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From the moment Tarun turned to greet him, he’d been off balance. He hadn’t spent a lot of time around her in the time he’d known her, but it was enough to know the way he felt like he’d been run over by an eighteen-wheeler was completely new and different.
She looked the same. Considerably shorter than him, the top of her head just barely came to his shoulder. Her skin was a light caramel color, hinting at her Indian heritage. It wasn’t as dark as others in her tribe, because Jameson said they had Scots blood mixed in. Something that showed through in her long, silky dark hair shot through with red highlights, and green rimmed hazel eyes.
Her figure was a voluptuous hourglass shape—something he, as a man, had appreciated before. But now, it was making him take notice of her in a whole new way, his blood heating and his groin tightening in a way he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with.
Her brother was his friend. He’d spent a lot of time with her people, and he knew them well. Well enough to know she’d been fairly sheltered her whole life. Jameson had allowed her a lot more freedom than the other women in her tribe were granted—at least until Kian had become Alpha and changed the rules, giving all women those freedoms.
But she was a good girl. Always following the rules, even though she had more room to be herself and do her own thing. It’d even taken her a couple months after the rules changed to embrace them and do as she pleased.
Lusting after her felt a bit like lusting after a Disney princess—uncomfortable and just plain wrong.
And her whole tribe, especially Jameson, would come after him and cut his dick off if they knew he was even thinking about her like that.
That was part of the reason why he told her to go home. She was suddenly a temptation he didn’t think he could resist, and she deserved to be more than the person who happened to warm his bed. She deserved to find her mate, to have the whole package.
The other was that he felt compelled to make sure she was safe. He’d want to, regardless, because keeping women safe was a benchmark of who he was. Not because he thought they couldn’t take care of themselves, but because he’d been unable to protect the women in his family. It’d become like an obsession for him.
Still—protecting Tarun felt even more important than it usually did. He refused to examine why, but it was best that she left.
For her sake and his.
We can protect her. We’re fierce, and the Enforcers are the best fighters, with the best gifts, around, his lion said.
Did you not hear her say the Enforcers are in danger? Me, more than most? Her going home isn’t negotiable, and you shouldn’t want it to be.
A knock on the door sounded before his cat could reply, and he froze before turning to glance at it. Surely she hadn’t followed him up to his bedroom. Right?
Hesitating, he debated, unsure he wanted to answer the door. He was pretty sure the image of her in his bedroom was the last thing he wanted burned into his mind. The knock came again, more insistent that time, and he frowned, finally moving to open the door. If it was her, he could make sure she didn’t actually enter the room.
Swinging the door open, he paused, feeling his eyebrows raise. “Blake. What are you doing here?”
Blake raised an eyebrow of his own, his lips quirking. “You sound surprised. Expecting someone else, were you?”
Quickly schooling his expression, he moved back from the door as Blake pushed past him. Shutting it behind him, he turned to watch the Enforcer’s leader—the alpha, as it were.
“What’s going on?”
Blake thrust his fingers through his short dark hair, shooting him a look as he propped his hands on his hips. “Luke—”
Dread filled him as Blake cut himself off, and he shook his head. “No. She’s not staying.”
“Luke—”
“No.”
Exhaling in exasperation, Blake shook his head as he squared up to him. “If her presence can save us—”
“Then we should just sacrifice her, is that it?”
Blake cut him a look and Luke tightened his lips as he sought to breathe through his anger.
“That’s a bullshit accusation and you know it. I’d never put anyone in danger if I could manage it, but if her mere presence means the difference between life and death for you, or any of my Enforcers, then it’s a risk I’m willing to take. It’s a risk she’s willing to take, as well.”
“At least you asked her permission first before you decided to put her life in danger,” he muttered, stalking to his window to look out at the setting sun.
“She came to me, actually. I’m not sure what your problem is right now, Luke, but you need to get over it. I knew you weren’t going to be happy. She told me you ordered her to go home. But I still didn’t expect this kind of reaction.”
Exhaling, he shook his head, continuing to stare outside. “You know how protective I am of women.”
