I can’t figure out what’s going on, but something makes me push forward. I’ve come this far, I need to see Jared. They said he was here.
I hear the sound of thuds and my stomach knots up even tighter. What’s going on in that cage? I push my way through the crowd.
“Where in the fuck do you think you’re going, red?” A giant, chip-toothed man hauls me up off my feet.
I shriek and smack his arm at the same time I hear a roar. From my higher vantage point, I can now see into the cage.
Jared’s in it, shirt off, sweat glistening over his muscled, inked chest. He’s fighting someone, his bare knuckles smashing into the guy’s face with a bone-crunching sound.
I gasp, sickness lurching in my belly.
At the same moment, Jared turns and zeroes his gaze on me, as if he’s sensed my presence. His opponent takes that opportunity to throw a punch at his face, breaking his nose. Blood splatters onto the concrete floor.
The guy holding me starts to carry me away from the fight, and I struggle to get free.
Jared roars-a full-on, werewolf sound-and chaos erupts all around me.
Jared
Blood streams in my eyes as I blunder toward the cage door. A hand lands on me and I snap around, driving my fist into my opponent’s face. He drops. The crowd hollers louder, faces pressing against the chain links. Beyond them, a flash of red hair-Angelina. She’s in a shifter’s arms, her small hands pushing at the tattooed brute. He laughs and lifts her easily, ignoring her angry cry.
A roar surges from my body.
My opponent staggers up and weaves toward me and I kick him so hard in the gut, his body flies to hit the opposite wall of the cage. I hit my side of the cage, razor claws shooting from my fingers. I don’t think. I grab the links and pull, parting the metal. A few more tugs and I’m free. “Angelina!”
Shocked faces rise around me and fall away as I tear across the space, hard on the shifter’s heels. They’re halfway to the door before I catch up.
I slam into the thug, tearing at his flesh. He drops Angelina and I dart in front of her, roaring in challenge.
“What the fuck?” the wolf shouts, blood dripping from his torn shirt. A wolf I know-club name Bruiser. From Garrett’s dad’s pack. “Fuck, man, I was getting her out of there for you! She’s not safe here.”
I don’t give a fuck. He laid his hands on my girl. He’s gonna bleed.
“Mine,” my wolf roars.
“Jared, wait, stop.” Trey pushes through the crowd.
“Jared?” A soft cry from the floor. Angelina’s eyes flash wide, horror reflecting off the blue. Oh fuck-she’s looking at me like I’m a monster.
Sirens fill the air.
“Cops are here! It’s a raid!” someone screams, and shifters stampede for the exits.
“Fuck,” Trey explodes.
“Angelina-I’m sorry-” I grab her. Gotta get her out. Gotta get her safe. I propel her to the door. We burst outside-the fresh air pelting me. I blink stupidly, disgusting beast, covered in blood.
“Oh my God, you’re hurt,” Angelina’s hands flutter over my flesh. Her nails are so shapely and perfect, her blue eyes wide with fear. She’s so beautiful, and I’m such a beast.
I grab my shirt and wipe my eyes, not that it does much good. Angelina’s pale face looks so fragile. She’s streaked with blood. My blood. The blood of a beast.
“Government agent. Everybody freeze!” a guy yells behind us.
My blood turns cold.
How in the fuck did a government agent get inside the warehouse? No human should’ve gotten in.
“Jared?” Angelina chokes out. She’s looking at me like I’m a criminal. Can this get any fucking worse?
How much did she see? Did she see the fight? How I lost control? I don’t want her to witness this. Not any of it.
“Get out of here, baby. It will be okay.” I start to touch her and stop. I’ll just cover her with more gore. My stink spreads all over her. She shouldn’t be here. What the fuck is she doing here?
Why the fuck did I ever think she could be with a guy like me?
Mine, my wolf howls. He ripped through a steel cage to get at her. Proof that he’s laid claim to her. Proof that I’m too much of a monster to ever deserve her.
The government agent has his eyes on me, pushing through the crowd, but I’m not waiting around. I duck outside, after Angelina. I have to make sure she’s safe.
Lights flash all around. The sirens blare, cops shouting on megaphones.
“Everyone cooperate,” Trey shouts. “This is a misunderstanding.” He has enough Alpha dominance in his voice that the spectators obey. Thank God. This could turn into a massacre.
I look around at my worst nightmare. Armed officers charging at shifters, guns out. Some tattooed thugs fall to their knees, hands on their heads. The cops swiftly surround and question them. A few lucky shifters make it to their motorcycles and roar away.
“Angelina,” a woman screams. She comes flying over.
“Oh my God,” a guy in a golf shirt follows, revulsion scrawled across his face. “What is going on? Angelina, get away from him!”
“Get out of here, angel,” I say. “Just go.”
“No,” her bottom lip puffs out. “You’re hurt. Again. I’m going to make sure you’re okay.”
“The cops are here. Angelina, don’t be a fool-” the man lays his hands on her and I grab the front of his collared shirt.
“Don’t fucking touch her.” My wolf is off his leash. My eyes must be glowing like Kryptonite right now.
Golf shirt guy’s face goes white.
“Jared, stop,” Angelina stops. “Let him go. Dad-it’s okay-just-”
“Dad?” I reel, taking in the older couple. Sure enough, the woman is petite and lovely like her daughter, and there are glints of red in Golf Shirt Guy’s hair.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. My girl brought her parents to meet me-right in the middle of a police raid on my cage fight.