Page 40 of Alpha Chase

My fist connects with his cheek next, blood spraying from his nose as he cries out. Distantly, I hear Vienna’s voice calling my name and the pounding of approaching footsteps. I still don’t stop. Ican’tstop.

My knuckles connect with the hard ground beside the guy’s face as he writhes to dodge my punch, gasping and choking. “He told me to mess with her, I…”

Crack.

My fist lands in the center of his face, nose crumbling under the force of my punch as my wolf howls in satisfaction.

Suddenly there’s something holding me back- hands wrap around my arms on either side, yanking me off of the pathetic piece of shit lying broken and bloody on the floor of the restaurant. I struggle to get free as I’m tugged backwards, to my feet…

Reality slams into me once I’m upright and Vienna springs into view, shoving at my chest. “Enough!” she cries, brown eyes thrown wide, and I freeze. All at once I realize that there’s a squad warrior on either side of me, clutching my arms to hold me back, while a third crouches down next to the guy I just pummeled to assess the damage.

The sight of him makes me see red again and I wrench my arms from the goons at my sides, poised to lurch forward again to finish the job when Vienna heads me off. “Stop!” she seethes, shoving me back with all her might, causing me to stumble. The little devil is stronger than she looks. Her hands clamp down on one of my forearms, yanking me sideways as she growls, “come with me.”

I nearly trip over my own feet as I allow Vienna to tug me away, toward the bar, around the back. My mind is still whirling as she leads me through the storage room, into what looks like an employee locker room, throwing open the door to a large bathroom and dragging me inside with her. Only then does she let go, chest heaving as she stares up at me while the door swings closed to seal us inside.

Vienna throws my arm down, face screwed up in an angry scowl as she shoves at my chest again. “What thefuck, Chase?!”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Vienna

Chaseblinksdownatme, still out of his mind but slowly coming back into it. His knuckles are ripped open and dripping blood, and between the splatters of blood covering his face and the feral look in his eyes, he looks like a savage beast of a man, the mere sight of him enough to scare anyone off.

I’m not just anyone, though.

“What the fuck?!” I repeat, adrenaline pumping and heart pounding as I throw my hands up. “Are you crazy? That guy washuman, he…”

“Had his fucking hands on you,” Chase snarls, cutting me off. His eyes are glowing gold, his wolf dangerously close to the surface.

“I had it handled! I can take care of myself, Chase, and you know the rules at the lodge. The last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves. If I lose my fucking job over this, I swear to god…”

His fists clench, a splatter of blood landing on the tile wall as he points wildly toward the door. “What the fuck did you expect me to do?! You screamed, and I…”

“Nothing!” I shout back as I watch him stomp over to the sink, not even glancing at his macabre appearance in the mirror before turning back toward me and resting his butt on the edge. “You should’ve donenothing! I’m a big girl, Chase, I don’t need you to protect me!”

When it comes to the businesses the six-pack owns and operates on the outskirts of the territory, the rules are simple. Don’t engage with humans more than necessary. Abide by their laws and fly under the radar. One slip and our entire community could be outed, our identity as shifters exposed. What Chase did to that guy, showing his strength like that, it wasn’t just reckless and stupid… it was dangerous for us all.

He scowls, scrubbing a hand over his face. It only smears the blood, making him look even more unhinged than he already does. His hair is mussed, a loose strand hanging down over his forehead in this sexy James Dean kinda way that has my heart racing a little faster, my blood turning molten in my veins.

“He shouldn’t have touched you,” Chase mutters, flexing his hands and staring down at his damaged knuckles. Slowly, he raises his gaze, and when his eyes collide with mine, all the air rushes from my lungs on impact.

My feet seem to move on their own as I step over to stand in front of him, lifting one of his hands to inspect his bloodied knuckles. As I do, I still feel the prickle of his stare, acutely aware of the way he’s assessing every one of my movements.

“Says the guy who can’t keep his hands to himself,” I mutter, gently releasing his hand. The broken skin is already starting to knit itself back together, his shifter healing kicking in.

“That’s different,” Chase mumbles as he flexes his fingers.

My eyes return to his, narrowing in challenge. “How?”

I’m unprepared when he suddenly throws an arm out to wrap around my waist, tugging me closer until I’m standing between his spread legs, peering up at him. “You know it is,” Chase growls. “You didn’t want that guy to touch you. But me…”

“You think I want you to touch me?” I scoff, pressing my palms to his chest and pushing back against him. He’s too close. His heavy, masculine scent is too strong. There isn’t enough air in this room for both of us. And somehow, even with someone else’s blood smeared all over his face, I’ve never been more attracted to him than I am right now.

Yep, it’s settled. I’ve completely lost my damn mind.

His arm stays locked around my waist, not budging no matter how hard I push. “I think you want me to do more than touch you.” His chest rumbles beneath my palms as he speaks, the deep, raspy timbre of it twisting up my insides as the hornets take flight.

“You’re an arrogant prick,” I spit.

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