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If he hadn’t had a significant other, I might have been jealous of the relationship he shared with Lux.
“I wanted towork the bar and see everyone I cared about.” Lux took a step forward, breaking my reverie.
I blinked down at her, my mind a blank. “You want to work on your birthday? Not take time off?”
“I’m sure I’ll get a break with everyone after.” She smiled, tilting her head back as she stared up at me. “Maybe even you, if you manage to have a shower and get clean.” Her nose wrinkled, and she took a step back.
I barked a laugh, shouldering my bag, and held the door for her. “Then we’d better get going. I don’t want you to be late for your own party.” I looked down at her as she passed me. “You don’t need to work tonight, Little Bird. We want to spoil you.”
“And I can’t be in the bar and not work. Come on, Killian. Who’s going to field all those passes at James? You? You’d feed him to the wolves.” She pranced a few steps in front of me as she stepped onto the pavement and sent an indecipherable glance over her shoulder at me. “I know what you did.”
“Which bit?” I frowned, sluicing sweat-slicked hair back from my forehead.
The glance transformed into a cheeky grin. “I know you watched us last night.”
“Ah.” That was it. The girl left me speechless, breathless. More than my muscles ached, and for the first time in a while, it didn’t have to do with arousal.
Beyond allthat was holy, had I fallen in love with the girl?
I stared back, my mouth half open. Nothing came out.
Apparently so.
Lips pursed, bright eyes sparkling, Lux trotted a few steps ahead of me, her hand out as she turned into the narrow alley that led to the back door of the bar. If I planned it right, I’d have enough time to shoot upstairs, shower, and shave before her party started. Then I’d find out how well we fit together.
As though reading my mind, a flush rose up her cheeks, pinking her skin in a stunning blush that rocked my world.
“Lux—”
A hand shot out from the depths of the shadows and closed around her throat. A single second froze for me, her eyes wide as she realized the touch wasn’t mine, and that I stood too many steps back to help her.
Then she disappeared into the darkness.
“Lux!”I roared her name and barreled around the corner, shaking legs taking the turn without managing to skid on the loose gravel skittering about beneath my feet.
Straight into a boot that connected with my solar plexus in a well-timed kick. Air ejected from my lungs. My trembling, already unsteady legs gave out. One knee hit the ground as the boot came around for a second free shot.
Ileaned sideways, managing to escape all but the tip of the heel that sliced against my jaw. Stars bloomed across my vision, obliterating everything as an unseen force dragged me forward.
“Lux,” I croaked, pushing up. “Don’t you fucking touch her.” I sucked in a coveted lungful of air only to lose it as something much smaller than a boot but no less lethal discovered a tender spot in my kidneys.
“—off me!” She shrieked like a wild banshee somewhere nearby.
My sight cleared long enough to see her bite thearm that held her pinned to a man’s chest. Deep shadow obscured his face. Paired with the failing late afternoon light, I had no chance of getting his gauge, though his shout of pain gave me satisfaction all the same.
That’s my girl. Keep on fighting.
“Unclean slut. I told you last time not to stay here.” Someone spat nearby.
I fumbled for my bag, but it had been abandoned at the mouth of the alley at the beginning of the attack that appeared to be a long way away, and my phone with it.
“Fuck you, Clay.You’ve done enough.” Her voice trembled, belying her fear though she kept her chin up as she wrenched away from him and retreated, her feet tripping over themselves as she stumbled toward the door that led into Fray, the jagged edge of the key pointed out between her fingers.
“Let her go.” The man stepped out of the shadow as I pushed up, her fingers catching in mine in a brief contact before a hand yanked me backward. I found myself on my ass, staring up at faces I didn’t recognize. “She’s useless. But this, we can have some fun with. Like fucking around with little cross breeds and making baby abominations, buck-boy?”
Lux shot me a terrified glance, her back to the door, fumbling at the lock. Everything fell into place as the penny dropped in a very empty bank.
Rafe and I worked so hard to make certain the shifter community had asafe place for our locals, gave them a hub, and places to be themselves. That meant keeping away the purists who hated crossed breeding, half and halfs, or whatever other derogatory term trended. For whatever reason, and I had a few in mind, Lux had made it onto their radar. Because I’d dared to be involved with her, that meant me, too. Or so it seemed.
