Page 67 of Entering a New World

But it was Gray we were talking about. My best friend. My brother by heart. He’d rather chop his hand off than use that special dominance he could lace his voice with to force his will onto me. Hence the pleading in his tone.

“No.” I shook my head and turned to face Levi. “Sweetheart, I know you don’t want me in danger, and I promise I’ll be careful, but I have to go, okay? I have to. You’re my mate, and Alistair is a threat to you. My wolf and I… we need to protect you.”

Levi pursed his lips, his arms crossed in front of his chest. Fuck. He didn’t look happy at all. Annoyance radiated off of him, mixed with hints of exasperation and fear.

“You know,” he started before taking a deep breath. “You won’t get away with using your wolf and his… your instincts as an excuse for everything.”

“But I’m getting away with it now?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

Yes, my wolf shouted. Hunt. Maim.

Yeah… we wouldn’t be doing any of that. Probably. Not unless we didn’t have any chance.

Levi wrapped his arms around his middle, hugging himself, his face twisted with indecision, his eyes clouded with doubts. After a while, he started rubbing his sternum, his expression turning almost pained.

My wolf whined, and I got it. I wanted to soothe the ache I felt echoing through my body. Wanted to calm him. Reassure him.

“I feel your need to protect me,” Levi said quietly, his hand fisting the fabric covering his chest. “It’s… god, I think I’m getting a headache from all the feelings rushing through my body. There’s this drive inside of me. Well, technically inside of you. It’s hard to ignore for me, so I can’t imagine how it feels to you, so… go.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was saying. Then he raised his hand, holding his index finger out. “Under one condition,” he added, “You’re the bystander, capiche? Arresting Alistair is Paul’s job, and I happen to know he’s very capable. You said so yourself. So let him do his job. You’re the back-up he hopefully won’t need.”

His steely gaze met me, then shifted over to Paul who nodded in understanding. Tipping his head, he gave Levi a grin.

“I’ll handle it. You’ll have your mate back in no time at all.”

Levi let out a breath, face softening into a tender expression. “I sure as shit hope so. After all, it’s our shifter wedding night.”

Gray chuckled. “Yeah, we’ll make sure to get your groom back to you in one piece. I swear. I’ll tag along. Three shifters are no match for one human, no matter how crazy he is.”

I laughed, but my stomach dropped at his words.

Famous last words…

Nothing.

I wanted to scream in frustration.

We’d driven through town for the third fucking time and still hadn’t found him.

This really shouldn’t be so hard. Balwood was a small-town – emphasis on small, yet no one had seen Alistair since he’d asked for directions for the Inn. And, as Mave had assured us, he’d left there hours ago.

“If you keep grinding your teeth like that there won’t be anything left,” Gray remarked, taking his eyes off the road to give me a meaningful look.

“We should’ve found him by now,” I growled, my wolf coming dangerously close to the surface, waiting just beneath my skin for the opportunity to avenge our mate.

“That’s what you keep saying.”

“Because it’s the truth!” I snapped at him, then sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Gray chuckled, his face twisting into a grin. “Quite frankly, it’s kind of funny how riled up you get as soon as your mate’s concerned. Our whole life, you’ve been the calm and patient one, the one everybody said would be the better Alpha.”

“You know I never thought that was true.”

Gray snorted. “Yeah. You were the only one who didn’t. Hell, even I used to think it’d be better if Dad picked you as his successor.”

My heart clenched at Gray’s pained voice. Memories came back to my mind. Gray and me sitting beneath the cedarwood tree that was the very heart of our packlands, him talking about how he wasn’t good enough. Not right for the position that was supposed to be his. How the pack didn’t want him as the Alpha.

I swallowed a lump in my throat.

“You’re the best damn thing that could’ve ever happened to this pack.”

---