Page 62 of A Beta Protects

He shoves me to the ground, spins around and fires as something slams into the tree beside my head, making me scream and duck.

In the distance, something thumps to the ground and a man groans.

Through a gap in the trees, I spy movement and a hint of khaki. One glimpse is all I have time to see because Bryce is turning to me, lifting the gun, and then…

Something rams Bryce into the tree beside me. A loud crack rings out and he crumples to the ground, the gun falling from his limp hands. From the angle of his neck, he will never move again.

Then suddenly, I’m face to face with an enormous wolf with dark brown fur and light brown, almost gold eyes. Behind him, five other wolves step into the clearing that Bryce was getting ready to bury me in.

But this wolf is closest, and it’s doing something strange.

My heart is in my throat as the wolf’s fur slowly recedes and skin—tanned, but human skin—replaces fur.

A man rises to his feet. A familiar man.

Dom.

20

DOM

Kira stares at me, eyes wide, and her breathing ragged.

I sink into a crouch, trying not to scare her any more than I have already. I will never forget the terror of seeing Bryce with his gun pointed at her head out of my mind. Seconds ago, I hadn’t cared about her knowing I was a shifter.

Now it will cost me my mate.

“I know this is a lot to take in. But I’m still me. I just?—”

She throws herself at me and wraps her arms around me, her face against my throat. “I don’t care. I just care that you’re here.”

Behind me, someone clears their throat.

Still crouched, I wrap my arm around Kira and turn her slightly. My gaze connects with Galen, who, along with my packmates, has shifted back to their human form.

Galen’s expression is smug as he mouths, “Told you to tell her.”

I lower my head, winding both arms around Kira and draw her into a deeper hug, breathing the scent of her into my lungs as I lift her. “Come on. Let’s get you away from this place.”

And away from Bryce’s body.

I’d wanted to lunge and rip his throat out, but I was worried I would hurt Kira. Then, as I’d crept closer, Bryce had pointed his gun right at Kira and I’d known he was going to shoot her.

I’ve never run so fast, driving him into the nearby tree as I swiped him with my claws. He deserved a longer, more painful death than a broken neck, but he’s dead now. He won’t hurt Kira again.

As I rise with Kira cradled in my arms, Chloe is human, but still naked as she approaches Shawn. He’s not unconscious as I thought he was when I’d raced by his prone figure on my way to rescuing Kira.

He gets to his feet. His face is white as he clamps his hand on his still-bleeding left shoulder.

Chloe reaches out to help him. “Are you okay, Shawn?”

Shawn turns around and walks away from her without a word.

I look at Galen. He’s frowning as he watches Shawn disappear through a gap in the trees. Seconds later, we hear the hum of his engine as he drives away.

That’s a problem.

Potentially a big one.

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