The moment we cross into the safety of the packhouse, Kennedy jumps down and immediately presses her small hands to the wound on my shoulder. Seeing her fingers stained with my blood twists something deep inside me. Logically, I know it’s just my blood, but the sight is haunting and raw.
“You’re hurt,” she murmurs weakly. “I’m sorry. We would’ve been back sooner if we’d driven.”
The pain in her voice is unbearable. I shift slightly, still feeling her hands on me. She gasps softly, and I pull her into my arms, holding her close.
“You knew,” I say quietly. “How did you know there would be rogues coming through the pack?”
“Huh?”
“You said you had to see him right away. You had some kind of gut feeling. If we hadn’t been here, who knows how far those rogues would have gotten, or what they planned to do. How did you know?”
**
Ryker
“What made you want to see my wolf?” she asked, her voice soft but curious.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling a strange pull to have her here. “I just had this sudden urge to check on him. Ryker, you’re hurt**does that even matter right now?” She was trying to pull away from me, reaching toward my shoulder to examine the wound. I was nearly healed, the only trace left was the dried blood staining my skin. That was all she seemed to notice.
“I’m fine, really…” I assured her, though I could tell it didn’t convince her.
“Oh, Ryker… it was terrifying. I’m so relieved you’re okay. You’re incredibly brave, taking on those rogues all on your own!” Amy exclaimed, throwing herself against my back, pushing Kennedy aside without hesitation. I wasn’t sure if she hadn’t noticed Kennedy or simply didn’t care. But I was standing there naked, and frankly, I wasn’t in the mood to tolerate her nonsense. Only Kennedy had the right to see or touch me like this.
“Amy. Step away. Now,” I growled, my patience thinning.
“But… I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You never minded before,” she cooed, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “I know how to comfort you.”
I grabbed Kennedy, who looked like she was on the verge of tears, and pulled her close to my chest, resting her cheek against my heart. Using her as a shield, I turned away from Amy. “Kennedy and I are fine. The attack wasn’t as bad as it seemed. Your Luna is very smart, and together we handled the situation quickly.” I glanced down at Kennedy, the fierce protectiveness in her eyes making me press a gentle kiss to her lips. “We’re okay,” I whispered softly against her mouth. Without looking up, I dismissed Amy firmly. I couldn’t afford to leave any doubt about where my attention belonged. “Thank you for your concern. Kennedy and I need to debrief with the team.”
I didn’t spare Amy a backward glance as I turned us around and walked away, doing my best to keep Kennedy between me and her. Knowing Amy was still standing there, staring, made me uneasy. It had never been a problem before**shifters often found themselves naked around one another; it was part of the job. But I understood Kennedy’s feelings about Amy now, and honestly, I was beginning to see why. If some guy kept ignoring the fact that she was taken, kept approaching or touching her despite the clear signs, I’d be furious too. Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
When we finally reached my office, I closed the door behind us. “I’m sorry. I know she can be a lot,” I said, moving across the room toward the bathroom where I kept extra shorts. When I returned, Kennedy was still standing where I’d left her, hugging herself tightly as if trying to hold in her frustration.
“Hey, talk to me. What can I do to wipe that look off your face?” I asked, stepping close enough to gently rub her arms, though I let her decide if she wanted to touch me back.
“She’s the only one who can’t get the damn message to leave you alone,” Kennedy growled, rubbing her face with frustration. I found her jealousy strangely attractive**the tension in her body shifted when it wasn’t directed at me, and it was undeniably hot. “What do I have to do to make her back off? She hasn’t been around in ages. Why show up now? And how the hell did she even find out about the attack? We just got back.” She moved toward the window, still rubbing her face.
“All good questions,” I admitted, “and ones I don’t have answers for yet. But I have to say, I do like this sassy side of yours.” I moved behind her, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her back, though I still didn’t touch her.
“You don’t like it enough. Not enough to do anything about it,” she teased, arching her back into me. An involuntary whimper escaped me as I gripped her biceps**not to push her away, but to keep her from escalating things. I couldn’t start anything now; she was in danger, and that was the problem I needed to solve first.
Leaning in, I brushed my lips softly against the shell of her ear. “I like it plenty. We’ll get there soon enough. I told you, I’m very interested in practicing making pups with you. I just want to take my time, and that’s something we never seem to have enough of. I…”
Danny burst into the room at the worst possible moment. “Boss! We’ve got all three of the rogues in custody.”
I grunted in response, exchanging a glance with her before turning back over my shoulder. “Just as I thought.”
“The two who attacked you and Kennedy are badly beaten. Note to self: never cross Bennet when he’s fired up about Luna. Greta caught the third one scouting around in the woods. None of them are talking yet, so we might have to get a bit more… persuasive.”
I wasn’t sure if Danny realized he’d interrupted us and simply didn’t care, or if he was so accustomed to my readiness to consider rough methods on prisoners that he just expected it. He stood there, eyes fixed on me, waiting for a reaction.
Kennedy remained facing the window, nestled in my arms, silently listening, her breath steady but tense, waiting to see what I would decide.
“Give me a few minutes,” I said, raising an eyebrow at Danny. He returned the gesture with a subtle wiggle of his brows and then backed out of the room deliberately slow, almost as if savoring the moment. Once the door clicked behind him, I pulled Kennedy closer, pressing her firmly against my chest, wrapping my arms around her like a shield. I couldn’t bear the thought of being apart from her anymore.
“I need to find out if this is connected to the attack yesterday,” I murmured, my voice low and serious. “If it is, you’re going to be really mad at me.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.