Kane POV :
I was halfway back when the wind carried a scent that made my blood boil—rogues. Too close to the pack. Too close to her. Fuck. I turned, sprinting to where I’d left my mate. Ash was already cursing for leaving her, wanting us to claim her, mark her so she’d bear our scent. But no, I had to be a gentleman. Stupid.
I arrived just in ti, finding her squaring off against two rogues. She held her ground, and damn if I wasn’t impressed with her—sexy as hell in the heat of combat. If not for the fury surging through at the threat to my mate, I’d be hard as a rock right now.
Without hesitation, I turned to the filthy wolves who dared to co after what was mine. They would pay in blood. Ash unleashed his alpha aura, strong enough to make everyone freeze and look my way. Good. They knew who was in charge. I saw a flicker of relief in Elena’s eyes as the rogues whimpered under the pressure, despite not being their alpha.
Before they could react, I was on them, snapping their necks with swift, precise moves. I could’ve made it more grueso, but my mate was here. No need to scare her off.
Turning to her, I saw her eyes wide, unbelieving. Good. I’d made an impression.
Until she muttered "...’What the fuck did you do?’"
Her words hit like a punch to the gut. I blinked, staring at her as the adrenaline from the fight began to fade. For a mont, I thought I misheard her. But no—those were her exact words. Not gratitude, not relief that I’d saved her, but... anger. Pure, unfiltered anger.
I looked down at the lifeless bodies of the rogues, their necks snapped cleanly, blood pooling beneath them. It was quick, efficient—no unnecessary ss. I’d held back for her sake. I could have torn them apart limb by limb, but I hadn’t. For her.
I raised my gaze back to her, utterly baffled. "I saved you," I said, trying to keep the growing frustration out of my voice. How could she be mad at for this?
"No you didn’t you fucking idiot!" she yelled.
I stared at her, dumbfounded. My mate—the woman I just saved from two rogues—was yelling at like I was the one who did sothing wrong. Ash bristled inside , already furious that we hadn’t claid her yet, and now she was calling an idiot? I had just snapped two rogue necks without breaking a sweat, and she was acting like I’d ruined her day.
Elena’s eyes blazed with fury, and damn if it wasn’t the most infuriatingly sexy thing I’d ever seen. She crossed her arms, not backing down, her breath coming out in sharp bursts. "I didn’t need saving, Kane! I had it under control!"
Ash growled low inside , my wolf as confused as I was. Under control? She was outnumbered, cornered. He was urging to show her who’s in charge, to remind her that defying us wouldn’t end well for her.
I took a step forward, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she took a step toward , as if daring to challenge her.
"Excuse ?" I asked, trying to keep the dangerous edge out of my voice, but my patience was wearing thin.
Elena’s eyes were still wide, flashing with anger. "I had it under control! You think you can just waltz in, kill two wolves, and expect to thank you? You think I needed saving?" Her voice rose with every word, defiance dripping from every syllable.
I took a step forward, my alpha aura still humming in the air. "They were about to tear you apart, little mate."
She didn’t back down. In fact, she took a step toward , her chin lifted in challenge. "I don’t need a knight in shining armor. And I definitely don’t need you swooping in like so self-righteous alpha, thinking I can’t take care of myself!"
My fists clenched at my sides. "They were rogues, Elena. They would have killed you." I wasn’t used to explaining myself, especially not to soone who should have been thanking .
She scoffed, rolling her eyes like I was being dramatic. "I could’ve handled it. I’ve been training my whole life for monts like that. I don’t need so arrogant alpha barging in to kill rogues and then act like a hero."
My jaw tightened. Arrogant alpha? The anger that had been simring beneath the surface began to boil over. I took another step toward her, closing the distance between us. "I am your alpha," I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "And your mate."
Elena’s eyes flashed with defiance, and I could practically feel her resisting the pull of the bond between us. She was standing her ground, her lips curled in frustration. "Just because we’re mates doesn’t an you get to control everything. I’m not so weak little girl you need to protect, Kane."
The heat between us was palpable, like two opposing forces colliding. I could feel my dominance rising, the need to make her submit gnawing at my restraint. Ash was practically howling for to claim her right then and there, to prove to her who was in charge.
Ash growled low inside my chest. She didn’t understand yet—how dangerous it was for her to speak to like this. But there was sothing else beneath my irritation, sothing primal that stirred every ti she challenged .
"You were about to get hurt," I said through clenched teeth, the words coming out more like a growl. "And as your mate, it’s my job to protect you."
Elena crossed her arms over her chest, not the least bit intimidated. "I don’t need you to protect , Kane. I don’t want your protection." She was staring at with those big, defiant eyes, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to pin her against a tree and make her submit. But not like this. No, not yet.
I could see it in her eyes, too. The conflict, the fire—she hated , but she couldn’t deny the bond between us. I could feel her resistance, but also her arousal, even if she was trying to hide it behind her anger.
But I held back. Barely.
"You don’t get it, do you?" I said, my voice tight. "You’re my mate. My responsibility. And no one—no one—threatens what’s mine."
Elena’s eyes widened for a split second, but she quickly masked it with more fury. "I’m not yours to claim, Kane. I’ll fight you every step of the way if you think you can just own like so prize."
Her words were like fuel to the fire inside , the primal part of screaming to teach her a lesson she’d never forget. But I knew better than to let it take over. Not here, not now.
I stepped back, just enough to give us both so space, though my body was still thrumming with the need to dominate her.
Before I could respond, she turned her back on and started walking away, muttering under her breath, "Next ti, just stay out of it."
I watched her retreating form, every muscle in my body tensing with the need to grab her, to shake so sense into her. How could she be so infuriating? How could she not see that I was trying to keep her safe?
As she started to walk away, I couldn’t let her go—not after what had just happened. The attack still lingered in my mind, a dark cloud I refused to ignore. I followed closely, catching up to her just as she spun around, ready to unleash a torrent of curses at .
But I wasn’t in the mood for her theatrics this ti. Without a second thought, I bent down, hoisting her effortlessly over my shoulder. Call a Neanderthal, a caveman if you want, but I wasn’t going to let her walk off alone after what she’d just faced.
Her body shifted against mine, her ass pressed up in the air, and she unleashed a string of profanity that would make any sailor proud. I couldn’t help but smirk at her fiery spirit, even as I maintained my grip on her.
"Stop squirming," I said, half-amused, half-exasperated. But the truth was, I liked the fight in her. It was part of what drew to her deeper.
She continued her verbal assault, each curse more creative than the last, but I wasn’t having any of it. Without warning, I delivered a swift spank to her backside. The sound echoed in the air, and she gasped, the surprise montarily cutting off her tirade.
"Maybe that will teach you to listen next ti," I said, my voice low and teasing, even as I felt a rush of adrenaline at the playful dominance of the mont.
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