I nod. When he releases me, I throw another punch. Doesn’t matter that Tiberius blocks with his right arm. I made my point, to him and any other bastard who thinks they can disrespect Angel.
“Garrett…” Mason doesn’t say more. Doesn’t need to.
“Just testing his reflexes.”
“Also, not your place.”
I march back to Angel, and take her hand in mine. She’s so fucking cold. “I need to get her warmed up. I was the one who asked her to shift before entering camp, so if you have a problem with that, we can discuss it later.”
“You know that’s not a problem. But we had to make sure that you weren’t being followed.” Mason hesitates. “And that she wasn’t holding you at gunpoint.” He quickly holds up both hands, warning me to stay calm. “Frank’s orders, given how you left here.”
“We done?”
He nods toward the trail leading into camp. “Go ahead. They know you’re coming. Both of you.”
I finally look into Angel’s eyes, hoping to reassure her that while this wasn’t the welcome I’d expected, she’s still safe.
She doesn’t say a word, doesn’t look at me, just stares at the guards around us. She’d flee right now, if she could, but her wolf isn’t strong enough.
“Come on, Angel. Let’s get you warmed up.” With a slight tug of her hand, she walks with me.
“I left my pack without telling anyone,” I explain as we make our way along the winding trail. “They guessed where I was going since I’d made my intention clear since the day we left you behind.”
“You d-didn’t leave me. I t-told you to go.”
“Both can be true. My alpha has teams that conduct rescue ops. And he said he’d send shifters for you.”
She slows. “I can tell when you’re lying, Garrett. Your body tenses.”
“I’d never lie to you. He did agree that you needed to be rescued.”
“But he wasn’t sure if I was a WSSO agent or sympathizer,” she concludes. She’s observant, my… fuck, I almost thought of her asmy female. That can’t happen again.
“Damien’s cautious, which I appreciate, but there are times waiting and being cautious are the wrong strategy.”
“I wasn’t in any danger. Not more than usual.”
My wolf howls as I picture her guard trying to force himself on her. How many times did she endure that type of threat, or worse?
“You were caged, Angel. Naked, in a freezing cold cargo truck. You could have died from exposure. And do I need to remind you of that fucking spiked collar that kept you from shifting?”
Her sharp inhale makes me growl, but my wolf shuts me down. He knows how fragile she is right now, and I’m making things worse.
“Sorry.” I draw her hand to my lips and kiss the tip of two fingers. “I’m mad at myself, not you.”
“Don’t be mad, Garrett. You’ve done so much for me already. Coming here was a nice idea, but...” She rubs at her neck, where tiny pricks from the spikes have yet to heal. Her wolf is too fucking weak to do any healing. We’re lucky she can still shift.
“Give them a chance, Angel. My pack appears to be on high alert.”
“That or that one shifter’s an asshole,” she says with a nervous laugh.
“That’s a given. But Mason, the lead guard, plays by the book. He’ll take care of Tiberius.”
“I think you already did that.”
“It was a simple punch.”
Her mouth lifts in a grin that sends my spirit soaring. “It was much more. And I appreciate it. Usually, I can take care of myself. I just need some time to adjust to…”
