you was the single greatest security threat, the one you were not to let out of your sight, was able to get inside this building andthreatenmymate.”
The last few words snap out of me and the entire line of security guards flinch back from my wrath.
“Put. The guns. Down.” I snarl, razing my gaze over the line of incompetent men. “If any of you continues to point a weapon at my mate, it will be the last thing you do.”
Guns clatter to the floor, and the security team leader points his down.
“I apologize, sir.” His voice is shakes as his eyes dart behind me. “We weren’t sure who the threat was in this situation.”
I scan their faces, finding one who looks less shaken than the others. He’s still holding his gun, but it’s pointed at the ceiling in a position he can easily use again if needed. I point to him, then to the space next to me.
“You, over here.”
“Yes, sir,” he says, striding over.
I jerk my head for him to step to the side, and he stills in the position I indicated.
“The rest of you are dismissed,” I say, turning away. Incompetent fools, the lot of them. I very clearly communicated who the threats were, and they failed to protect the one person I needed to be kept safe.
When I don’t hear any movement, I whip back around.
“OUT. NOW,” I bark, and they scatter, grabbing their guns as they dash out the doors.
I turn back to Raya and the pathetic man beneath her.
“It’s okay, little shifter.” I soften my voice as I approach them. “He’s lost enough blood, he’s no threat to us now.”
Raya growls, her entire body vibrating as her glowing, golden eyes flick from Chadwick to me and back again.
It dawns on me that she wasn’t worried about herself. In fact, she’s never shifted to protect herself before.
Is it possible that she did this to protect me?
If that’s the case, she may not be able to shift back until she feels I’m safe. I look around, but we’re in a wide open, empty lobby. I think quickly, looking down at my tie. I loosen and take it off, then encourage Raya to shift her weight.
“I’ll secure his hands, between that and the wounds you’ve inflicted, he won’t be going anywhere or hurting anyone.”
I run a hand down her flank, then nudge her weight to the side so I can bring Chadwick’s wrists together. He’s whimpering beneath Raya’s jaws, and when she shifts her weight, the sharp sent of his urine strikes my nose. I make quick work of binding his hands, ensuring it’s tight, even though a tie would never be enough to hold him if I truly wanted him restrained. It’s more of a symbol, at this point.
“Alright, little shifter. He’s not going anywhere. This security officer is going to keep an eye on him until the police arrive.”
I give the man a pointed look, and he immediately dials 911, ensuring the police are on their way.
