Page 114 of A Broody Mate for the Human

I want to answer him, but only a groan leaves my mouth.

“That bad?” Dave asks, his voice laced with worry. I close my eyes as the pain behind my eyes seems to be getting worse. Dave’s warm hand pushes me slightly, making me sit down on something I assume is a tree stump. He touches my face… it feels soothing, yet it’s not making the pain go away. He says something, but I can barely hear him.

There is rustling around us. I feel a presence approaching, something dangerous.

Off in the distance, I can hear Sugar bark and growl. Dave’s saying something more, and there is more rustling to be heard. More growls. Yelling.

I force my eyes open, noticing how Dave is standing in front of me in a protective stance, Sugar right next to him, growling at two men.

Something about them rings a bell.

Pack wolves… they’re pack wolves… I try to squint my eyes to see better and to get the numbing headache away.

“Step aside, human,” one of the men spits.

“Only over my dead body!” Dave hisses.

Some wheels in my mind seem to turn like a dam being broken. My reality suddenly floods me. I’m a rogue, and these are wolves from Alpha Troi’s pack.

No, please not… Moon Goddess, don’t make Dave get caught up in my mess!

Chapter thirty-seven

Raffy's Past

*RAFFY*

Neroisstirringinmy mind. I can feel him trying to get to the surface, but he can’t. Instead, a blanket of darkness wraps itself around me and seems to pull me further downwards.

I can’t allow it to happen. Dave needs me. He needs me! This is the worst timing ever.

Goddess, please make him stay safe! Don’t hurt him, don’t take him from me!

“Human,” one of the men hisses at Dave once more. “I’m warning you once more. Step aside, and let us have the traitor, and we won’t kill you and toss your body aside.”

“Are you guys from the pack with the sociopath alpha who panders to his sick beta by providing him with young women over and over again?” Dave deadpans. “If yes, then you can go and fuck yourself.”

Oh Dave, not the right time to run your mouth; you should run for real. Take Sugar and run.

“What does human scum know about our alpha!?” one of the men spits out and slaps Dave. I can feel Dave being knocked back against me. He wipes the blood off his face but remains unfazed by their threat.

They hurt my mate.

They fucking hurt my mate.

I growl and snarl, not even sure if I’m really making any noise or if it’s just in my head, but Nero’s anger overshadows everything else. My migraine, or whatever the fuck it is, might make it impossible for me to think clearly, but I can still defend my human mate against these pathetic excuses of pack warriors.

I grab the first guy by his collar and punch him hard, making sure to send him flying. The other one comes towards me, tackling me successfully. My senses are so weakened due to my headache that I can barely realize if I’m getting hit or not.

Dave yells and screams something. His hands are on my arm now, and he seems to be hammering against something or someone next to me. My stomach twists and turns, the pressure behind my eyelids and temples getting stronger with every movement.

… must protect mate…

He is right. Even if my head explodes, I need to protect him. I manage to wiggle out of his grip. “Run,” I mutter towards Dave.

He answers something, but I can’t make out anything through the ringing in my ears. One of the assholes kicks Sugar now, and I’m starting to get even more pissed. This is my mate’s, my human’s pet, an innocent, gentle giant. What kind of sicko attacks an innocent creature?

Before he can kick Sugar again, I kick the asshole into his stomach, making him groan and growl and drop onto his back. “I swear,” he hisses while scrambling back onto his feet. “I’m going to kill your human first, then your dog, and then make sure to end your life… slowly and painfully, like the fucking little traitor you are.”