I brought my knee up, and though he moved fast enough to deflect the blow between his legs, he still caught it full on his thigh, knocking him back a step and allowing me to jerk free of his touch. I backed up several steps, wanting distance between me and Cam. His obsession hadn’t faltered, even though he knew I was mated to another wolf. And I knew Gabe was coming after me, probably with Simon, Taylor, and Hannibal. My pack.
“Get your ass back in the truck, Eliza. Unless you want to get mounted and fucked right here,” Cam warned.
“No. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“It’s fucked then. I’m good with that.”
Cam moved toward me, and I took careful measure to counter every step he took, trying to keep distance between us. I couldn’t out fight him. Genetically speaking, he was bigger and stronger. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t engage him, if that’s what it took to keep him from taking me against me will, physically and sexually.
“This will go a lot easier if you’d just submit.”
“Never,” I vowed.
He grabbed the hem of his shirt and ripped it over his head before tossing it aside. He shrugged, flexing his muscles, and I wasn’t sure if the display was for his benefit or mine. If for mine, then it failed epically. I wasn’t intimidated or enthralled. There was only one thing on my mind. Or one person. Gabe.
“Be forewarned, mate,” Cam murmured. “I like it rough. The rougher the better for me.”
“Why me?” I asked. “I’m nobody. My parents weren’t any different from any other members of the pack. Why pick me? You had to know I wasn’t your mate. Why try to force a bond that was never meant to be?”
“Because I want you, and I always get what I want.”
“Life doesn’t work that way. I met my mate. I’m not leaving him, and he will kill you when he finds us.”
Cam laughed, rolling his shoulders again and swinging his arms as if loosening up for a fight.
“He’s not coming for you. No one cares about you but me. Your father let me take you. No one else offered to take you in. Only me. Me!”
It hit me how he twisted things to make it seem as if he was the good guy. The one who stepped in and saved me from…my life. As if grieving were something to be saved from. As if he had the right to step into my life and do anything he wanted, alpha or not. He was arrogance and brawn and control and everything bad that an alpha could be. As a young girl I’d thought all alphas were that way, but now, I knew differently. Some were good. Some were bad. Cameron Lockhart was definitely the worst.
“Submit,” he ordered, circling around me, toying with me.
“There’s only one alpha I’ll submit to, and it’s not you.”
“The lone wolf admits she has an alpha. I thought you had no pack, Eliza.”
“She does now.”
I turned my head, my legs going weak as I took in the wolves spreading out around us. I noted the others, but my gaze locked onto my mate.
“You came for me,” I whispered.
“I’ll always come for you,” Gabe promised, then his gaze went to Cam. “I suggest you let my mate go, Lockhart, before I rip out your heart.”
Chapter Ten
~Gabe~
Lockhart had his arm locked around Eliza’s waist, her body pinned against his. He had his other hand cupped around her neck, claws extended, the tips breaking her skin. Blood trickled slowly from the wound, and my wolf fought to seize control and protect our mate.
Cam laughed. “Try. I’ll rip her throat out before you take two steps.”
Cold rage filled me. My gaze snagged on a drop of blood that welled at Eliza’s throat. It slowly slipped over his nail and ran down her throat, and I followed it as it ran down over her collar bone and lower to stain her full breast.
“Simon.”
My friend’s name was little more than a guttural grunt rising from my throat. He didn’t miss a beat. In three quick moves, he had Eliza free and sailing into Taylor’s arms while Lockhart was tossed toward me, slamming to his knees while I waited. Lockhart looked as if he had no idea how he’d ended up where he was.
“Thank you.”