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“ I ’m going to kill him.” I held Logan’s shoulders too tight, fury boiling in my gut that Kendrick would dare put such a public claim on her.

“I’ll help,” Velda offered.

“No one is killing anyone,” Logan insisted, reaching to cup my face. “My magic is getting erratic. There are only so many options to contain it, and Kendrick was right that this is the safest choice.”

“He just wants his mark around your neck. He’s still pissed that I claimed you before he did.”

“That’s not what’s happening.” Her gaze was sweet, imploring, but it wasn’t enough to sway me.

“Precious, with all due respect, you don’t know Kendrick the way we do.”

“And you don’t know him like I do.” She stepped out of my grip, fury sparking in her gaze.

Should we throw him to the monster? Velda asked me.

More satisfying to eat him.

“Logan, we know you love to see the best in everyone,” Velda began. “Kendrick is?—”

“Helping me.”

She was a beacon of sincerity in the bond. What on earth had Kendrick done to get her to believe him?

“I know you don’t like him, but we need every resource we can get.

Kendrick is helping me learn telepathy, and I don’t know what can help me if not this,” Logan said, laying her fingers across the torque.

“Our options are limited. Whatever your past issues with him are, they’re going to have to wait until we get through this. ”

Past issues. Ha. Kendrick was a recurring issue and a pain in the ass.

“He put the nest in danger by removing the torque. That should’ve been brought to us so we could discuss and vote. Neither of you have the authority to make choices like that on your own.”

Logan wrapped her arms around herself, digging her fingers into her biceps. Her nerves twisted through the bond, turning my stomach. “You have to be mad at me too, then. I could’ve told him we needed to wait and talk to everyone.”

“I’m not going to blame you for anything he’s done.” With a sigh, I stepped forward and drew her into my arms. “I’m sorry I’ve been so neglectful as a mate that you felt you had to go to him.”

That only made a flood of guilt come through the bond from her. “Yelena…”

“I’ll take over your telepathy training,” said Velda.

Rebellion beat like a drum through Logan but instead of giving it a voice, she swallowed hard, relaxing into my arms. “I can work with you too. He said I should. I just haven’t brought it up yet.”

“Kendrick told you to work with us?”

“With Velda. I can use the bond to talk to you already, but he said Velda would be a good choice while I’m learning because I had a connection with her.”

I exchanged a look with the bear shifter watching us curiously.

Why is he so weird? Velda asked me. He could have just sent her to me from the start.

We should’ve offered. I forget how much she has to learn.

I indulged myself in Logan’s mouth, drinking in her sweetness, her body going warm and pliable in my hands.

Get a room or let me join.

Logan broke away with a laugh. “Come here. I need a hug.”

Velda trotted over, immediately fulfilling Logan’s request.

“Are you mad at me?” Logan asked quietly.

I sighed, stroking my knuckles over her cheek. “I’m not happy, but I’m not mad at you. I think we need to have another meeting and reestablish boundaries and protocols. Kendrick overstepped. He knows the rules far better than you.”

I wrapped my arms around both of them, letting myself recalibrate with Logan’s closeness.

Are you all right? Haru’s voice rang through my head.

I will be.

I hated seeing the torque at Logan’s throat, but maybe she was right that we had no other choice. Gems had held her magic before, and it was dangerous if her output was too much for them to handle.

The ridiculous urge to wrap a scarf around her throat to hide Kendrick’s claim floated around me like a taunt.

Hiding it wouldn’t change the fact that it was there.

Logan might not believe that’s what it was, but Kendrick had wanted her from the start.

She was my mate, not his, and I wasn’t going to let her go so easily.

Keep her here, I ordered Velda.

Girl, she’s a Protector. I can’t keep her anywhere she doesn’t want to be.

She is my mate and you will keep her safe or I will bite you in the ass at the earliest opportunity.

I took my rage with me, letting Velda take care of Logan. My mate’s worry pulsed through the bond, but I had to nip this bullshit in the bud before it got worse. I shed my gown as I got onto the elevator, slipping into my lion form.

If Kendrick wanted to poke the beast, he was going to have to deal with it for once.

This form was relatively unfamiliar to everyone here. I almost never adopted it in front of anyone because it made them nervous. Only a few shifters could take on a lion.

I found Kendrick standing outside in the rain. Whatever activity had been planned for there had obviously been canceled. The monster shrieked, tweaking my nerves and only adding to my overall anger.

Square up, you antlered motherfucker.

Kendrick’s eyes widened as he quickly backtracked. “Yelena, what the fuck?”

I don’t know what you’ve been telling Logan or how you’ve been manipulating her, but it stops now.

“Gods above. Is that what you think I’m doing?”

What else could you be doing? She saw you for what you were when she arrived here and now she’s letting you put your gold on her throat.

“Not everyone is obligated to hate me.”

Not obligated, no. I growled, stalking forward until he tripped over himself and flung back to standing, casting his clothing aside before emerging in his stag form.

You don’t have to fight me.

I rolled my eyes. You’re targeting my mate. I would be a fool not to.

Kendrick pawed the ground with his hooves, keeping his antlers lowered as he continued to back away slowly. I’m training her, just like I said I would.

I know you think yourself superior, but the rest of us know what you’re doing.

He raised his head briefly, meeting my gaze. What am I doing, Yelena?

You’re trying to take her because I stopped you from doing that when she arrived.

You can’t take a person who doesn’t want to be taken.

My stomach twisted, fury only growing stronger.

Where are you? Logan’s voice filled my head.

I didn’t answer, focusing on the stag in front of me.

Yelena, I swear to all the gods. Tell me where you are , Logan demanded.

Her distress tumbled down the bond, but I had a task in front of me I wasn’t going to be dissuaded from.

Stay the fuck away from her, stag.

She agreed to training with me to become a Protector.

He’d shoved in that loophole for his own benefit and I wasn’t going to let him use it as a shield now. I launched myself at him, paw swiping his antlers to shove them aside and get my claws into him.

Fucking hell! Kendrick danced away, kicking at me to create space.

I didn’t care if I got gored if it would take him down a fucking peg.

Stop, Kendrick ordered. You’ve always been the perfect example to everyone here. Don’t throw that away because you’re pissed at me for something stupid.

Manipulating Logan isn’t something stupid. She’s mine, not yours.

I’m not trying to step on your fucking toes.

Bullshit. That’s all you’ve ever done.

YELENA! Logan shrieked in my head.

You made a fatal mistake giving Logan that torque. We don’t need you anymore when she’s wearing it.

He huffed sharply. I always knew you didn’t like me, but I didn’t think you wanted me dead.

I didn’t until you chose to fuck with her. I readied myself to pounce, the stench of fear radiating off Kendrick.

Why can’t we both have her? She has no shortage of lovers. Why are you so worked up if she gets one more?

My growl vibrated my whole chest. So you are trying to trick her into your bed.

That’s not what I meant. He backed his ass up into a tree, startling. You don’t get to choose lovers for her. That’s not how omegas fucking work.

I get to keep her safe, though. That’s the whole point of an alpha. I’m not going to let you turn her into another notch on your bedpost of conquests and mess with her head in the process.

That’s not ? —

I hurled myself at him, teeth and claws bared. Kendrick took off like a damn rocket.

Chickenshit.

I turned the other direction to head him off. The nest was a round property, and he couldn’t hide forever. I raced off, the cool grass meeting my paws doing nothing to dispel my anger. Rain made it slippery, but my claws let me gain traction.

He came sharply into view and we crashed together.

A scream rent the air, his bellow of pain blending with the sound.

Logan’s warm weight struck us. Her arm between my teeth and the shriek that followed sobered every panicked emotion right out of me.

Another weight followed, the panthers dogpiling on me so I collapsed against the grass, Velda and Haru taking down Kendrick.

Logan sobbed in the grass, the scent of her blood permeating the air despite the rain. The monster wailed, shooting tension through all of us. Her pain echoed through me, making it difficult to breathe, all the panic in her cells flooding down to me.

Let me the fuck up. She’s hurt.

The two panthers together were enough to pin me, especially when Caden’s fangs held me by the throat. You’ve done enough.

I wilted. Sinking my claws into Kendrick had been deeply satisfying, but all of that had blinked away. Seth moved over to Logan, his cheek softly brushing hers.

I’d bitten my mate. She was hurt because of me. The tips of Kendrick’s antlers were red, the rain making it flow down in rivulets.

Dr. Atling and Sarah flew out of the nest, a pair of boar shifters following them to hoist Logan onto a stretcher and get her inside.

“What is the matter with both of you?” Dr. Atling hissed. “I’m exercising my right as physician of the nest to put the two of you on medical leave. Get your asses up to your suites and stay there. We’ll be up to attend to you once we’ve finished with Logan.”

She had never used that power before. Maybe she was right. The stress had already gotten to people here and I wasn’t immune.

I’m sorry .

Logan gave no reply, her whimpers burrowing into my chest as they took her away. Blood painted her lips.

Fuck.

What had I done?