Page 11 of Fractured Mates
“Stay the fuck out of my way or die,” I threaten, pointing the knife at him. “I don’t much care.”
He sighs at me like I’m nothing more than an annoyance to him, which has me seeing red in a split second.
With a snarl, I attack him once more. This time, he can’t get out of my way. I sheathe the blade and shove him against a tree, using my claws to cut through his shirt and lightly into his skin.
Blood trickles down his chest, and I reach for his throat, but before I can choke him like I intend, he somehow swaps our positions and has my arms pinned to my sides.
“If you’d fucking listen—” he starts, but again, I don’t let him finish.
“If you’d just fucking die.” I get one arm free from his hold and punch his chiseled face, enjoying it when I hear something crack. Could be a bone or a tooth. I don’t care. I just know I want to hear the sound again and again until he’s no longer standing.
Being on my own for most of my life might have made me a little bloodthirsty, but I have no shame in my darker side. It’s what has made me a survivor instead of a victim since the moment Thane Crowe showed up at my pack and decided I was a piece of property to be claimed instead of a mate to be cherished.
Except, before I can hit this sexy stranger again, he’s pressing my back against the bark of the tree behind me, his body flush against mine. Frustration fills me…for more than one reason.
“I said, stop.” His voice is low and grumbly, the deep tenor being absorbed by my entire body.
When I try to get out of his hold again, his grip on my forearms increases and the hard lines of his front side seem to meld with mine.
“No. You won’t kill me,” I practically spit in his face.
A ding sounds from my phone that’s still tucked into my back pocket. When he loosens his position, I think he’s going to stupidly let me go so I can check it, but instead, he puts his palm over my chest, forcing me to stay pinned to the tree. His hand plucks my phone from my jeans, and he shoves the screen in my face.
“I’m not here to kill you, Sophie,” he seethes as I read the screen.
Dawsyn: I know what you’re doing. If you won’t heed my warnings, at least accept the help I’ve sent. A protector named Kyler Murphy should find you soon. Listen to him and play nice. There’s more at play than can be discussed yet.
Son of a bitch.
“Are you done now?” he asks with a light smirk on his face that I want to smack away.
I give him a solid shove and shake my head before stepping forward and stealing my phone back. “Not even close. Don’t follow me.”
Friend or foe, hot or not, I don’t need this man’s help. This is my family, and I’m handling this my way.
I shift and take off for my old home. This guy can kiss my ass.
Chapter Five
Kyler
Iwatch as she shifts into her honey-colored wolf and darts away from me. I could have easily caught her before she got too far but decide it’s better to let her go. Likely not the choice Maciah would want me to make, but I’ve learned over the years of doing this job that plans sometimes change.
Ten seconds pass before I call my own wolf forward. He’s quick to transform and seems almost eager to run. I don’t know if it’s the distraction of the job or something else, but I don’t bother to ask, knowing I won’t get a reply.
He gives chase, and we easily pick up her scent. She’s moving strategically, staying quiet as she goes, but there’s no denying her sweet smell. It’s stark amongst the woodsy smell of the forest and has me yearning for something I haven’t in much too long.
It’s not as if I’ve been celibate since my mate died, but I’ve never craved another woman in my bed. Merely taken the opportunity when it fit my mood, knowing that denying my wolf even a surface-level connection could be the very thing that makes us snap.
I sense his agreement, surprised when there’s no layer of annoyance mixed in with his emotions. Even more, I find myself intrigued by how focused he seems to be on the task at hand. Considering he didn’t seem to want to leave Cara’s grave, he sure is hellbent on chasing this wolf.
We spot Sophie again, and all other thoughts leave my mind. She’s shifted back to her human form, but I stay as my wolf. If she’s about to be attacked, I’d rather be prepared to rip heads off.
She stops at the tree line, staring at a house tucked in the forest. It’s a moderate-sized home with green-painted wood siding, a few windows, and a couple of wildflower patches. There aren’t any lights on, and I don’t hear anything, but I smell others. The place hasn’t been empty for long, if it even is.
Something feels off. I don’t like it. I’d been fine letting her go ahead, but the longer I watch, the more I’m thinking that’s a mistake.
I start to creep ahead, but before I can catch up to Sophie, she’s running toward the house and hunkering down beneath a window. Well, at least she’s being cautious.