Page 34 of Alistair

“Are you handy with a hammer?” Glen asked.

“That’s a trap, don’t answer that,” Uncle Ray said.

“Hey, he’s dating Maggie, he can help her dad out.”

Alistair laughed. “I’d be happy to help.” And he meant it. He didn’t have a relationship with his own father, who’d only gotten together with his mom so they could have a child and keep their memory growing. Alistair had met him when he was young, but the male hadn’t wanted anything to do with him. His grandfather had been a father to him, teaching him what his father should have, and for that Alistair would always be grateful to him.

He loved that Maggie was close to her family. Alistair was close to his sister and her kids, and was happy that two of his three nephews were mated and starting families. If only Indio would find his soulmate, then their memory would be complete.

“How about next weekend? If you and Maggie aren’t busy,” Glen said.

Alistair was about to answer when he had the strangest feeling that something was wrong.

“I’ll be right back.” He stood and didn’t answer when Glen asked if everything was all right.

Alistair hurried toward the hall, where he could feel Maggie. The odd feeling that something was wrong had morphed into full-blown fear, and his elephant urged him to get to her.

Pushing open the door, he scanned the foyer and hall, and saw Maggie and Seth. Alistair saw red as Seth reached for Maggie. Using his quick shifter reflexes, he closed the distance swiftly, just as Seth grabbed Maggie’s arm and pulled her roughly to him, causing her to stumble.

In a heartbeat, Alistair extracted the male’s rough grip on Maggie and shoved him away, putting himself between the two and protectively holding his soulmate against his back.

“You don’t touch her,” Alistair said, his elephant demanding to shift and stomp him a few times for good measure.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Seth sputtered as he straightened.

“I’m Maggie’s boyfriend. You touch her again, and it’s the very last time you have a hand. Are we clear?”

Seth stared at Alistair and it looked like he was going to argue, but a crowd had gathered and instead of answering Alistair, he smoothed his hands down the front of his jacket and looked at Maggie.

“I see you traded down,” he said with a haughty tone. “I always knew you weren’t good enough for me, and you just proved it by the company that you keep.”

“Fuck you,” she said with a low, menacing voice. “You should leave. This ismysister’s wedding and you shouldn’t even be here.”

“I’m here because Brian and I work together, not because of you, you self-righteous bitch.” He stalked away, and Alistair barely stifled the growl in his chest.

He was positively seething and wanted to follow the male and beat him within an inch of his life.

Instead, he turned to face his mate. “Are you okay, Maggie?”

She stared up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Thank you for standing up for me, for coming to rescue me. How did you even know anything was wrong?”

Because we’re soulmates.

He rubbed her upper arms gently, hoping to erase the feeling of that male’s hands on her. “I just had a feeling something was wrong. I’m sorry he put his hands on you. Do you want me to talk to your dad, see if he’s willing to ask him to leave?”

“You’d do that for me?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s tempting,” she said, “but I think it’s best to just let it go. I’d hate to make a scene and it’s better if he believes that I’m not affected by this whole thing. Because I’m not, actually.”

“No?”

The crowd had dispersed, and it was now just the two of them. He put his arms around her and drew her close, breathing in her sweet scent.

“I was dreading seeing him. For the last week, it’s been at the back of my mind, wondering how it would feel to see him again. Wondering if my heart had healed or if I’d feel all that awful desperation and shame again.” She shook her head. “I felt like a broken shell of a human being after we split. And it messed with my ability to trust. Hell, I wondered if I’d even be able to love someone again.”

He could see the anguish in her eyes, the genuine worry she’d had that she was too broken to love someone again.