An arm snaked around her midsection to pull her away. She fought the intruder, knowing she wasn’t done yet, thrashing like a mad thing. Her grip loosened when the arm gave a firm tug and broke her hold on Simone. She screamed when she was lifted into the air and forced away from her prey.
“Stop,” Jackson demanded, the word a harsh reprimand in her ear.
His voice was a powerful thing, washing over her like a balm, calming the raging beast inside. She stopped struggling when she looked down and saw she’d clawed his arm, drawing blood. She fought for breath, a level of sanity returning, her memories becoming muddled. Two men were helping Simone to her feet, inspecting the back of her head. As the red covering her vision faded, she realized she’d just instigated her very first fight.
Holy shit.
She had never been physical or violent. That was Rachel’s arena. But the mere thought of another woman touching Jackson had shattered her control, turning her into someone she didn’t recognize. She couldn’t believe she was responsible for Simone’s busted mouth. A steady stream of red trickled from a split in the woman’s upper lip.
One of the men assisting the female looked at her. Like Andy, he seemed to recognize something important about her. Giving Jackson an odd look Chloe couldn’t decipher, he said, “It appears you have a lot of explaining to do.”
“Not to you,” Jackson replied, his growl sending vibrations along her spine. “Take your daughter and leave. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”
The man who hadn’t spoken swept Simone into his arms. He walked to a large SUV and sat her in the backseat. The other man followed suit, waiting until everyone was safely inside the vehicle before he climbed in. He glanced back before he closed the door, his eyes a bright shade of yellow. The vehicle drove from the back lot. Red taillights flared as it disappeared around the corner of the building.
Jackson didn’t release her, standing in the same spot.
“If Gavin doesn’t know about your mate yet,” Declan said from behind them, “he will before the night’s over.”
Jackson spun around and faced his Beta. To her utter mortification, Chloe discovered the entire pack had somehow managed to overcome their Alpha’s order. No doubt they’d seen everything that had transpired between her and Simone. They studied her with a combination of disapproval, concern and what she thought was a hint of pride.
“Wade isn’t stupid,” Jackson grumbled and lowered her to her feet. “He noticed the resemblance. I could tell by the way he looked at her.” Chloe gasped when Jackson yanked her around, the fingers he wrapped around her chin forcing her to look into his face. “We’re going to have to talk about that temper of yours, baby. You’ve just bitten off more than you can chew.”
Anger returned but thankfully she didn’t feel homicidal. She met Jackson’s gaze, uncaring that his irises had started to glow.
“Don’t give me that crap. I am not something you can command at will. Stop handling me with kiddie gloves. I don’t like bull, so stop trying to sell me shit.”
Jackson’s jaw clenched but he remained silent.
“Oh man,” Declan laughed. “I knew I liked her.”
“It’s not funny.” Shane joined the conversation, shouldering around the people in his path. “Everyone will know our pack has a new Lupa who happens to be a Halfling. If the shit hits the fan she’ll wish she’d kept control of her beast.”
Oh no he didn’t.
“She,” Chloe said, glaring at Shane, “is standing right here. If you have something to say to me, say it.”
“He’s not insulting you,” Elsie offered softly, moving so Chloe could see her clearly. “He’s just stating fact. If the bitches from other packs find out you’re half-human, they can challenge you for the position of Lupa. It’s law.”
That was news she certainly didn’t expect. “Challenge me?”
“To the death,” Shane clarified. “It’s how the bloodlines remain strong.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Declan glanced at Shane and rolled his eyes. “You just shitkicked Simone Wilson. Females talk, so they’ll know you’re not a puff cake. Challenges only happen when a female thinks she can win a fight to the death. You’re a wildcard. They’ll steer clear.”
“You’d better hope they do,” Shane muttered and dry washed his face with his hand. “Otherwise we’ll all be neck deep in the shit.”
“How do you figure?” Declan asked.
Slowly Shane lowered his hand and looked at her. Dread felt like an iron weight in her stomach. The worry in the male’s eyes brought the situation into painful focus. If the emotion had come from Declan or Clint she might have blown it off. But not from Shane. She didn’t know him, but she realized he wasn’t one to play games. It didn’t help that Jackson still hadn’t spoken, allowing his pack to impart the ugly truth.
“Jackson—our Alpha—won’t stand by and let anyone kill his female. That little smackdown of yours just put all our asses on the line. If it comes down to a challenge, you won’t face the firing squad alone.” Shane made sure their gazes met, as though he wanted his words to hit their mark. “We’re all going to bleed.”
Chapter Nine
Jackson climbed out of his car and walked around to the passenger side to face his female. She’d been quiet after her altercation with Simone—staring out the window as they drove to the cabin—the impact of Shane’s revelation no doubt sinking in. He’d been so angry that she’d put herself in harm’s way he’d been unable to discuss what had happened. Instead he waited, hoping his temper would die down.
It was so hard not to touch her, his desire rising along with the moon. God help him, he wanted to bust her sweet little ass and fuck her so bad his palms itched and his dick throbbed.
A part of him knew it wasn’t her fault. He’d heard her snarls, realized her wolf had taken control, but it didn’t ice his temper. She could have been seriously hurt. Thankfully Simone was about as threatening as a fucking Chihuahua—all bark and no bite. Otherwise he would have had to intervene, and it went against the rules for a male to break up a fight between females.
Chloe glanced at him, worrying at her lower lip and fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. Good. She should be nervous. He’d decided on the ride over that the best way to deal with the problem was to show her beast who was boss. All he had to do was to bring the animal to the surface. Once it appeared he’d show his mate who was in charge.
Chloe hesitated when he opened the door and gave her a nudge. “Jackson…”
He didn’t respond, building the tension. If he wanted the wolf to heed the call of the moon he needed to keep his mate on the edge. When he pressed his hand into the small of her back she took the hint, stepping inside. He closed the door behind them and slid the deadbolt into place. His cock refused to soften, straining against his zipper, tenting his jeans.
Fuck.
He didn’t want to guide her on the right path at that moment. He wanted to take her on the bed with the curtains parted wide, allowing the white rays from the moon to cover their bodies. The wolf inside him roared in his head, searching for Chloe’s scent.
Despite her anxiousness, he knew she felt the effects of the moon. The musky and alluring scent of her pussy had teased and taunted him for hours. If he reached into her pants and pushed aside her panties he knew she’d be hot and slick, ready for whatever he wanted to give her.
“Go to the bedroom, remove your clothes and wait for me,” he growled, trying to maintain his composure.