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She flew towards me, with Pala behind her, his long dark hair streaming out behind him. She braked hard as she turned into the gate, narrowly avoiding a skid, but clearly hadn’t expected so many people to be huddled just inside.
People scattered out of her way, as she yanked the bike sideways and braked hard, spinning in a half circle and spraying dirt and rocks up everywhere.
“Shut the gates,” Leif yelled, clearly worried about the same thing I was.
I dashed back through the gates as they snapped closed. I could see her head twisting around as if she was looking for someone.
I ran up beside her and yanked her off the bike and into my arms, barely letting her get her feet under her as she let out a startled yelp. Pala grabbed the handlebars and steadied the bike as its weight shifted without her to balance it.
Lexie ripped off her helmet, threw her arms around me and climbed up me before throwing her legs around me too, as if she was trying to get as much body contact as she could. She grabbed my face and kissed me furiously. She didn’t seem to care at all about the people watching, and I didn’t either.
I moaned into her mouth as her hot tongue dueled with mine in a frenzied kiss that was messy and wild. If I could have climbed inside her and never let her go again, I would have. I was holding her so tight I didn’t know how she could even breathe.
“Don’t scare me like that again, please. I’m begging you,” I whispered in her ear as we finally broke apart, both of us panting. “I thought maybe you’d run away from us.”
“Never,” she whispered back to me. “I’m not the running type.”
“Where the fuck have you been?” Came a menacing growl from behind her and we both froze. Lexie looked up at me with an unspoken question in her arched brow. I tried to smile and reassure her, but I could feel how out-of-control Sam was right now. His dominance was battering even me. It usually flowed right around me.
I put her down, and she let me. If Sam expected her to look contrite, he clearly underestimated her. There was a fire building in her eyes. This was going to get messy.
“Sam,” I cautioned, as I turned and tried to maneuver Lexie behind me.
“Don’t fucking, ‘Sam’ me, Dio,” he bit out between growls. He was spiraling badly. I’d never seen him this scared or out of control. The other night, when he’d first scented Lexie, he’d been desperately trying to exert some control. Now, though, it felt like any attempt at control had dissipated like mist in sunlight and he was spoiling for a fight to cover his own fears.
I braced myself, but Lexie slipped out from behind me and stood firmly between Sam and me. I couldn’t block her and I’d never restrain her. She was like a jungle cat, with her prey in its sights.
“What the hell is your problem?” She asked, sounding incensed, instantly coming to my defense. A fierce and proud omega protecting her mate.
“You’re my problem,” he growled back at her. I heard Maia gasp behind me, and Leif growled.
“I. Am. Nobody’s. Problem,” she said, low and angry, almost spitting out the last word as if it offended her. She walked right up to an enraged Sam, without a flicker of hesitation, and jabbed him in the chest to reinforce her words. Sam had obviously just pushed one of Lexie’s buttons. I could feel her pain bleeding through our bond.
The other night, Lexie tried to leave, recognizing Sam was struggling. But right now, neither of them appeared to have any control. Or any desire to back down. Messy emotions were spilling everywhere, clashing in the heated air.
I wanted to step in, but I didn’t want to set them off any more than they already were. It had been a long day, after a long week, and everyone’s nerves were frayed.
“Do you hear me?” Lexie bit out. “It’s none of your damn business where I was, especially when you ask like that. I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”
Sam’s eyes flashed at her words, his anger feeding off hers. “It’s everyone’s business when you run off recklessly, alone, to do who knows what in the middle of the goddamn night,” he snarled. “Did you even think about anyone but yourself when you left? Or about the resources we’d need to use to come rescue you?”
“I left a note. It explained exactly where I was and what I was doing. I don’t need, nor have I ever asked, anyone to rescue me.”
“From what I’ve heard, your brother has spent his entire life rescuing you,” Sam hissed in a blind rage as he stepped into her.
Oh shit. My heart dropped. Sam’s best defense his entire life had always been an attack. He was hotheaded and sometimes lashed out with angry words. Especially when he was afraid someone he cared about or respected was about to walk away, as had happened to him far too often. He always regretted it when he calmed down. But this time, I feared he’d gone too far.
I knew Sam would never hurt Lexie, but he was all up in her space right now and she didn’t know him like I did. Neither did her brother or the gate guards.
“That’s enough,” Leif roared behind me. I heard a slight scuffle as I assumed Hunter tried to hold him back, but my omega had me transfixed.
Lexie moved like lightning. She grabbed Sam by the collar of his shirt and tipped him forward, using her body weight. Then she dropped to one knee and stretched out her other leg to swipe Sam’s legs out from under him. In the blink of an eye, she’d flipped him over her leg onto his back before she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him.
“Stay down,” Lexie demanded. She was on her knees, breathing hard, her jaw clenched tight, as she willed herself to calm down, too. I shot a look at Sam and his face was pale. He was on his side, perfectly still, letting her pin him until she felt safe enough to let him go.
He could have thrown her off if he’d wanted, but like I said, he’d never actually hurt her. The shock of her flipping him seemed to have broken him out of his rage spiral, though. I could already see regret flashing across his face.
“I’m letting you go now,” Lexie said as she dropped Sam’s arm and shifted away from him before standing up. She shook out her hands as if she was trying to shed excess energy, while I reached a hand down and helped him up. Everyone else was frozen around us.
