Page 28

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

K NOX

I was going to kill him.

As I advanced on Danny and the man I assumed was his ex, Rex, I was absolutely certain that no one would miss him if he simply disappeared. All I had to do was tear out his throat and bury the body deep in the woods.

I breathed in, attempting to calm myself, but the sour tang of Danny’s fear only aggravated my wolf. The scent was so overpowering that I’d smelled it as I returned to work, and I’d been able to follow the trail right to him.

I felt Danny’s gaze on me, but I didn’t shift my focus. I couldn’t afford to take my eyes off Rex in order to reassure him.

“Get your hands off my mate,” I snarled, sizing Rex up as I drew closer.

This was the man who’d abused Danny’s trust and made him so wary of others, hesitant to believe in our bond. He was a large guy, as bear shifters often were, with brown hair, a wide chest, thick arms, and a bit too much softness around his belly. His bear stared through his eyes, just as my wolf did mine.

He sneered. “Stop right there, you mangy wolf, or I’ll gut him.”

I stopped, not because he intimidated me, but because I didn’t want to give Danny another reason to be afraid.

There was no way Rex was coming out of this on top. He had perhaps fifty pounds and a couple of inches of height on me, but I had so much more to fight for than he did, and a whole hell of a lot more military training.

“You have one chance to let him go,” I said coolly. “I’ll count to three, and if you’re still here, then I’ll be the one gutting you. Three.”

Rex didn’t seem to even consider taking me up on the offer. He hauled Danny in front of himself and turned toward me, using my mate as a human shield.

“Two.” My fingers morphed into claws as I took in the utter lack of color in Danny’s cheeks and the way he was sucking in shallow breaths, too scared to move. “One.”

Rex dodged as Danny tried to kick his knee. “Come and get me.”

I met Danny’s gaze and held it until I knew he was seeing me rather than whatever monsters were inside his own mind.

“I won’t hurt you,” I promised him. “Do you believe me?”

His lips parted, and his tongue flashed out to moisten them. “Yes.”

My wolf roared inside me, proud of the trust our mate was putting in us. It was time to let him out.

I shifted, shredding my clothes with my claws, and leaped at Rex, aiming for his head. At the same moment, Danny yanked Rex’s forearm from his throat and dropped to the ground. I landed on Rex, knocking him down, pleased when the air hissed from his mouth and he struggled to draw in more.

I fastened my jaws on his throat, tempted to end this right now. All it would take is one bite and Danny would never have to worry about him again. This entire ordeal would be behind us.

“Knox, don’t.”

I glanced back, caught off guard, and Rex took advantage of my distraction to throw me off him and shift. I readied myself for a fight, but instead, he fled out of the alley.

I took off after him, nipping at his heels, torn between bringing him down quickly and dragging it out to make him suffer. He lashed out, his clawed foot striking my muzzle. I stumbled, but recovered before tripping. Unfortunately, he used the delay to put more distance between us.

I started to speed up but a whimper from somewhere behind me stopped me in my tracks.

Danny .

I watched Rex retreat, wanting more than anything to end the threat to my mate, but as Danny whimpered again, I realized that right now he needed my presence more than he needed me to play the part of his personal warrior.

Reluctantly, I turned and trotted back to him. My little bear was crumpled on the ground, his head low, hugging his knees to his chest. I sat beside him, shifted back, and pulled him into my arms, smelling the salt of his tears.

“It’s okay,” I murmured, kissing the top of his head. “You’re all right, baby. I’m here for you.”

He fell apart, sobbing on my shoulder. I wrapped one of my arms under his thighs and the other around his back and stood, cradling him against my chest. His eyes widened and he sniffed, his cheeks tear-stained and lips quivering .

“I’m taking you home.” I slid my feet into my boots—one of the few items of clothing that had survived my earlier shift—and carried him toward the alley entrance.

He shook his head. “I have to go to work. I’m scheduled for this afternoon, remember?”

A growl rumbled in my chest. “You aren’t working like this. They’ll make do without you.”

“But—”

“No buts. I’m taking care of you, and that’s all there is to it.” I’d call Garrick and let him know I wouldn’t be back as soon as I had Danny tucked up in bed. He wouldn’t begrudge me the time to comfort his brother, and I was sure Danny’s boss wouldn’t mind either.

To my relief, Danny settled into my embrace without further argument. I carried him all the way to his place, ignoring the curious glances of his friends and neighbors. Shifters might be accustomed to nudity, but it was still strange for a man to walk through town naked apart from his shoes in the middle of winter.

When we reached Danny’s house, I put him down so he could unlock the door. I then relocked it behind us and guided him to the bathroom. I started the shower and hugged Danny while we waited for the water to warm. Once it was hot enough, I reached for the hem of his shirt, but hesitated.

“Can I undress you?” I asked.

“Yes, please.”

He stood passively while I stripped off his clothes, baring his gorgeous body inch by inch. He stepped beneath the spray of water and I kicked off my shoes and followed him in. The fact he didn’t speak at all made me nervous. He was usually quite chatty. Rex must have really upset him.

“You aren’t… hurt, are you?” I asked, my instincts sc reaming for me to check every part of him until I was satisfied there wasn’t a single mark on him.

“My wrist hurt earlier, but it’s okay now.”

I saw red. Gods, I should have torn Rex’s throat out. The bastard would have deserved it.

My hands shaking, I grabbed the bar of soap and ran it over Danny’s shoulders and chest, down his torso and legs, then up his back, cleaning him thoroughly until my wolf was satisfied that our mate was well.

I washed myself quickly, rinsed off, and shut down the water. I reached across for a towel and passed it to Danny, then took another to dry myself.

“Wait here.” I hurried into his bedroom, searched his drawers until I found a pair of cozy flannel pajamas, and took them back to him. “Put these on.”

Danny’s gaze softened. “Thank you.”

He unfolded the pants and pulled them on, then I helped him slide his arms into the shirt and button the front. My heart swelled. Even his puffy red eyes didn’t diminish the sweet sight of him in those pajamas.

“You want to take a nap?” I asked.

He hesitated, dozens of emotions crossing his face, but after a moment, he nodded.

“Good.” I circled my arm around his waist and walked with him to the bedroom, turning my face to breathe in his scent, no longer soured by fear. I pulled back his blankets and waited for him to get in.

He rested his head on the pillow and watched me, his expression slumberous. “Will you hold me?”

“Sure, baby. I’ll just be a minute.”

He pouted, but I left him there and headed to the living area, where I used his phone to call Garrick, then the bakery, and lastly, Aaron, to apprise them of the situation. As expected, Danny’s boss was sympathetic and both Garrick and Aaron were furious.

That done, I crawled into bed with my gorgeous mate and spooned him until he fell asleep. I dozed too, caught between sleep and wakefulness, until the doorbell yanked me firmly back to reality.