Havoc's Mate (Badlands Territory #2) - Lila Rose Page 0,23

else could.

“Don’t fucking move,” he warned.

“Leave, and we’ll spare your life,” I snarled.

He snorted. His hand tightened, causing Cora to gurgle out a breath. “You listen to me, not the other way around.”

I drew in the scent around me. Terror. Worry. Both rolled from my mate and her mother. My eyes changed from man to wolf when I understood who the man was in front of me.

Dinner.

My teeth lengthened, and I watched with satisfaction when the man paled.

“Sean, just leave,” Evelyn tried. “Please.”

“I’ll leave,” Sean said. “But I’m taking Cora with me.”

We all glanced toward the sound of footsteps in the kitchen. Sean stood, dragging Cora up with him when he realized he was surrounded by predators. Cora struggled, clutched at his hands, and when I saw tears welling, I wanted to rip this motherfucker to pieces.

“Bad move, beaver,” Alton said with a laugh. “You have your hands on my alpha’s mate.”

“Beaver?” Evelyn asked. “As in a shifter?”

“Yes,” I hissed.

Sean’s eyes widened, and he gulped. The sound of his fast-beating heart and the panic clinging to him satisfied my wolf. The beaver shook his head. “No, she can’t be. She’s mine. Mine!” He shook Cora, and my wolf beat at me inside, wanting out. Then I heard him mutter, “She looks just like her.”

Ignoring his words, I demanded darkly, “Take your fucking hands off her.” Another growl rolled out of me.

“No. Leave. Leave or I’ll… I’ll kill her.” He shook Cora by the neck.

King whistled, shaking his head. “Now you’ve gone and done it.”

I leaned forward, arms spread, my face morphed, shifted. Bones popped and reshaped, all within seconds.

“Stop! Stop or I’ll snap her neck,” Sean screamed.

But he wouldn’t. If he truly thought she was his mate, he wouldn’t end her life.

Unless… unless he’d had a mate and had lost her. One who looked like Cora. It explained his comment and obsession with her. Shifters either went crazy after losing a mate or died. No matter the reason, I needed to do something.

Protect.

In wolf form, I lunged. My jaw clamped around his arm, and I bit clean through. His shriek hurt my ears, but I relished in the pain I inflicted. Alton had Cora out of the way, so I bit down again, this time on his shoulder, and dragged him from the house through the open, broken front door.

He would pay in pain for touching my mate, for scaring her and her mother. He would die knowing the woman he thought was his mate would go on with me.

I would be hers.

I would claim her, mark her, and make her mine.

Mine!

There was no stopping my wolf. We wanted to bathe in Sean’s blood for what he did, since there was no doubt he’d tormented my mate previously.

Our prey begged, pleaded, but I huffed out a laugh as I dove for him again when he tried to crawl away. I bit, tore, and ripped the motherfucker apart… until scraps were left behind.

With a final look, I turned, shifted to my human form, and made my way back into the house, past King, who stood on the front porch witnessing my vengeance. I nodded as I stalked by and went into the living room where Cora sat on the couch with her mom and Kathy.

She stood with her hands pressed against her chest. “Are you okay?” She ran her gaze over me and flushed. “You’re naked… but you look okay…. I mean, you look more than okay besides the blood, of course.” The blush spread down her neck. Any other time, I would have taken delight in appreciating the flush of pink, but I vibrated with the need to touch her.

“Come here,” I ordered. I needed her in my arms.

She nodded, and before she made her way over, she grabbed a blanket off the back of a chair.

“Isn’t our daughter lucky, Mike?” Evelyn commented. She huffed. “I’m not talking about his penis, Mike. Jesus.”

Cora closed her eyes for a moment at her mom’s words. I just found them funny. But I wasn’t in the mood to laugh, to smile. No, I just wanted my mate in my arms, knowing she was safe. As soon as she stopped in front of me, I pulled her close and wound my arms around her, burying my nose in her neck and taking in a deep breath. A low growl sounded from within. I could still scent him on her.

“I’m okay. I’m fine. You killed him. He’s gone,” Cora whispered, and next, I felt a