I cross my arms, smiling at my mate. I’m proud of her for sticking up for herself. I’ll need to be careful when it comes to Evan. I want to kill him, and it wouldn’t be difficult to drain him, then blame it on the weather. The last thing I need is for Nariko to get suspicious of me, and I doubt she’d want me to kill anyone.
My tongue licks my fangs, slightly annoyed that I won’t be able to stop him from existing. Seems everyone’s lives would be better if he didn’t.
Evan steps closer to Nariko, nearly chest to chest, and I’m walking over to them before I think better of it. Ruka is already ahead of me. He pushes Evan away, taking a protective stance in front of his sister.
“Don’t even think about touching her, Evan.”
I stop just behind Nariko, towering over everyone, including Ruka and Evan. Being so close to Nariko has the tightness in myskin fade and the heat in my veins reducing to a light simmer. I’m able to take a breath.
The sway in the emotions fills the air, a mixture of hate and relief. Her back nearly touches my chest. I inch forward, the tips of my boots touching the back of hers. The wind blows the scent from her hair, and I close my eyes to inhale.
Spring flowers.
I have to hold myself back from burying my nose in the soft strands. I’m dying to wrap an arm around her waist to pull her close to me, close enough that her skin is against mine.
It’s painful being so close, yet feeling so damn far.
I snap my eyes open, not wanting to miss any details when it comes to this confrontation.
Evan and his friends tilt their heads up when they notice me, and I allow my irises to flash red. It’s so quick; they are probably wondering if their minds are playing tricks on them.
“I’ll be seeing you around, and maybe you won’t have your posse around to save you or your oversized cowboy.” Evan curls a lip at all of us.
“I hope they aren’t. They hold me back from finally kicking your ass,” Nariko shouts.
Evan tosses his head back and laughs, his hand flying to his chest.
Nariko’s emotions boil over. She’s furious, and her anger becomes my own. She launches herself at Evan. Her stance changes before anyone else can recognize what she is doing.
My arms wrap around her, and I sling her against my chest, pick her up, and drag her away before she causes damage to her career.
“Let me go! Oklahoma, let me go. I’m going to kick him right in the?—”
“—I know, but now isn’t the time. All the customers have their phones out, recording you. You don’t want to start a fightand have proof of it out there,” I explain, loving that I have the excuse of protecting her to hold her close.
Fuck.
She feels so good.
“Put me down and let me go! I’m going to strangle his neck. The bastard thinks he is the best when all he does is torment me because I got the grant he wished he could have gotten in college.” She kicks her legs out, trying to get free from my grasp.
“He’s a fucking asshole,” I say, dragging her to the side of my truck so they can’t see her anymore.
I spin her around, and her hair falls from the loose ponytail. The layers flow down her shoulders, stopping just at her hips.
So fucking long, just like I knew it would be.
Nariko looks up at me with those big brown eyes, her lips parting ever so slightly when she intakes a sharp breath. Her heart rate changes, increasing in its beats the longer we hold eye contact.
My eyes dart over her face, not knowing where to look, because every part of her is stunning. My fingers twitch to touch her, and I raise my hand, wanting to cup her jaw.
She watches me debate what to do before I drop my hand to my side. Her cheeks flush with a dusty pink color, and I’m dying to know how warm she must be.
I lick my lips, needing to get a hold of myself. “Are you okay?” My voice deepens, the protective mate inside me wanting to burst free.
She nods. “I’m fine. Evan has a way of getting under my skin.”
“Are you sure it isn’t more?” Her relationship with him is my business. If he is a problem, a threat, I will get rid of him.
