Chadwick whimpers. A pathetic sound from a pathetic excuse for a man. My eyes light with fire and I clench my jaw as my lip curls in disgust. This awful creature put his hands on me, threatened me and my Asher, was going to take from me without my consent. He deserves all the pain Asher has rained down on him and more.
I gather all the tattered scraps of my courage and take the remaining two steps forward to close the distance between us.
I clench my fist and pull it back, then slam my knuckles straight into Chadwick’s sneering face, knocking his head tothe side and eliciting a scream of pain as it jars his shoulder further.
I hiss, not having expected that to hurt so much, and next thing I know Asher has dropped Chadwick, snatched me around the waist, and blurred me to the other side of the room. I gasp, but he sets me down gently and then takes my hand in his, inspecting it.
His jaw ticks as his nostrils flare.
“You’re bleeding.” His eyes meet mine and I shrug.
I must have caught a fang when I punched Chadwick. Even though it hurts like hell now, it was worth it. My strength is flagging though; I fought him every step of the way even though he easily overpowered me. The adrenaline high is crashing, and I’m not likely to stay on my feet much longer.
“Can we go?” I say, wincing when my voice trembles.
“Of course.”
Asher shrugs out of his suit jack and drapes it around my shoulders. Looking down, I see one of my dress straps is broken and hanging loose, leaving one of my breasts near completely exposed. My stomach drops and I pull the jacket tight around my body. Asher cups my jaw and I tilt my face into his palm.
“You’ll be okay. I’m here, and I’m not leaving your side," he says, his voice soft.
Tears fill my eyes, and I will them not to fall; I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.
I nod and Asher straightens, wrapping an arm around me for support. I lean into him as we walk around the overturned chairs. Asher stops in front of Chadwick and nudges him with his shoe until he looks up.
“You do not look at her. You do not speak to her. You do not touch her.” Asher’s voice is steel, so low and menacing it sends chills down my spine. “You do not come within a hundred feet of her. Understood?”
Chadwick drops his head, and Asher kicks him, eliciting a grunt of pain.
“Yes,” he wheezes.
Asher turns us to the door and directs me through the back hallways until we find a staff member. He explains the situation and leaves his name and number. They exchange a few more words and gestures, but I don’t hear them.
I zone out. My eyesight blurs.
My body begins to shake, and I can’t control the trembles. Before I even register the tingling along my skin, I’ve fully shifted into a small, nondescript tabby cat, and my dress and Asher’s suit jacket are tumbling on top of me.
I let out a surprised yelp, which comes out somewhere between a hiss and a shriek. The clothes rustle above me, and Ash’s familiar hands pull the clothes away from my furry body.
“My sweet shifter, you’re alright,” he whispers and rubs a soothing hand over my head and down my back. “I’m going to pick you up, okay? We’re going to call the car around and then head back to my place. The employee gave me directions for another exit, so we shouldn’t be passing by anyone. If you want, I can carry you as you are, or I can wrap you in your dress if you’ll feel safer that way.”
He holds the dress out so I can crawl into it if I want, but I shake my head. I want his hands on me, even if I’m currently a cat.
Asher folds the dress and sticks it into one of the arms of his suit jacket, then lays that over his arm and gently picks me up, allowing me to get comfortable in his hold. My body is still tense, with random tremors running through me. Asher keeps up a litany of soothing murmurs, telling me I’m safe, that I’ll be okay, that he’s there.
When the valet pulls the car up, Asher places me in thebackseat and then unfolds my dress to lay it next to me along with the jacket.
“We’ll be home soon,” he says, then slides into the driver’s seat and carefully eases the car into traffic.
A few minutes later, I’m able to pull myself back together, and I embrace the tingles as my body shifts back into human form. I hunch down in the backseat, managing to pull my dress up to my waist and drawing Asher’s jacket around my upper body. His gaze meets mine in the rearview mirror, and although he gives me a soft smile, it doesn’t reach his worry-filled eyes.
“I’m okay,” I say, unsure whether it’s for my benefit or his.
A glance in the mirror locks my eyes with his, but then he returns his focus to the street ahead. I slump back in the seat. Chadwick’s words ring through my head as I catch random hints of his cloying smell lingering on my skin and dress.
Gold digging shifter whore, spreading your legs for my cousin in hopes of making it big.
I can feel his hands where he first grabbed me around my throat and dragged me into that room.
