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“It would appear this is my business now.” I say with a low growl.
“And mine,” Ash chimes in.
“I guess that makes it mine too.” Isaiah adds.
Relief washes over me when I don’t hear Madison stake a claim in this conflict. Momentarily I focus on the sound of her rapid heartbeat as she takes erratic breaths.
I don’t dare take my eyes off the grim scene ahead of me. One of the men in lab coats turns to face Isaiah, Ash, and me with a grimace in full display.
“You don’t want to play hero tonight boys. This little beast is going to end up exactly where he belongs.” He calls through gritted teeth.
A low menacing growl escapes my throat, and a wicked smile crosses my lips, “Did you say beast?”
The men in lab coats exchange worried glances as Ash and Isaiah bare their teeth at them from either side of me. The young man behind them looks almost relieved but his eyebrows remain knit together with concern.
A primal scream escapes Madison’s lips followed by the thumping of her feet as she rushes forward with a grease-stained metal pipe in her hand.
My muscles tighten, panic surges through me overriding any rational thought. Without a moment’s hesitation I leap forward ahead of Madison, flanked by Ash and Isaiah.
The men in lab coats stand their ground but I can smell the fear on them.
As we rush the lab coat men, our fists collide. The syringes and needles are purposefully knocked out of the men’s hands. The alley is filled with the sound of cracking bones and pained whimpers.
Madison is blocked out of the fight, thank God. But I catch occasional glimpses of her standing on the sidelines with the metal pipe still in hand.
I pray she doesn’t do anything courageous.
I will the thought to reach her head, thankful that she hasn’t decided she needs to fight harder to be part of the action.
One of the lab coats punches me in the nose and a painful sting is followed by the sensation of thick, warm, liquid sliding from my nostril down my chin.
That same lab coat rushes toward Madison while I am momentarily stunned, and he is greeted with a loud crack to the head from the metal pipe clutched tightly in her hands. That wastoo close.
Rage boils my blood. Every hair on my body stands on edge. Not my mate.
All I can see is the image of a man going after my mate with the intent to attack her and all else ceases to exist. My eyes go dark and my muscles flex, charging after him then I feel myself on top of him. I’ve tackled him down to the ground. A loud grunt escapes his lips as I knee him several times in the stomach.
His hands flail wildly trying to get a hold on me or anyone else near him without any luck. My tightly balled fist connects with his jaw several times.
His strangled cries of pain do not stop me from pummeling him. In a matter of moments, the man’s unmoving body is tossed to the side of the alley.
The other lab coats look at each other, bloodied and bruised. Backing away slowly, once they’ve put some distance between themselves and us, they take off running at a full sprint.
“Madison,” I rush to her side, “Are you alright? Did you get hurt?”
“I am not hurt just a little shaken up” she says timidly.
“What could have possessed you to have been so reckless? You could have been killed; those guys were not playing around.” I’m almost yelling at her from the intense fear built up in me of the possibility of losing her.
A shameful shade of red creeps over her face and she looks down at the ground, scraping the bottom of her shoe against the asphalt of the alleyway.
“I don’t know honestly; I just felt this panic surging through me. Those guys were wearing lab coats, they were going to trap that other shifter. I know what it’s like to be trapped and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.” She says unsuredly.
Her hearts beating at a quick and uneven tempo, I am furious with her for putting herself in danger but more than my fury I am relieved that she is alright.
“You’ve got to be more careful in the future. Isaiah, Ash, and I are trained for this kind of thing. Besides, I want to be able to protect you. I don’t want you to feel like you need to protect us.” I say pulling Madison in for a hug, feeling her heart beat slow as I hold her. Her breathing returns to normal. She smells sweet and earthy like a bed of flowers near a cool stream. I don’t want to let her go.
“Guys,” Ash calls. “We should get moving in case our friends in lab coats have other friends nearby. I’d like to avoid any unnecessary fights.”
