Page 11 of Sass Me Again

“A human! What is she doing here?”

The astonished whispers reached his ears long before they should have, making his legs move faster. He pushed along the wooded path, knocking branches out of his way. Thankfully, those who saw him coming quickly stepped to the side, not wanting to be mowed down by his mission to get to his mate. Ian was seconds away from handing over control to his wolf so he could find his mate faster when he turned the corner and caught her sweet, flowery scent. He could still taste the sweetness of her honey on her tongue from their last rendezvous. The sight of Emily lying flat on her back while he devoured her flashed through his mind and made his cock stand on end.

Ian pushed harder. Emily was close by. He could feel her presence. A tingling sensation raced across his skin the closer he got to his destination. Controlling the dual beasts became more of a chore with each step he took. They both wanted only one thing.

“Mine!” the voices screamed in his head, wanting their mate more than their next breath.”

“I wasn’t sure you were going to show up.” A large figure suddenly blocked Ian’s path.

“Jack,” Ian growled.

“Easy, man. She’s right over there. She’s a little freaked out right now. That’s why I came to see if I could find you.”

“What do you mean she’s a little freaked out? What happened?”

“Look. This is a lot to take in for a shifter who has never been to one of these. Imagine what it’s like for a human to see all the stuff that goes on here. There’s practically an orgy just off the edge of the woods. You know how hyped up everyone is. There’s very little restraint.”

“Get to the point,” Ian growled again.

“A group of stupid punks propositioned her and⁠—”

“What!” Ian shouted. His Berserker pushing harder than ever to take control.

“Calm down, man. Nothing happened. She’s fine. She’s safe. I guided them on their way. You know how these idiots are. One interaction from someone who’s bigger and badder was all that was needed for them to tuck their tails between their legs and hightail it the fuck out of dodge.”

“It’s good to know that our reputation still precedes us,” Ian ran a shaky hand through his hair, trying to push back on his beast and diffuse the situation that was playing out in his mind.

If it was one thing the Black Paw Pack was known for, it was their legendary Berserkers. Beasts who were created by Odin himself. Their blood lust was like any other species. Once the beast was awakened, he would stop at nothing until every single one of his enemies had been defeated.

“Yep. They had no desire to fuck with me or any of the others from home who drove down for the Convergence.”

“Who else is here?” Ian asked.

“The standard crew, hoping to find their mates.” Jack shrugged.

“Why are you here? You hate these things.”

“Did you really think I was going to let you go this alone? No way! I’ve got your back.”

Ian rolled his eyes. “What is it that you think you are going to do for me? I need to claim my mate. Last time I checked, it didn’t require any outside help.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You need help with this. From what I understand, there’s something going on with her.”

“What do you mean? Something other than those idiots trying to proposition her?”

“Yeah, I was trying to listen from a distance to her conversation with Jenn. She was talking about having had it with her parents.”

“Well, if that’s the case, it’s about damn time. Are you sure about this?” Thoughts churned in Ian’s head about how much easier winning Emily over would be without her parents interfering.

“I’m pretty sure, yeah. Then those guys interrupted the conversation,” Jack explained.

“I need to see her.” Ian tried to push past Jack.

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jack said as he stepped aside.

8

“Why did you bring me here,” Emily asked, training her gaze on Jenn. Her whole body itched. It felt like a million and one bugs were parading under the surface of her skin, making her want to scratch them off. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms for the hundredth time, wondering what the fuck was going on.