Kate Allenton (10 page)

Edward landed the first punch. Ethan heard
the
bone crack in his cheek. Ethan’s immediate
reaction was to fight, to destroy, and to kill. His
mate was
in the next room sleeping, and he’d be
damned if he let this wolf around her again. Ethan swung, and his fist made contact with Edward’s
nose. Bones broke, and blood squirted. Edward
glared as
he cupped his nose. His fingernails grew
into claws. His teeth elongated, as Ethan started
to shift,
preparing to fight. When two alphas

fought, there were only two outcomes. The weakest would either submit or die.

     
“Don’t even think about it.” Cathy’s voice
was a
whisper from the hallway, but they both heard
it. Edward’s nails receded,
and Ethan’s body returned to normal, his eyes
shifting back to those of a
human.

“You need your rest, baby.” Ethan growled, his body still tense, his muscles bunched tight.

“I’m not your baby, Ethan Jacobs.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Edward has done
nothing wrong. He protected me when you left me. He told me the truth when you either lied or
didn’t talk to me at all.”

     
“He let Black get close to you.”

“Correction, my dear mate. He let Black talk to me in a controlled environment for my own
protection. Don’t go assuming you know what I’ve been through. Don’t go assuming that I want
anything to do with you.”

     
Edward moved to her side and cupped her shoulders. “Do you want me to stay?”

     
“If you want to keep your hands, I suggest you remove them from my mate.” Ethan growled.

     
She shook her head, ignoring Ethan’s outburst. “No, Ethan and I need to have a long-overdue
talk, but thank you for offering.”

     
Edward’s hands dropped to his sides. “You know where to find me.”

    
She nodded, and Edward left Ethan and her alone in the room. This was the first time they’d
been alone since he’d left her back in Henderson, with no guns pointed at either of them, no mental
breakdowns, and no one else but them. Anticipation, anxiety, and hurt consumed her, and he saw it
in her eyes.

    
Unable to resist, he ignored her unwilling
vibes and
moved to her side, pulling her into the
comfort of his arms. Her back was ramrod straight.
She
didn’t sink into him as she’d done in the
hallway. This was going to be harder than he thought.
He
released his hold. “Please let me explain.”

    
“Nothing you say could ever justify how you
treated
me, Ethan.” Cathy walked to the window
and moved the curtains to look out.

    
“I’m so sorry, baby.”

    
“Quit calling me that.”

    
She let the curtains fall into place and turned.
He
hadn’t been expecting the hardened look on
her face. He’d been expecting the sweet Cathy he’d
left
behind, not the one who looked like she was
ready and willing to mete out her own brand of
justice.
No, this was not his sweet Cathy.

    
“I’m not your baby; I’m not your friend; and,
I’ll
damn sure never be your mate. When I love
someone, I don’t treat them the way you’ve treated
me. I
don’t keep secrets that could kill them.
Hell, I don’t even leave without
telling them goodbye. Do you know what that
did to me?” She
pointed to her heart. “I thought you were hurt until Tara finally told me the truth.” Her hand

dropped to her side, and a stray tear slid down her cheek. “How could you do that to me?”

    
Love, had she just used the love word? He didn’t love her, not yet. At least he didn’t think he
did. He cared about her, which was the whole reason he’d left her. He would have moved

mountains to keep her safe, and he would have given up anything for her happiness, but that didn’t
mean he loved her…did it? He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind.

    
In two long strides, he was in front of her. He cupped her cheeks and wiped away the stray tear
that was leaving a wet path. She was hurting again, and it was his fault. “Please forgive me, Cathy. I
never meant to hurt you.”

    
He pressed his lips to hers, trying the only way he knew to show her how much she meant. The
soft pink flesh trembled under his caress. He broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. He
ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “I would have done anything to keep all of this away
from you.”

    
A sob broke her lips as she closed her eyes. The full force of her hurt hit him like a punch in
the gut. Damn, he’d screwed up.

     
“I’ll do anything to make this right. All you have to do is ask.”

     
Cathy opened her eyes and held his gaze. “Anything?”

     
“Anything.” He kissed her once more.

     
“Stay out of my way while I fix your mess.
When this
is done…so are we.”

     
Ethan dropped his hold on her and stepped
back.
“Anything but that. I can’t…”

     
Cathy turned her back on him and wrapped
her arms
around her waist. “You have no choice.”

     
Ethan’s growl vibrated off the walls. “You
will stay
out of this, mate.”

     
She spun around on her heel. “No, you will
stay out
of this if you ever want to make this right
with me.”

     
“Cathy,” Ethan growled, “you don’t know
what
you’re saying. I’m an Alpha. It’s my job to
protect you.”

     
“Great job you’re doing, Romeo.” Cathy walked over to the door and pulled it open. She
gestured for him to leave. “I hope you can do it
from
afar,
Alpha.
I’m not a wolf, and I damn sure
don’t take orders from you.”

     
Ethan walked out in the hall and turned around. “Cathy, please?”

     
Cathy leaned against the door. “Please what?”

     
“Please don’t do this.”
He begged for the first time in his life. He felt out
of control, and that
was a feeling he’d never felt. How was he letting this slip of a woman control him?

     
Cathy straightened her shoulders. “You have to trust me, and I have to be able to trust you, and
right now….I don’t. Edward has been more honest with me than you ever were.”

     
Ethan advanced on her so fast that she hadn’t had a chance to move. The mere mention that
she wanted or trusted another man more than him made him see red. He lifted her in his arms,
pinned her against the open door for anyone in the world to see, and pressed his lips to her. It

wasn’t an easy, gentle kiss. It was a hot, smoldering one that screamed you are mine and don’t you
forget it.

     
She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, and he pressed his bulge into her searing
heat. He nipped at her bottom lip, and she hesitated before letting him in. He deepened the kiss,
tilting her head, giving himself the leverage to make sweet love to her mouth. She was his. Not
Edward’s, not anyone else’s. She was his, and it was about damn time she understood what that
meant.

     
She moaned when his tongue dueled with hers. Tasting her, conquering every hidden crevice
like he’d wanted to do since he met her. He was claiming her mouth just as he intended to claim her.

He squeezed her ass and tightened his grip in her hair. She squirmed in his arms, rubbing her heat
against his groin. He didn’t think it possible, but his cock grew harder. He wanted her, and if he
didn’t break the kiss, he would take her. Her hands slid up around his neck into his hair. She pressed
her breasts tighter against his chest and caressed
his
bottom lip with her tongue before she bit. The
tangy taste of blood mixed in his mouth. His
wolf growled
with excitement, and he tightened his
hold. It was about time that she learned to submit;
and by
the grace of god, he’d have her bent over
the chair and begging for his cock. She pulled back,
and
her head hit the door.

“If you ever…ever… try that shit again, it won’t
be
your lip I bite next. Are we clear, wolf?”

     
Cathy unhooked her legs and slid down his
body. He
held on to her until she steadied. She
might talk a mean game, one she could probably
dish out,
but touching her quivering body gave him
a glimpse into the other side of her wants and desires.
He
had hope after all and next time she

wouldn’t see him coming.

     
She brushed his hands off her body and shoved against his chest, pushing him backward out
into the hall.

     
“You’re mine, no one else’s. Do you understand that…my little minx?”

     
Cathy smirked and flicked her wrist, slamming
the
door in his face. She was a tough cookie. She
was his mate in every way.
Damn, she was going to be fun and would keep him
on his toes. The
fates had been good to him…well, if he didn’t include the man who’d raised him.

Ethan chuckled and placed his palm on the door separating him and Cathy. “Get some rest,
baby. You’re going to need it.”

                                                    
Chapter 6

     
Even through the closed door, Cathy could
hear
Ethan whistling as he walked down the hall.
That damn man. She spun around and paced the
small
apartment. “Of all the nerve.”

     
She lifted the curtain and let it fall before spinning around again and pacing the other way.
“That arrogant prick.”

     
She stopped in the middle of the room and
took a
deep breath. “Calm down, Cathy,” she said,
reprimanding herself. “You’ve got this.”

     
But did she? Did she really? No. He might
be naive
enough to believe her, but she wasn’t
kidding herself.

     
Cathy locked the door
and hopped in a shower to clear her mind. She
needed to come up with
some type of plan. The time remaining to make a decision was coming to an end. She’d be hearing
from Black soon, and she still didn’t have a clue what she was going to do. She needed a plan of
attack, a way to get close enough to take the bastard down.

     
Cathy didn’t waste any valuable time in the shower, making quick work of washing and getting
out. She had a day at the most to come up with a solution, one that included all of her friends

surviving, along with Ethan and Edward and all of their pack. Worst case, she’d commit to Black
like a martyr. She’d find a way out, if it killed her. As bleak as that situation sounded, it was still an
option. Granted, the move would be her last resort. What she needed was information, and there
was only one person besides Ethan who could give her what she needed. Cathy threw on a pair of
olive green cargo pants and a black tank top along with her boots. She shoved the gun in the

waistband and secured the vials and her disposable phone in several of the numerous pockets. The
only thing missing from the commando look was the black streaks across her face, and as fun as that
sounded, she wasn’t here to play dress-up. She needed the extra pockets and the ease of movement
for whatever surprises were in store for her today.

    
Thoughts of Tara and Gracie popped into her mind. Gracie had the twins to think about, and
Tara was pregnant with twins of her own. Both of them knew how to prepare for battle. Both of
them were fighters. What would they do if they were her? The answer came swift and quick. They
would go down fighting to protect what they loved.
They
would gather the intel, plan, and attack.
They wouldn’t wait for trouble to come find
them; they
would grab that bastard by the horns and
shove a knife in its back while hanging on for the
ride.
Yep, that’s what they would do.