AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I spot a prison-issue dagger tattoo on the bare shoulder of the first rider. Fucking Grinder.
My four former packmates roar to a stop. I push Maya behind me, warning her to stay back.
“Forge. Who woulda thought we’d find you in the middle of this shit,” Grinder sneers. “Thought I picked up your stink around Perdue Town.”
“What do you want?” I ignore him, directing my question at Bryn instead, who I assess to be the most senior of the four.
“This Demetrius?” He points at Maya’s brother, who’s now trying to hide behind Griff.
“I’m dealing with Demetrius,” I say flatly.
Bryn shakes his head. “Just hand him over and we’ll be on our way,” he growls, taking a step closer.
I feel Maya’s hand on my back, hot and nervous. I reach behind my back, squeeze it briefly. I hate so much that she’s suffering.
“You know the laws of retribution, Forge,” Grinder says. “We got some intelligence he was trying to stir up shit. Give him up. It’ll be better for everyone.”
I shake my head slowly. “Not happening.”
Bryn draws his lips back in an ugly snarl. “Don’t look like you’ve got a choice.” He shakes his head sadly. “Two against four. Ain’t gonna be pretty.”
To my dismay, all four of them step closer, teeth bared, skin bristling as their fur starts to break loose.
This is about to get very bad. My heart hammers as I prepare to take on my wolf. On my right-hand side, I see Griff’s hand moving beneath his jacket. I’m pretty sure he’s armed. I sure hope so.
Suddenly, Maya steps out from behind me. It happens so fast, I don’t have time to grab her.
“I’ll vouch for my brother,” she says in a louder voice than I’ve heard her use before.
My four packmates recoil in surprise.
“Sister?” Grinder crooks an eyebrow, nostrils flaring. “You don’t smell like his sister.”
She shrugs. “From a different mister.”
I stare at her in admiration. Part of me wants to grab her and pull her to safety. The other part needs to watch this unfold.
Then Grinder gives a lascivious grin, eyeing my mate with a leer that might get him dead. “And who are you to vouch for him?”
She plants her hands on her hips “Forge’s mate,” she says nonchalantly. “And mother of his child. Which means that your pack—” she jabs a finger at them. “And our pack—” she flicks a finger in Demetrius’s direction. “Are united. So, you’re not going to fuck with my brother.”
Grinder goggles at me. “That right, Forge?”
“Yup,” I say calmly, while my head spins at the sentence that has just come out of my mate’s mouth. She must be bluffing. She’s not in heat yet. Or she wasn’t last night—
“You harm a hair on Demetrius’s head, it’ll be a serious violation of pack law.” I turn my attention to Demetrius. “And you go after my pack for retribution, and that’ll be your last day on this earth. You understand?”
Demetrius nods. “Yes.”
“Now shake on it,” Maya demands.
As if they’re all in a dream, the four thugs from my pack solemnly shake hands with Demetrius, and then Maya, welcoming her to the pack and congratulating her on the baby.
She put them under a spell.That’s the only thing that makes any sense, I think, watching as four sets of club colors fade into the distance.
Even the stoic Griff looks shocked by the turn of events. Before he and Demetrius can throw out a bunch of questions, I grab Maya’s hand and drag her around the far side of the gas station, out of sight of everyone.
I drop to my knees in the dirt in front of her. My heart is thudding in my chest. “Are you really pregnant?”
