Page 13 of Spike

It confirmed my intuition – whatever he had initially planned for me, it wasn't anything good.

Leaving the Blue Vale Valley Pack compound had felt like the right decision, but in the end, Jack and Clive had caught up to me.

Out of the blue, Spike's strong grip wrapped around my arm, pulling me close.

He slid his muscled arm over my shoulders, and surprisingly, I didn't tense up or resist.

Instead, an unexpected sense of relief washed over me, and even my wolf seemed to appreciate the possessive gesture.

It should have bothered me, but it didn't. For the first time in a long while, it felt good to have someone in my corner.

"Wrong. His problem is my problem too," Spike declared, his words making me blink in surprise.

Nitro shot him a warning look. "Spike, don’t,” Nitro said.

Spike ignored Nitro's caution and continued to give Jack a challenging stare, making it clear that he was ready to stand by my side, no matter the consequences.

My heart fluttered in my chest, a mixture of surprise and something unspoken.

Spike's arm around me felt warm, protective against the back of my jacket, and for some reason, I didn't want him to stop touching me.

It was a strange and unfamiliar sensation, especially considering we had only met today.

I wasn't in love with him or anything like that, but there was an undeniable interest in getting to know him better.

An inappropriate thought, given the situation, I knew.

"You Grizzly Reapers are savages, but I didn't think you guys would stoop so low as to poach someone's mate," Clive said with a sneer.

I could feel the muscles in Spike's arms tensing up, his grip on me becoming firmer. Spike looked to me for an explanation, and I adamantly shook my head.

"I'm not Jack's anything," I blurted, not wanting matters to escalate any further. "Heck, I just met him three nights ago."

"You came to me for help, little wolf," Jack said, his voice carrying a sense of accusation. "The moment you got what you wanted from me, you fled. Aren't you being a little ungrateful?"

I stiffened because, in a way, they were true.

"I heard all I needed to know," Spike said, extracting his arm and cracking his knuckles.

The sound made Clive grit his teeth; it was evident that he was wary of Spike.

"Spike, this is a bad judgment call," Nitro said, trying to reason with his friend.

I wasn't sure what he meant by that, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"If you bastards are going to fight, take it outside!" yelled the bartender impatiently.

"Outside it is, then," Spike declared. "I don't want to pay for damages. I'm broke at the moment."

He said this with a smirk directed at me. Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but flash him a tight smile.

Only someone crazy would crack a joke in a situation like this.

The moment Spike turned his back and started for the door, Jack bared his teeth and launched himself towards him.

Panic surged through me, and I managed to choke out a warning cry, but it was already too late.

Jack didn't waste any time. His clothes tore as he shifted into his wolf form, the transformation quick and brutal.

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