Page 80 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

“He won’t touch you,” I vow to her, but bitter laughter erupts from her as she covers her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking.

“You can’t stop him. You can’t watch over me all the time, and I’m fucking useless!” Her eyes are flashing with helpless rage as she lowers her hands and looks at me. “I can’t fight for my own life. I don’t have that kind of strength. And human weapons don’t work on them. I’m a sitting duck, just waiting to be slaughtered whenever my family feels like it! All because I’m weak? Because I don’t meet their standards?”

My wolf is getting agitated at the flood of pain being emitted from her.

“I have worked so fucking hard!” Charlotte’s fingers dig into her thighs. “I built myself up from scratch. I have stayed away from them. I’ve done—I haven’t done anything wrong aside from just existing!” Her voice breaks now, tears in her eyes. “Why can’t they just let me be?”

My wolf howls in fury, and I crouch next to Charlotte, taking her in my arms. She doesn’t resist, probably seeking comfort.

“You’re not weak.” Maybe I’m imagining it but I can feel her grief and pain inside me, like a hard ball inside my chest. “And I’m not going to let anybody so much as touch the life you’ve built, Charlotte. I promise you that.”

“You can’t stop—”

“I can do a lot of things.” I meet her gaze, letting her see the wolf in my eyes. “And I can make life for the Nelo Clan incredibly difficult if they even breathe in your general direction.”

Charlotte tries to push away from me. “The last thing I need is to cause problems for you…”

I grab her chin, forcing her to look at me. “By all means, cause problems. I don’t mind. What I do mind are the intimidation tactics being played out. That’s what is happening here. The reason for Beruth’s visit, I can’t say for sure, but every other vampire that has come by over these past few days is trying to intimidate you, and I’ll take a wild guess and say your sister has something to do with it. Don’t let them into your head. And don’t think for a second that you are ever going to be an easy victim for them. Not while I’m around.”

Seeing the glint of relief and desire in Charlotte’s eyes makes me want to taste her. I’ve been trying to act the gentleman for days now, but it’s very hard considering every time I’m around her, I can smell her desire thick in the air. She’s not very good at hiding it, and I’m not fool enough to point it out.

It would be so easy to lean down and kiss her. One taste, that’s all. I’ve been craving her for days, but I want her to approach me. The more I think about it, the stupider that decision seems. My wolf has already laid a claim to this woman, and it doesn’t understand why I’m trying to deny ourselves her touch.

Reluctantly, I release her chin, my thoughts turning grim.

Indeed, Charlotte is physically incapable of fighting off an attack. But there are ways she can protect herself. And if the vampires are trying to intimidate her, then two can play at that game.

“Don’t worry,” I tell her. “This is my problem now. You go out there and do your job and whatever else you want to do. I’ll deal with this.”

“Robert—”

I know what she’s going to say, the same drivel about not wanting to be a bother.

I twirl one of Charlotte’s wild curls around my finger, repeating, “Like I said, this is my problem now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

For a moment, she gives me an unconvincing look, and then she sighs. “Alright.”

She turns off the computer, stands up, and then glances at me. “Want a coffee before you go?”

“Just a coffee?” I ask teasingly, my eyes lowering to her lips.

A smile flickers on them. “I can throw in a fresh muffin.”

“Just a muffin?” I persist. “I could do with something a little sweeter.”

I expect her to ignore my flirtatious comment, but to my surprise, Charlotte’s cheeks turn pink, and she suddenly gets on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to my cheek. I don’t get the chance to react because she’s scurrying out the door almost immediately. I stand there frozen, still feeling the warmth of her lips against my cheek. When I look at the small mirror across the room from me, I can see the goofy grin I’m wearing. I look more like a lovestruck fool than a powerful Alpha.

I quickly shake my head. Charlotte’s got me wrapped around her little finger, and she doesn’t even know it.

I receive the promised coffee and two muffins. Charlotte doesn’t meet my gaze as she hands the bag and cup over to me. Jazz, who’s now at the front of the cafe, serving customers, winks at us. “That must have been some conversation.”

Charlotte looks flustered, and I grin. “It really was. We needed the privacy.”

“Robert!” Charlotte cries out, her face a bright red.

Jazz is laughing as I walk out.

My own smile fades the minute I exit the cafe. This entire situation is rubbing me the wrong way. The first thing I have to do is make sure the Nelo Clan is no longer able to stalk Charlotte with such ease. I make my way across the street to my office and summon Harry.

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