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“M ist is going to be just fine, Saint.”

Saint glanced over, giving the doc a nod before his gaze went right back to the beautiful jaguar in his bed. Once Doc Freya had finished cleaning all of Mist’s wounds, she’d woken her up and had her shift before letting her slip back into a healing sleep. Now, she stood holding a dark brown doctor’s bag, ready to rift from the clubhouse back to wherever she came from.

“She should be almost fully healed once she shifts back into her human form.”

“Thanks Doc,” he replied gruffly. “I appreciate you coming here and helping my mate.”

“Of course.” Freya paused, before saying softly, “If you ever need anything, for yourself or any of your club members, I’ll be here.”

He almost told her they already had a doc, but then decided against it. You never knew what the future held, and she’d been damn good to his mate. He was impressed with not only her medical skills, but also the way she treated Mist; as if she truly cared about her.

“Thanks. Appreciate it.”

Saint was aware the moment the doc left, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the cat that was now chuffing softly in her sleep. He wanted to crawl onto the mattress with her and just hold her. Jaguar or human, she was still his, and he wanted to be close to her.

When Mist made a noise that sounded as if she were distressed, Saint said fuck it and crawled in beside her leaning up against the headboard. He gently stroked a hand over her thick, soft fur, admiring the rosette-shaped spot pattern covering it that was distinct to jaguars.

“I’ve got you, sweet kitty,” he muttered, leaning down to rub his cheek against her fur. “You’re safe, my mate. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He would kill anyone who was a threat to her, starting with his brother.

Suddenly, Saint was aware they weren’t alone in the room anymore, and he let his huge fangs drop as he raised his head and snarled at the two women who’d appeared on the other side of the room.

“It’s okay, brother,” Desi said quietly, backing towards the door. She left the large purple suitcase she’d brought from Mist’s home where she’d been standing. “We will just leave these things here and go.”

“But I want to see Mist,” Aurora argued, dropping the purple duffle bag and pink backpack she held onto the floor by the suitcase and taking a step toward the bed.

Her eyes widened when Saint bared his fangs at her, fire appearing and ghosting across his skin. He knew the woman was a friend of Mist’s, but he couldn’t have anyone else in his space right now. He needed his woman safe, and he wanted some privacy in his own fucking home. They needed to leave now. He had a tight hold on his demon because the bastard wanted out to flame everyone in the place that wasn’t his mate.

“It’s best if we go,” Desi whispered. “Come on, Aurora.”

“But…”

“He won’t let you near her,” Desi interjected, not coming any closer to them. His sister was smart enough to know he wasn’t in the frame of mind to differentiate between friend and enemy right now.

“But I’m not going to hurt Mist! I just want to make sure she’s all right.”

“It doesn’t matter, Aurora. In my brother’s eyes, everyone is a threat right now. Think about it this way. How would you feel if that were your mate and people just kept showing up unannounced in your room while he was trying to heal?”

When Aurora looked as if she were going to argue again, Desi opened the door and called out to God. She was obviously done trying to negotiate with the witch and was pulling in the big guns.

God was at the door in an instant. He took one look at Saint, and immediately crossed the room to Aurora, grasping her arm and guiding her away from the pissed off demon. “Saint, I’m going to bump this little party back a couple of hours. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

“Wait a damn minute,” Aurora snapped, trying to pull free of God’s grasp. “Mist needs me.”

“What Mist needs right now is her mate,” God growled, glowering down at the woman. “If you would take a good fucking look, you would see that, witch. She needs to feel safe. She needs to heal. She needs Saint. So, let’s leave this room and let my brother’s mate get what she needs. That’s option one. Or do you want option two?” When Aurora just glared at him, God chuckled darkly. “I can get Genesis to take your ass back to your realm, if that is what you want, witch. You’re in my domain now. This is my playing field. You don’t call the shots, I do.” Letting her go, God crossed his arms over his thick chest and narrowed his eyes on her. “What’s it going to be? Option one or option two?”

Aurora’s jaw tightened and she swallowed hard, her gaze going from God to Saint. Then she looked at Mist, where the jaguar was leaning against Saint, her head resting on his thigh. Saint slowly ran a hand over her sleek coat from the top of her head down her back. Mist chuffed softly, pushing closer to him, never once opening her eyes. She’d placed her trust in him, and he wasn’t going to let her down. He would protect her from everyone, whether she needed it or not, even her friends.

“Fine, I have to update my coven sisters and family anyway. What time should we be back here for the meeting?”

“We?” God asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“There’s no way I will be able to keep my sisters away from here. They will want to be a part of this, and so will my family. Mist is very loved by all of them.”

God glanced over in his direction, and Saint gave him a discreet nod. They could come. Even though they left his mate alone for months, she still considered them her family, so he wouldn’t ban them from the clubhouse. Not yet. However, if they treated her badly in any way, they would be gone. No second chances.

“Two hours,” God replied. “Take them all to the main area of the clubhouse by the bar. Saint’s place isn’t big enough for a large group of people, and his demon won’t be able to handle them all in his rooms after everything that’s happened.” He nodded toward the door. “We came through the area to get here earlier, but I’ll show it to you again before you leave so you don’t accidentally pop in somewhere you aren’t supposed to and start a war.”

“A war?” Aurora asked in confusion.

“I guarantee you, if you drop in this room again, witch, you won’t leave alive. Saint’s riding the edge right now. There’s a reason the demon is my SAA.”

“SAA?”

“Sergeant at Arms.”

“What exactly does that mean?” Aurora asked, glancing over in Saint’s direction again, a frown on her features.

“In our club, it means he enforces all the club laws and rules, prevents any conflicts from escalating, and protects our club’s interests, along with several other things. Basically, he’s the protector of the club.”

“He’s a protector,” Aurora said softly, a slow smile appearing. “Which means, he will keep Mist safe from anyone and anything.”

“He’ll tear apart anyone who threatens her.” God motioned to the door once again, and this time Aurora didn’t argue with him. She slipped quietly from the room without a backward glance.

“Two hours, Saint,” God said. Stopping at the door, he looked back. “If your mate needs more time, just let me know. We’ll wait.”

Saint gave him a short nod before sliding down in the bed and pulling the blanket over his jaguar. “Thanks, Prez.”

“Anytime, brother.”