Page 14 of Bee's Enraged Beast

“Because sometimes, it’s nice to go where nobody knows me or judges me.” She reached back and patted my chest as if that would calm me.

“You’re a part of this pack, Belinda. Period,” he snapped.

“You can’t make people like me,” she whispered softly. “You can’t make them not be afraid of me.”

“Can and will,” he countered.

“No, you can’t,” Raina agreed with Belinda as she moved to his side and leaned into him. He automatically wrapped his arm around her, dropping his nose to sniff her hair. “But we can try to show them there’s no reason for their fear. This is your fault, you know.”

The alpha’s head jerked up. “How is any of this my fault?”

“You’ve protected her too well. Your pack knows you keep her close, and you’ve shared nothing about her special talents with them. All they know is from the rare times someone has witnessed one of her visions or the embellished stories that circulate,” Raina admonished.

“It’s my job to protect her. It’s always been my job.”

Not anymore. Now, it would be my job. One I looked forward to.

“You’ve shielded her too much, Bas. You’ve kept her from them because you feared how your pack would react. And your inner circle takes their cues from you.” Raina’s gaze moved to light on every wolf in the room save me. “You all shield and protect her, which sets her up to be shunned. The only person who doesn’t treat her as either a freak or a fragile flower is Simon, and I’m sure that’s because he’s fancied himself in love with her.”

I growled at that. “She’s mine.”

“You both made that clear earlier,” James growled irritably, obviously still not happy about our mating. Then his gaze moved to Belinda, and he became blind to everyone else in the room. I saw pain, raw, emotional. “God, Belinda. I never meant to… I only wanted to protect you. Always.”

“I know that.” She moved into her brother, hugging him close. “I know. You and me against the world.” The last was murmured softly, and I watched his arms tighten around her as he dropped his head over hers, turning so his cheek cuddled against the top of her head. “I love you, Bas. I’ll always love you.”

Their closeness reminded me of my relationship with my mother. She’d always been there for me, always protecting me. That’s what Belinda had with her brother. He’d always been there for her. And I think part of him was afraid of losing her. Even to her mate. I wasn’t sure I could stay here, with the James Pack, or even if they’d want me to. But I’d try, if that was what she needed to make her happy. I’d do anything for her.

“You have Makers and the other one here somewhere?” I asked, breaking the spell the room had been under.

“They’re offsite,” Cyan answered. “We keep the wolves who’ve broken pack law someplace else. The ones we keep alive.”

“Simon took out Mullins’ throat,” Taylor offered, apparently not sure if I’d witnessed that or not. I seriously doubted anyone in the room, or the James Pack in general, cared one way or the other if any of the four attackers survived.

“I took out James’,” I informed them in case they thought someone else had. That left only Makers himself and his good buddy Hutch alive for transportation to the woman and her pack.

“I’m going with you.” Taylor crossed his arms over his chest as if daring me to argue. “I want to watch Makers die.”

I understood. Makers had been after Taylor’s mate, had planned to take her, and I doubt he’d meant a happily ever after for her. I merely nodded, letting him know there’d be no argument from me.

“Sounds good. You and Gabe and Michael can go. Help get them to the woman’s pack with no incident. Belinda can stay here. Raina, you’ll help her plan a ceremony. Sound good?” Bas gave me a glare at the rumble I couldn’t hold in.

“I’m not staying here,” Belinda argued before I could even say anything. “And I don’t need a ceremony. I just need my mate.” The look she gave me was carnal and had me fighting the erection I barely held in as it was.

“I’ll need to wait until Cici is all clear before I leave,” I told them.

Bastion and Raina shared a look.

“Is everything okay?” I demanded. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No, your sister is still at the hospital. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything new from Simon.”

James nodded at Raina’s words. “He’ll bring her back here as soon as he can. She’ll be safe with us. We’ll treat her like one of the pack.”

They shared another look, but Belinda moved into me, wrapping around me and pulling my train of thought firmly back to her. Mostly to getting her under me or over me or on her hands and knees before me. I was open to all of them. Then I took in our size difference. She was over a foot and a half shorter than I was, and I had at least a hundred and seventy, possibly one eighty pounds on her. Hell, I was nervous about making love to her.

“We should go,” she whispered. “I could use a shower. You?”

“Point the way,” I whispered back, sweeping her up into my arms. I’d waited long enough for her. Cici was okay. Two of the four I’d been hunting were captured and would be headed to justice soon enough. The other two had already been served justice as far as I was concerned. For the rest of the night, I planned to have my mind preoccupied with one thing only. My mate.

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