Page 18 of His Stubborn Mate

“Hot news flash. So am I.”

Rance didn’t back down, his expression hard. “You’re not thinking clearly, Amanda. Albright’s out there, and you’re walking right into danger.”

“You don’t know that. I get that you feel responsible because you turned me…”

“It’s more than that, and you know it.”

“Do I think there’s more between us than that? Probably. But I’m not your responsibility,” she snapped, her voice rising with anger. “Regardless of what is or isn’t between us, the only person who gets to make decisions about my life is me.”

Rance’s eyes darkened, a muscle in his jaw ticking. “You’re my mate, Amanda. That means I protect you whether you like it or not.”

The word “mate” hung in the air between them, heavy with meaning. Amanda’s heart pounded, but she refused to back down. “I didn’t ask for this, Rance. You don’t own me.”

With that, she turned on her heel, intending to march back the way they’d come, but Rance moved faster. He grabbed her arm, preventing her from leaving.

“Let go of me,” she hissed, trying to yank her arm free.

Rance didn’t release her. “No.”

Fury ignited in her chest, and she swung at him, her fist aiming for his face. Rance anticipated her move, catching her wrist in midair. Using her momentum against her, he spun her around, trapping her against his chest. Before she could even register what was happening, he turned her back, lifted her off the ground, and tossed her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

“Rance, put me down!” she shouted, pounding her fists against his back. “This is ridiculous!”

Ignoring her protests, Rance carried her to his truck, his grip firm and unyielding. He opened the passenger door and unceremoniously dumped her onto the seat. Amanda scrambled to right herself, her anger flaring hotter than ever.

“This isn’t over,” she warned, her voice low and dangerous.

Rance slammed the door shut, his expression hard as steel. “We’ll talk about it back at the station.”

The drive was tense, silence filling the cab of the truck. Amanda seethed; her hands clenched into fists as she tried to calm herself. But the closer they got to the ranger station, the more her anger simmered, until it was a boiling cauldron threatening to spill over.

When they finally arrived, Rance got out and walked around to open her door, but Amanda was out before he could reach it. She tried to march away, but he blocked her path, his stance firm.

“Move,” she demanded, her voice shaking with fury.

Rance didn’t budge. “Not until we’ve talked.”

“I don’t want to talk!” she shouted, frustration clawing at her insides. She couldn’t stand the feeling of being controlled, of having her decisions questioned. Without thinking, she stomped on his foot, hard.

Rance grunted, more in surprise than pain, but Amanda wasn’t done. She followed up with a swift kick to his shin, her frustration boiling over into physical action. His eyes flashed with something dark and primal, and before she could react, he grabbed her shoulders, spinning her around and pinning her against the side of the truck. His body pressed against hers, trapping her between the cold metal and the heat of his anger.

“Stop,” he growled, his voice low and rough. “You’re going to get yourself hurt.”

Amanda glared up at him, refusing to back down despite the precariousness of her position. “I’m not some fragile thing that needs to be coddled, Rance. You can’t just throw me around like I’m one of your park duties.”

His grip on her shoulders tightened, but there was something else in his eyes now—something that sent a shiver down her spine. “You’re not fragile, Amanda. You’re strong, and that’s what makes this so damn difficult. But I can’t—won’t—let you just ignore the danger a hunter like Albright represents.”

She could feel his breath on her face, their proximity too close, too intense. The heat between them was palpable, the anger in her veins mixing with something else, something darker and more consuming.

“Then stop treating me like I can’t handle myself,” she shot back, her voice trembling with both fury and something deeper, something that scared her.

For a moment, they stood there, locked in a battle of wills, neither willing to back down. But as the seconds ticked by, Amanda’s anger began to ebb, replaced by the intensity of Rance’s gaze. The tension between them shifted, morphing into something else entirely.

“Fuck off, Rance,” she growled.

There was a moment of stunned silence as the words hung in the air between them. Amanda half-expected the ground to open up and swallow her whole, but instead, she stood there, chest heaving, waiting for his reaction.

He blinked, his features flickering from confusion to rage so quickly she almost didn’t catch the shift. Her heart hammered against her ribs, bracing for the storm she sensed was about to break. Grasping her arms, Rance yanked her toward him, his lips crashing against hers, an act so startling that, for a moment, her mind blanked of everything but the feel of his body and the heat and arousal that were rolling off him.

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