Page 31 of Crescent Warrior

“Lyta?” Xander called. “Was that you? Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine,” she gasped, probably too softly, but she was busy, her hips rocking to the movement of his fingers.

When he thrust a finger inside her, she threw her head back. He was grinning up at her as the door banged open and Xander strode inside.

He gaped at them, everyone freezing for only a second before Cole flipped them, covering her under him. “Get the fuck out,” he growled. “Or I’ll rip your fucking eyes out of their sockets.”

Xander slapped a hand over his eyes, spinning around and plowing face-first into the doorway. Hippolyta watched this entire thing play out, shock and embarrassment washing over her before she started howling with hysterical laughter.

“Lyta, I’m so sorry!” Xander called.

“Why are you still here?” Cole’s voice was feral.

He tried to stand but Hippolyta stopped him, clinging to him, thinking only of protecting her friend.

“I can’t see where the hell I’m going!” Xander called, reaching out with his hand to feel for the doorway.

“You can uncover your eyes, Xan,” she laughed.

“No, you cannot!” Cole snapped, turning angry eyes her way.

Her eyebrow quirked as Xander stilled, his head turning toward her, his expression suddenly serious.

Oh no. This is bad.

“Lyta?” he whispered, lifting his head to scent the air. “Are you… in heat?”

“Yes. Xan, baby, please go.”

She struggled to pin Cole to the bed, his claws already curling, fur sprouting across his face as Xander walked closer. She took a good grip of Cole’s neck, squeezing tightly. His eyes jumped to hers, furious. At the moment, she didn’t care. She needed to keep Xander safe.

“Run, Xan!” she gasped as Cole struggled against her, not hurting her, but trying to get her to release him.

She needed to transform into her wolf for her true strength, but she also knew that her wolf didn’t always react to Cole the way she needed her to. If anything, she would plant herself in front of him, lifting her tail in offering instead of protecting Xander.

“Do you need help, Lyta? Do you want him to be here?”

She choked out a laugh as she watched Cole slowly go unconscious, unwilling to hurt her to remove her hand from his throat. “Xan, you crazy bastard, he would have killed you!”

“I don’t care! Is he forcing himself on you because you’re in heat?”

She sighed, cautiously standing and draping a blanket over her mate before going to the dressing chair where she kept her robe. Pulling it on, she moved to Xander, moving his hand from his face.

He peeked at her before huffing out a breath. He looked around to find Cole immediately, seeing him sprawled on the bed.

“I don’t care who he is, Lyta. If he forced you to do something you didn’t want to do—” he froze then, his eyes snagging on the mark on her neck. His gaze jumped to hers and she gave him a sad twist of her lips. “He’s… yours?”

The disappointment that flashed across his face shouldn’t have soothed her ravaged ego the way it did—he was one of her best friends, after all. But it was nice to know that she would have been someone’s first choice.

“Yeah,” she sighed, even as she heard Cole coughing behind her. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s not like you can hide the huge-ass mark on your neck forever. And his scent is all over you,” Xander complained, making her literally drag him out the door. “I can stay and protect you.”

“For the last time, Xan, you’re not my mate. We’ve been through this.”

“And now I know why you were always so sure,” he said, betrayal crossing his expression.

“What did you want me to tell you? That I knew who it was but he didn’t want me, so I ran away?”

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