Never Cry Wolf (Night Watch #4)(55)
Author: Cynthia Eden

Mine.

—yeah, it was possessive, barbaric, but . . .

In the wolf world, it was also the equivalent of a marriage ceremony.

“You want justice . . .” His dark voice sent a shiver down her spine. “Dane, Piers, Jordan, and any other wolf lurking in the shadows . . . you want your justice, then you come at me for your pound of flesh.”

For an instant, just one tense moment, his gaze locked on her. She saw the wolf looking back at her from the man’s eyes. “You come at me,” he said again. “Because from now on, I’m standing between her and everyone else.”

That was . . . Sarah swallowed. Sweet. Okay, not really sweet, a little brutal and stark but—

“So come on.” He pushed her behind him, shielding Sarah with his body. “Let’s see which of you gets to bleed first tonight.”

Right. Sarah peered around his side. Now he was just talking big. Because the wolves wouldn’t actually attack their alpha. They wouldn’t—

Piers came at him first. His claws were out, his canines lengthening, and he lunged right for Lucas.

Sarah didn’t even have time to scream. Because about two seconds later, Piers was on the ground.

“Next.”

She stood on her toes now and glanced over his shoulder. Dane just smiled. “Alpha, I don’t have a problem with your mate.”

Wait. Mate. Crap, that’s exactly what Lucas had done, though, he’d claimed her in front of his pack.

“She was willing to trade her life for mine.” Dane sauntered around Lucas. Came to stand beside Sarah. “I stand where I always stand. With you and now, with her.”

That lump in her throat was getting pretty big. So one guy had still wanted her hide. One stood by her side, and her lover—

He was ready to take ’em all down for her.

It looked like her taste in men was definitely improving.

“Jordan?” Lucas still had his claws out.

Piers had risen from the ground. He could charge again, but Lucas didn’t seem too worried about that.

What would Jordan do? She’d almost killed him. He would be the one with the most cause for an attack.

“Jordan, I never meant—” She began.

Dane grabbed her arm. “Not right now. Really, not right now.”

Lucas’s head whipped toward her.

Then she saw Piers and Jordan both spring forward. Both were attacking.

Jordan was coming after his own brother. She’d done this, she’d messed things up, and he was—

Lucas’s leg kicked, slamming into Piers’s stomach, and just that fast, Piers crashed back to the ground. The alpha’s hand flew out, and he caught Jordan right around the throat.

Jordan stared back at him. An almost mirror-image. But . . . less fury on the younger man’s face.

“She almost killed me,” Jordan said.

Sarah flinched.

Lucas dropped his hand. “Challenge me, but you’re not getting to her.”

Jordan’s gaze turned to her. Gold, deep. “I remember what you said.”

She shook her head. She couldn’t speak, because right then, she didn’t know what to say.

“I was lying in a pool of blood, my bones bursting through my skin, and those coyotes were coming to rip me apart.”

Lucas’s shoulders stiffened.

But Jordan smiled. “That wasn’t the first time Death tried to come for me, but I was sure wondering how the hell I’d get away from him then.”

“You nearly didn’t.” The words slipped out. But she knew just how close he’d come. She could still see those coyotes closing in for the kill.

“I’m the one you want,” he said. Voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him.

Lucas stepped forward, his hand rising once again.

“That’s what you said.” Jordan’s lips curved in a crooked grin. “Even as I was bleeding out, I heard you. ‘Up here. I’m the one you want.’ And those bastards turned away from me, and they went after you.”

Now all eyes were on her. She shoved her hair back. “They were after me.” He was trying to make it sound like she’d saved him. She’d been the one to make him do the header through the window.

“One human, at least three coyotes.” Jordan whistled. “Them aren’t very good odds, lady.”

“No,” Lucas growled. “They’re not.”

She forced one shoulder to lift and hoped the shrug looked careless. “I like to gamble.”

She hated gambling.

“And I was FBI. It’s not like I was some kind of defenseless human.” She’d had training. Hand-to-hand, weapons—

“When you’re a human fighting a shifter, you are defenseless.” This came from Dane.

But obviously, the guy didn’t realize just how devious humans could be. He’d have to watch that weakness.

“You challenged the coyotes and you saved my ass,” Jordan drawled. “Not quite even, not yet, but I have a feeling we will be. One day.” That grin stretched a bit. “Especially since it looks like you’ll be staying with us. Permanently.”

Um, now about that—

“Piers.” Lucas’s voice snapped out. “You gonna keep dicking around or are you gonna attack like you mean it?”

Piers was up again. His green eyes gleamed. “What’s the point? We both know you can kick my ass even when you’re loaded with silver.” His teeth snapped together. Such sharp teeth. “I just wanted to get in a few swings.” Then his gaze turned to Sarah and his head inclined. “If she stays out of my head, and I mean out, then we have no problem.”

“If you shift around me, I’m in.” Sarah spoke quickly, because she didn’t want any more lies or half-truths with the pack. Not when they were offering her . . . everything.

Home. Safety. Pack.

Pack was forever.

“I get a loud broadcast unless you’re shielding, and Caleb’s the only wolf who’s ever shielded with me.” Probably not the best guy to bring up right then.

Piers’s eyes narrowed.

“If you shift, I’ll be in your head.” She glanced around at the men. “This goes for all of you. It will be just like—”

“You’re one of us,” Lucas finished. “It will be just damn like you’re a wolf. So think of her that way because she is one of us now.” His gaze didn’t leave her. “But you don’t control us. You don’t push your compulsions on my men or me.”