Page 21 of Sebastian's Secret

“Actually yes.” Her gaze darted left and right, as if she worried someone else might overhear them, but there was no one else. As far as he was concerned, they were the only two people in the world.

“Tell me.” Leaning closer, he snaked a possessive arm around her middle, noticing how she didn’t complain when he tugged her against him.

“I have a bit of an odd fetish.” Catching her lip between her teeth, she smiled—half-proud and half-guilty.

“Go on…” Sebastian was going to burst with excited intrigue if she didn’t just tell him. “Whatever you have to say, I swear I won’t judge. That’s not who I am.”

“Well, well, well…”

Tensing at the unexpected male voice, Rebecca gasped, her eyes large as she turned. Vexed at the interruption, Sebastian spun to find three younger men looming over her.

“This is a private conversation,” he warned, scanning their expressions. “Why don’t you boys move along?”

“He ain’t talking to you, Grandad,” the one on the left spat. “He was talking to your girl.”

His girl? The insult sent fire racing through Sebastian’s blood. Rebecca was so much more than anyone’s girl.

“Okay.” He chuckled. “Let me put this in language you’ll understand. Just fuck off!”

“Sebastian,” Rebecca whispered, pressing into his side as the moron on the right rounded on her. “Don’t.”

“Seems like she’s the smart one.” The man in the middle snorted as he pointed to Rebecca. “You should listen to her, asshole.”

“No.” Stepping in front of his redhead, he couldn’t hold back the growl that emanated from his throat. Of all four Vaughn sons, Sebastian was the calmest and the easiest to placate, but he still shared the same genetic kink they all did. There was a beast lurking within him—an enormous reptilian creature that would pulverize their pathetic protests. Sebastian knew the beast well, knew what made it tick as well as what angered it. It wouldn’t take much more provocation to rouse it and then what would he do? How could he explain the transformation to Rebecca?

“You’re going to listen.” Sebastian’s voice was louder, his every sense heightened. As well as the creature who prowled inside, his hybrid status meant he could hear more clearly than the average man, see farther and move faster. Those idiots didn’t stand a chance. “Turn around and walk away while you still can.”

“Look at him.” The one on the left laughed out loud. “He thinks he can take us.”

“Then he’s even more stupid than he looks,” the guy in the middle retorted. “Aaron, why don’t you take the girl. We wouldn’t want her getting caught by a flying fist.”

The one on the right grinned, revealing a row of crooked teeth. “Sure thing, Paul.”

Sebastian watched as the one called Aaron lurched for Rebecca. One hard elbow to Aaron’s neck stopped him in his tracks.

“Hey, asshole!” Aaron rounded on Sebastian in a heartbeat, all racing pulse and out of control testosterone. Sebastian pitied the fool; his inability to control his responses would be his downfall. “The bitch is mine.”

“You need to watch your mouth.” Moving faster than lightning, Sebastian lifted Rebecca from her feet and deposited her farther along the path. He just caught sight of her bottom lip falling as he dashed back to deal with the garbage. “Let me make it simpler for you.”

“H-how the fuck did he?” The one who’d first spoke stood, dumbfounded. It might have amused Sebastian had his need to protect Rebecca not been so urgent.

“Never mind.” The leader yelled. “Get him!”

Two fists flew in Sebastian’s direction, but he dodged them with ease. Waiting until the assailants were beside each other, Sebastian’s hands rose to the side of their heads and smacked them together with force. Electricity sparked up his spine at the sickening sound of their skulls colliding before they collapsed to the concrete with a thud.

“Sebastian!”

Spinning at Rebecca’s voice, Sebastian found her in the grasp of the third offender. He had pulled her wrists behind her back and had his other arm hooked around her neck, forcing her against him.

“Fuck,” Sebastian muttered, closing the distance between them. Apparently, the third asshole had scuttled after Rebecca when Sebastian’s back had been turned. It was precisely the sort of behavior he’d expect from an insect.

“Very impressive.” The jerk chortled as if there was something even remotely hilarious about his predicament. “And yet I’m the one with the girl.”

“Use your brain for once,” Sebastian cautioned, only a few feet from where the man held Rebecca.

Her eyes were huge with panic as the cretin threatened to cut off her air supply, although as Sebastian scanned her for additional injuries he sensed her questions.

How had he moved so fast? How had she not realized he was so strong?

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