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“After that, I searched for you, but the next time you popped up on anyone’s radar was when you were back home in Nelson and you had a HellBeast in your trailer, so I gathered you were protected enough at that point,” Orson said, filling in the gaps. Speaking of which, that same protective HellBeast came storming our way.

“YOU!” This next roar of anger came from Jared, who walked around the corner and found this little scene playing out right outside our tent. And well, clearly the dick measuring had finished and both men were still breathing, as Tyr also came striding around the corner.

Both men had various injuries to their faces, telling me that they had kept it as a fair fight. As for me, I groaned, not only at the sight of bloody lips, black eyes, and broken noses that were thankfully already starting to heal, but more the fact that one look at Orson standing too close making Tyr snap,

“And who the fuck is this guy!?”

“Seriously, Coffee girl, do you just go collecting overprotective men or do you post an ad somewhere?”

“Ha, ha,” I muttered, rolling my eyes before both men approached.

“You stay out of it!” Jared snapped back to Tyr, before turning his attention back on Orson. “And as for you, you got some fucking nerve turning up…”

I stood in front of the bear shifter and bellowed,

“STOP IT! Enough, both of you!”

This reaction finally got them to listen because I had finally hit my limit.

“Orson works for Koro, and what he is doing here is saving me from that guy!” I said, thrusting a hand out and pointing a finger at the bad dude Koro still held. “You know, the threat I had waiting for me in the tent that you two let me storm off toward because you were too focused on tearing into each other, regardless of what I wanted or how I felt!” I shouted, prompting Jared to first scowl at the threat before then trying to calm me down.

“Alright, Red, that’s enough, you made your point,” Jared said, making me snap,

“Did I? Oh goodie, well you can think about that fucking point as I go sleep in my sister’s tent!”

“Er, I…” Koro began, but I pointed a finger at him and said,

“Something to say, gypsy boy? No, I didn’t think so!” I argued, before walking off once more, this time to find Lerna so I had someone to rant to. However, in true HellBeast fashion, I didn’t get far, and I heard him growl,

“Tie that fucker up, as I will torture information out of him myself!” After this, I then felt Jared’s arms go around me from behind.

“Ella, just stop.”

I squirmed in his arms.

“Why? You going to stop being an assh…” My curse was cut off because for the second time tonight, I found a hand covering my mouth.

“I know you’re pissed.”

“Mou ink!” I shouted, my words muffled into his palm.

“I should have listened.”

I huffed and mumbled, “Mmo on.”

“You were right, you’ve been through a lot, and you don’t need my jealous shit on top of that.”

This time I didn’t try and say anything, instead letting him carry on.

“But gotta tell you, babe, just knowing that Viking arsehole has been there for you when it should have been me, is riding my beast hard.”

I huffed again, telling him what I thought of this excuse.

“And I know you think it’s just an excuse.”

“Ingo,” I muttered, still unable to speak properly, because he was clearly reading my mind.

“But I’ve been going out of my fucking mind with worry and now I’ve just got you back, I didn’t need that fucking Viking trying to…”