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He didn’t seem that crazy about me. Though I was the only mate he was ever going to get. I did have that going for me.
Again, maybe. Big maybe.
I decided getting shot was not an option, and took a quick step forward. “Run,” I snarled at Royce, my voice sounding more guttural and threatening than usual. I did have my mate at my back, after all. I would not allow him to be hurt.
He studied me for a moment, taking my measure, then suddenly spun around and bolted through Sasha’s home to the back door and out. I turned to the other man standing in the living room. Not a wolf, and I saw no weapon, so I calmed.
“Who are you?”
“He’s one of the people I work with,” Sasha answered coldly, stepping around me and going to touch my arm, but stopping himself. “And he was just leaving.”
“Sasha.” The man rushed over, trying to take hold of his hand.
“No,” he ordered. “Please get out.”
The man glanced at me. “I don’t know this guy. I don’t know if you’re safe with—”
Sasha laughed, but it was hollow and bitter. “Oh, I’m much safer with him than you. He won’t let homicidal alphas into my home to threaten me.”
“I had no idea what Royce was going to—”
“Go now,” I rumbled, feeling heat roll up my back, the primal urge to protect my mate with something added that had never happened before… possessiveness. This was my mate’s home and he was in it. The fact that there were no familiar smells at all—more to the point, nothing smelled like me—was driving me crazy.
The stranger grabbed his coat off one of the hooks on the wall, pushed by me, hard, trying to jostle me but unable to, and took the stairs fast, down to the path and then out to the front gate. He hurled it open, then slammed it shut with a bang. I had been watching him, having followed him out, making sure he left, and when I turned, I was surprised to see the door closing.
“No, wait.”
Sasha stopped, exhaled sharply, and scowled at me. “Yes?”
“I want to come in.”
“Absolutely not,” he said flatly.
“I need to make sure you’re safe.”
“Since when?”
“Since right now.”
He scoffed. “Well, I’m about to call Wade, and he’ll make sure I’m safe. Plus I have new information to give him about the case.”
“What case? Is this what you came to see Graeme about and then bailed?”
“Yes.” He started to close the door again. “So if you’ll excuse me, I—”
I put my foot between the door and the frame.
He banged it, hard.
“That kinda hurts,” I grumbled.
“Then move your foot and go away.”
“You’re gonna make this really difficult, aren’t you?”
He narrowed his eyes to slits, and I knew I’d messed up.
“Wait,” I pleaded. “I have information that Wade will need, so I should talk to him too.”
