Page 25 of Cruel Mate

“My bag!”

Zander tilted his head. “You she-wolves, always more bothered about designer this and designer that than the fact you almost died.”

Layla lashed out at him quickly, shoving him hard. “It wasn’t designer, and it isn’t the bag I’m worried about. It’s what was inside!”

Layla glanced around the cabin as if she half expected to find her bag lying around somewhere.

“Where is it? Did you pick it up?” she demanded, her legs swinging down from the bed as if she were about to jump up to search for it herself.

“I was a little preoccupied with saving your ass,” Zander pointed out, and before she could get up, he grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards. “Don’t even bother trying to get up, or I’ll tie you to this bed until your leg is healed.”

“If my bag is out there, then so is whatever message Pine Valley had for Jack,” Layla protested, pulling her arm free of his grip.

“If it was that important it not fall into the wrong hands, they wouldn’t have sent it with you alone,” Zander snarled, and when he saw the look on her face, he added, “No offense.”

“Offense taken.” She glowered at him, her arms crossed again. “Those guys clearly thought it was enough to try and kill me over it."

“Some wolves are just bloodthirsty,” Zander said, wondering what else it could possibly be. He had seen enough mindless violence in his time to know that sometimes there wasn’t a reason. “How did they get so close to Nightstar, anyway? If the Pine Valley wolves are such angels, why didn’t you turn back for help?”

“I don’t have to explain myself to you,” she snapped. Zander laughed, and it only seemed to anger her more.

“Actually, you do,” Zander said, and then he pointed at himself square in the chest and said, “Me, beta, you, messenger.”

Layla scowled at him deeply before growling, “I thought you were a werewolf, not a caveman.”

And here they were, returning to old habits, taking chunks out of each other with their tongues.

But for the first time ever, Zander looked at her rosebud lips, wishing he could kiss her just to shut her up.

“And I never realized you were a damn viper, woman,” Zander growled back at her. “Just tell me what the fuck happened, and we can worry about whatever message is lost out there later.”

At first, Zander didn’t think she was going to answer. She dropped her gaze again and he fought the urge to grab hold of her chin and force her eyes back to his.

Just when he was about to order her as beta to obey him, she finally let out a huffing breath and said, “They first confronted me in PV, and at first I thought they were wolves of the pack, but they tried it and I got away. The PV wolves were acting nervous. I tried to ask their alpha, but he didn’t say a word. He told me I could stay the night or hurry home. I chose to hurry home, only those idiots found me again. I got away again, but they chased me all the way into the woods where you found us. The end.”

She shrugged as if it was no big deal, but Zander’s blood was boiling.

The thought that these guys had tried to lay hands on her not once, but three times, made him feel sick to his stomach.

“I should have torn them both to pieces when I had the chance,” he snarled, jumping to his feet with his hands tightened into fists. “When we get home, I’m taking you off messenger duty.”

“Excuse me?” Layla gaped at him. “Like hell you are!”

“I am,” Zander said, turning on her. “And don’t even try to go above me to Jack, because he’ll agree with me as soon as he hears of this.”

“You can’t do that! I’m a grown woman!” Layla snapped at him. She rose as if to stand before him, but the second she put down the foot of her injured leg, she yelped and started to fall sideways.

Zander lunged forward instinctively and grabbed her before she could fall, easing her back down into the bed.

“Get your hands off me! Don’t touch me!” she yelled at him at the top of her lungs, flailing at him.

“Shh!” Zander growled through gritted teeth. There was no telling who might still be out there. Any raised voices might bring their enemy to the doorstep. So far, they had been lucky. At least, she had been. He wasn’t sure being locked alone in a cabin with her was any good for his health.

“We’ll talk about this once you’re healed up and we’re safe,” he told her, forcing her down onto the pillows. She barely fought him this time, though she continued to glare at him, her lips pursed.

“You won’t keep me from doing my job, Zander,” she protested as he let her go. “I’m the fastest messenger Nightstar has, and I’ve been doing it as long as I can remember.”

“We’ll see about that,” he said, and he could see from the look on her face she wasn’t about to give it up and rest.

---