Page 28 of Possessive Mate

Squaring his shoulders, he sucked in a deep breath and opened the library door.

At the creaking sound, Jack and Eddie turned to look at him. Elena's brother immediately glowered with a look that said, fuck off, this is none of your business, but though Hanson knew he was about to get in deep shit with him, Elena was much more important.

“Elena was upset this morning.”

Eddie turned on him in an instant. He closed the distance between them before Hanson could even blink, and suddenly, they were nose to nose.

“What did you do to her?” Eddie demanded. Before Hanson could defend himself, Eddie looked at their alpha and snapped, “I told you we should have ended all Ryker's men when we had the chance.”

Hanson was more than a little relieved Jack wasn't that kind of man. In truth, Eddie wasn't either. He was just angry. Or so, Hanson hoped.

“I didn't do anything,” Hanson said as calmly as he was able, but she tore my heart in two.

It was painful even now, but there was no way he was about to admit any of that to his packmates. Like hell he was about to go and make himself weak in front of them when Eddie looked ready to pounce.

Keeping his head held high, he admitted, “We had a small disagreement, that's all.”

He looked Eddie in the eye, waiting for whatever he might throw at him next.

He didn't even attempt to step out of the way when Eddie's fist came flying toward his face. Just seconds before it hit his jaw, it stopped, and Hanson breathed a sigh of relief.

Jack was there, holding back Eddie's fist with a strong grip on his arm. “Enough of this.”

Eddie didn't look best pleased to have been stopped, but he did take a step back, dropping his hand, though he continued to stare with his teeth bared.

“Hanson, did she say anything about where she might be going after this disagreement?” Jack asked, turning to look at him. His tone and the sympathy in his gaze suggested he knew it was something more than he was letting on.

Gritting his teeth, Hanson shook his head. “She left in a hurry.”

“Why, I should skin you, you fucking—” Eddie snarled, throwing himself at Hanson again.

It was at that moment that Zander and Kane arrived, both grabbing Eddie to stop him from doing something they might all regret.

“What the hell is going on?” Kane demanded, his tattooed arms bulging with the strength it took to hold back the angry Eddie.

“This fucker did something to my sister and now she's missing!” Eddie snarled, throwing daggers at Hanson again.

Both Zander and Kane looked at Hanson accusingly.

Here we fucking go! Hanson thought. He always knew his days within the pack were numbered, but he never imagined they'd be ended because of a damn she-wolf. Even Elena.

“I didn't lay a hand on her!” Hanson growled, meeting Eddie's gaze without flinching. At least, not today.

He quivered, his lips tingling with the memory of her kiss. What if he never got to kiss those lips again?

What right did he even have to think like that if she did have a mate?

For a second, Hanson was tempted to ask Eddie whether she might have gone back to him, but something stopped him. He wasn't sure what it was, but somehow it didn't feel right.

“Like hell you didn't,” Eddie growled, spitting venomously. “My sister doesn't run from nothing.”

Hanson's stomach twisted. What was it she had said that night? She had been running from her emotions?

Hanson had come to learn how impossible that was over the last few weeks. He had tried to run from all he was feeling for her and look where they were now. He would never forgive himself if anything had happened to her.

“Ed, you and I both know Elena can look after herself,” Jack pointed out, and Hanson was relieved to see that the tension in Eddie's shoulders did ease a little. Still, he continued to glower at Hanson, and though Kane and Zander released him, they remained openly wary.

“Why don't we quit whatever bullshit this is between the two of you and go and find her, if you're so worried?” Zander suggested, knocking Eddie with his shoulder.

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