“Do you always go?” Haven looks at me.
“Only once,” I say, and she tilts her head. “I’m a new addition to the family.” I’m grateful that Bane appears in front of us, stopping her from asking further questions. Now isn’t the time.
“Let’s move,” Bane says. His focus is on the crowd, and his frame is tense. Haven is testing his restraint.
“Bane,” Haven whispers, her head tipped back. With a human, her words would be lost in the noise, but my brother steps close.
“As we move, you will stay close,” he rumbles.
“Uh…okay.” She looks at him with wide eyes, and I can smell her positive reaction to his order. Bane and Lawson don’t miss it either.
Bane turns sharply, facing the crowd, and glares. As he starts to move, Lawson grabs Haven’s hand and follows. I walk behind her, slightly to her right, and rest my palm on the back of her neck. The room is humming, ready for the next fight. Mixing alcohol, blood, and hundreds of people is never a good thing. We may be going overboard, but Haven’s protection is a priority. There will be men watching the fights who think they can test out their skills. I don’t know how my brothers can work here. The noise grates on my ears. Shifters can dim their enhanced hearing, but it’s annoying to have to do it for long periods. The smell of the people irritate my nose. They are pumped up on adrenaline, making their scents stronger.
We near the back of the room when two humans begin to shove each other. Bane slows, and I feel Sally and the reststopping behind us. As a restaurant owner, I have to work with humans and cook for them. Usually, I don’t mind them, but I stay in the kitchen as much as possible. I try not to interact with the customers, and my human staff is vetted. I commend Bane and Hunter for not killing them.
Bane waits a minute, watching them.
“Stop,” he says. They don’t pay attention and continue to grapple. He sighs. Haven gasps as Bane lunges forward, one hand on each of their throats, shoving them against the wall. “I said, stop,” he grits out. “If you want to watch a fight here again, I advise you to get your shit together.” They stare at him, their fear leaking through their sweat. “Are you going to play nice?” They nod rapidly. Bane releases them and steps back. “Go.” They scramble away. Bane rolls his shoulders and continues.
I feel Haven’s heartbeat against my fingers, but I don’t smell fear. My brother is blunt and says as few words as possible. I wonder how he will interact with our mate. So far, it’s been as his personality suggests, but he hasn’t been in her presence for long.
We enter the hallway and go directly to Rylee’s room. The door is open, and Rylee is in the center of the room. Haven pulls away, moving quickly toward her. I grab Lawson’s arm as he lurches forward, but I can’t stop the low growl he emits. We can’t keep her away from Rylee. We won’t make any progress with her if we act like animals.
“You were fantastic,” Haven says, hugging her.
“Did you have fun?” Rylee asks, easing back.
“It was…interesting.” She grins.
“She was ready to jump in the ring,” Sally says, chuckling.
“That would have been hilarious,” Rylee says, ignoring the glare Lawson aims her way.
“I highly doubt that,” Haven mumbles.
“Which club are we going to?” Rylee asks.
“I warned Ryker to expect us,” Sally says.
“All of us know shit goes down every time we do this,” Quinn grumbles and crosses his arms. “Why do we go?”
“The shit is the best part.” Sally leans toward him. “Don’t be grumpy.” He sighs and shakes his head.
“It’s easier to give in,” Heath mutters.
“I need to shower off the blood,” Rylee says.
“Have fun.” Heath turns toward the door. “I have to supervise the other fights.”
Bane frowns. “Boss—”
“You need to be with your mate,” Heath says softly. “It’s covered.” Bane nods sharply, and the snake shifter leaves.
“We can escort Haven.” Rylee narrows her eyes, but I meet her gaze calmly. “You know she will be safe with us.”
She grits her teeth. “Are you okay with going with them?” She touches Haven’s arm.
Lawson is losing his control. He knows Rylee doesn’t mean any harm, yet his animal is more in control than the man. We just met our mate; none of us likes to see her touched by anyone else.
