We won’t make it inside in time. I couldn’t believe I’d been so fucking stupid. I might as well have handed myself over on a platter. Hell, those two wolves could have worked together and pretended to be enemies in order to get me out here, but I felt something with her, so it had to be a coincidence … right?
Now wasn’t the time to deal with this. I heard his paws dig into the ground, which told me he was lunging.
Aidan linked with me as he called his wolf forward. Duck!
His bones began to crack, and he pushed me hard.
I hit the ground, and pain radiated through my ass. Normally, I would’ve complained, but the wolf landed and stumbled where I’d been standing seconds ago.
I turned around to see Aidan in wolf form, his black fur reflecting the moonlight. He charged the almost white wolf as he tried to stand. Aidan lowered his head and steamrolled the wolf in the side, pinning it against a tree.
The wolf stood on two feet, extricating himself from Aidan’s hold. As soon as he was back on four feet, he rose onto his hind legs and jumped on Aidan’s back.
Oh, hell no. No one hurt my mate. I forced my shift, ripping through my clothes, desperate to kick some wolf ass. This asshole was going down.
The light-haired wolf’s hazel eyes locked on my mate’s neck.
If I didn’t hurry, that’s where he’d attack.
Aidan tried to buck him off like a bull in a rodeo. However, that wolf sank his claws into Aidan’s side to hang on.
I pushed my legs as hard as possible and clamped down on the asshole’s back leg.
The wolf whimpered in agony, and I jerked my head back, dragging him off my mate.
Emma, you’re going to get hurt. Aidan’s concern laced his words in my head.
Like you were. I needed him to realize we were a team and he wasn’t my protector. I gnawed on the white wolf’s leg as his claws unlatched from Aidan. He kicked his back leg, causing me to lose my grip, and knocked my feet out from underneath me. We’re a team—equals—get it through your damn head before you make me do something drastic.
Our bond went silent.
Good. Maybe he would rethink how he was acting.
The light wolf turned toward me, baring his teeth.
Did he really think he could win with Aidan and me against him? As far as I could tell, he’d come alone. There were no red flags warning that others were coming to help him.
Right as he went in for the attack, Aidan jumped the wolf, and he crashed to the ground.
The front door opened, and Samuel and Beth ran out. Samuel grabbed a huge fallen tree branch and hit the wolf right in the head, knocking him out cold.
Beth motioned to the open door. “Go get changed. We’ll deal with this.”
Come on. Aidan ran toward the house. We need to get back out here and question him before he gets away.
Needing no further encouragement, I followed after him.
Aidan
As I led the way back to the bedroom, I tried to use the opportunity to calm myself down. Every time she put herself at risk, it drove me insane. She was my mate which meant I was supposed to protect her.
I wanted to yell and scream and tell her to stay out of harm’s way, but I couldn’t. I’d be no better than my father dictating what a mate should do. She deserved better than that. The original witch chose her, and if I stepped in the way, none of us might survive.
She was right even if I didn’t like it. We had to work side by side, but damn, I didn’t want to accept it.
Emma
After we’d gotten dressed, we headed back out to the living room. Amethyst and Coral were standing at the window, watching Samuel and Beth outside.
“He was scared too.” Amethyst addressed us, but her eyes were focused on the window. “I don’t think he was acting maliciously.”
“But he attacked us when we were trying to get into the house.” Aidan squinted at her. “We weren’t a threat.”
Coral tilted her head. “You gotta admit he has a point.”
“I’m not saying he doesn’t, but I’m telling you it was reactive.” Amethyst turned her focus on me. “I think he thought you were trying to hurt the girl.”
“Then why weren’t they together?” That made no sense. “When she heard him, she ran.”
“I’m not sure.” Amethyst licked her lips. “Maybe we can find out.”
“I don’t know …” Aidan started.
“We need to question him anyway.” I took his hand. “Might as well ask a few questions about that too.”
He sighed and grinned. “Fine.”
Really? I thought you would’ve fought me harder on this. He’d been silent the entire time we were in the bedroom. I wasn’t sure if he was anxious about the wolf outside, upset with me over my decisions and actions, or a combination of the two. I was banking on the combo.
It’s pointless when you do what you want anyway. He arched an eyebrow, daring me to contradict him.
I couldn’t because he wasn’t wrong. Come on, let’s get this over with. “Why don’t you guys come out with us? Amethyst’s skills could come in handy.”
“Okay.”
We walked outside to find Jasper and Jabbar with Beth and Samuel. They’d chained the wolf to the tree.
“I can’t believe you caught one.” Jasper turned to us. “It’s a good thing we had wolves staying with us.”
“Were you trying to catch them?” It sounded like they’d been going out of their way to avoid them.
“At first, yes.” Jabbar ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “But they evaded us, so we finally gave up. They weren’t messing with anything of ours, so we were keeping a watchful eye.”
“Well, you’re lucky more didn’t come,” Aidan said and focused back on the wolf. “Now we need to wake him up.”
“That we can help with,” Jasper mumbled words I’d never heard before, and the wolf startled awake.
The wolf growled as his eyes landed on each person.
“Why don’t you turn back into your human form so we can talk?” It was a vain request, but I had to try.
He jerked forward, but the chains snapped taut, and he fell back against the tree.
“Who’s the wolf you’ve been following around?” Aidan closed the distance between him and the wolf, standing just far enough away so the wolf couldn’t attack him.
The wolf howled and tried charging again.
“He doesn’t like that question.” Amethyst paced in front of him. “He doesn’t want you thinking about her. He wants you to focus on him instead.”
“Well, that’s not very smart.” I met the wolf’s eyes, needing him to see that I meant what I said. “I mean, once we’re done with him, we’ll have all the time in the world to focus on her.”
The wolf snarled and bared his teeth at me.
“She’s his—” Amethyst started, but I cut her off.
“—mate.” That was the only thing that made sense. But if they were mates, why weren’t they together?
A tree branch snapped to the right of the house, and the black wolf charged at us. The wolf’s attention was on the captive wolf until she jerked her eyes to me.