twisting her hands and biting her lip. Her blatant anxiety has my hackles rising and the beast snarling. I see red as I cross the distance between us.
When I come into view, a relieved smile parts her lips, and she steps toward me. I cross the remaining distance between us in three quick strides and wrap an arm protectively around her, my gaze never leaving the other werewolf.
Anxiety eclipses Brianna’s natural caramel-and-sunshine scent, which makes my hands curl around the water bottles. The wolf is still watching her. With his sunglasses on, I can’t assess his eyes, but everything about his stance and avid interest in my mate tells me that he finds her as appealing as I do.
My grip on the water bottles increases, and Brianna pries them from my hands. “Brianna. Time to go,” I tell her in clipped tones.
The wolf smirks. We both stare at one another, so I let a swell of alpha magic flow from me. I’m careful to control it, so it doesn’t touch any of the humans in the surrounding area. When it hits him, he stiffens, and the amused smile on his face disappears.
Before I can turn, his own magic barrels into me. Brianna gasps when it hits her. She folds inward, and my jaw grinds when I feel his strength. I don’t bow to it, but it does tell me one thing.
He’s not a lesser wolf.
The beast’s magic rises at the blatant challenge, so I concentrate on Brianna. I can’t lose control of the beast here, not with so many witnesses.
And to make matters worse, since the other wolf doesn’t retreat when I assert my dominance, and since his own magic rivals mine, I know he’s one of two things: an alpha or another rogue.
And since he’s not an alpha I recognize, I know that means I’ve just encountered option two.
Fuck.
He’s not the first rogue I’ve run into during the past two years, but he is the first I’ve encountered with Brianna at my side. And right now, I know the only thing that’s stopped us from shifting and fighting is this very public location.
I grind my teeth. He’s probably on the hunt if he’s at a tourist venue. Tourists are easy to pluck off. They’re in strange cities, nobody knows them, and if they go missing, it’s usually days or weeks before family and friends know.
But the fact that I’m a rogue and I’m here with a human will inevitably peek his curiosity. Since when do rogues travel with a woman?
I wheel Brianna around and haul her toward the elevator. Only one thought fills my mind—I need to keep her safe.
The other rogue’s magic pulses toward me. I can feel him begin to follow us.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Collin?” Brianna says worriedly as we step into the elevator.
But our retreat doesn’t stop his interest. Before the doors can close, he slaps his hand between them, and they begin to open again.
Brianna gasps, and my claws are out before the rogue can act further. I slash his hand, breaking the skin wide open before I punch him in the chest. He flies backward, obviously not anticipating my aggressive attack, and the surrounding humans yelp at the display.
But I don’t let the witnesses stop our retreat. The doors begin to slide close again as the rogue comes to his feet. That cocky smile is back on his face just as the doors seal, and that smile tells me one thing.
He’s coming for us.
Chapter 27 – Collin
“Collin what the hell was that?”
It’s the third time she’s asked me the question, but I still haven’t responded. Only one thought fills my mind—I need to get her out of here. Now.
I’m dragging her down the street, my long strides eating up the pavement. My skin is rippling, heat barreling through me. I’m seconds away from losing control, and my mate’s still not safe.
“Collin?” she says again when we round the city block and the stolen car comes into view.
“Not now,” I finally manage and wrench the door open before stuffing her inside.
She sputters again, but I’m already at my door, slipping into my seat, and hotwiring the vehicle before she can question me further.
The tires squeal when I pull out from the parking spot. I glance in my mirrors and catch sight of the rogue on the corner of the block. He smirks as he watches us retreat. Just as I suspected, he followed us.
“Fuck!” I bellow, which makes Brianna jump. It takes another moment of erratic