Page 75 of Healer's Call

“Mav, don’t,” I say softly, wondering if he’ll even respond. To my shock, he loosens his hold and then steps back completely. He says something I can’t hear and then walks back over to me.

“Your girl doesn’t think you can take us,” one of them calls out, casting a scornful look at me.

I laugh. “You’ve obviously never been on the other side of Mav in a fight. I have no doubt he could take down all of you with a blindfold on. I just hate violence.”

“I agree with that assessment,” Cade says. “Now if you want to talk, we’ll talk. But insult a member of my pack again, and my enforcers will show you the exit.” They wisely don’t say anything, especially since Eli and a few other enforcers are surrounding us now, all wearing matching scowls. Before I get a chance to see what’s going to happen next, Mav puts a hand on my back and propels me away from the group. He doesn’t stop, not even when we step inside.

“Where are we going?” I ask at one point, but a glance at his face makes me bite my tongue and just keep walking. I figure we’re heading either to his room or to mine. He stops at his door and opens it and ushers me inside, all without saying a word. He closes the door and faces me, still not saying a word.

Not knowing what to say, I blurt out the first thing I can think of. “So that was your pack? I get it why you left them. They’re terrible!” I regret it immediately, especially when the look on his face darkens. I wince. “Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have said that,” I mumble more to myself than him. When he still doesn’t give me anything, I wander over to his chair and sit. “So, are we goingto watch something? Bluey?” I ask, trying to get something out him.Anything.

“What was that?” he finally asks.

Finally.I take a breath. “I was just trying to get your attention. We don’t really have to watch Bluey,” I say, even though I know exactly what he’s talking about.

“Outside,” he growls. “Why would you antagonize them like that?”

“Me?” My eyebrows raise. “I’m pretty sure you did all that by yourself without me. Well, I mean I sort of added to it. But they’re a bunch of jerks, Mav. I don’t know how you don’t lose your cool with them. I certainly would have. If I had your,” I nod at him, “you know, I would teach them all a lesson.”

He cocks his head to the side and smirks. “My what?”

I roll my eyes. “All that,” I say, moving my hand up and down in front of me. He lifts an eyebrow. “Your muscles!” I finally spit out. “If I had your muscles and ability to fight, I’d show them all a thing or two.”

“Why?” he asks.

My eyes widen. “Because they’re awful! They’re not nice people, Mav. They’re rude and insulting and demeaning and...”

“Oh, is that all?” he mutters.

“And they were being awful to you! That’s not all right in my book.” He stills and watches me intently, but I’m on too much of a roll to notice it. “Sure, you’re cocky and rude and sometimes mean. But you’re respectful and protective, and you would never talk about me the way they did, nor would you make me feel the way they did.”

“You stood up for me out there,” he points out, still watching me carefully.

“Of course I did. You’re a good person, Mav.” I wiggle my head a little. “Well, most of the time.”

“Thanks,” he says dryly.

“Well, if you would stop making other shifters angry by saying snide things about their mates, that would probably take care of most of your problems,” I point out.

Chapter 36

Maverick

I stare down at the petite healer but don’t say anything. It’s not going to come out right when I tell her the reason I do that is because I’ve always been envious of those shifters—the ones who’ve found their mates—because I knew I’d never be able to have what they did, even though she stands in front of me. But I’m not going to do anything about it. I can’t. That's probably why I’m a jerk to the males who’ve found their female. My eyes seek out the female in front of me. She has no idea what it did to me to hear her stand up for me in front of my old pack. I’ve never had anyone stand up for me before, except for maybe Cade and Amber. She has no idea what that did to me. And now...now I don’t want to deal with the fallout of that. “All right. Well, I better get back to help Cade.”

She blinks, like she’s coming out of a daze. “Oh, right. Sorry.”

Guilt hits me, but I keep it off my face. I shouldn’t be kicking her out like this, but the longer she stays in my room, the less control I’m going to have. I tighten my fists.Control. Who am I kidding?I haven’t had an ounce of control since this healer waltzed into my life and started wreaking havoc. I steel myself against those large doe eyes as they connect with mine. It’s a punch to my gut, as it always is.

“All right. I’ll just head to my room.” She walks to the door and stops. “Are you going to be okay?” she asks in concern when she turns back. Then her face turns pink, like she’s embarrassed. “Who am I kidding? You’re Maverick. Of course you’re going to be fine.” She laughs lightly and turns back to the door. “All right. Bye.” She darts out the door, leaving me in silence.

“I need a run,” I mutter and reach back and pull my shirt off. My wolf is in agreement. We need to get rid of this aggression somehow. And since the little healer cut off my fighting, running in my wolf’s skin it is, just as soon as I’m done helping Cade with my old pack. The door to my room opens suddenly, and Rose darts in, closing it quickly behind her. She stands right at the door with her ear against it. “What are you doing?”

She jumps and spins around. “Maverick,” she says putting her hand over her heart.

“Did you forget I was in here, inmyroom?” I ask dryly.

She frowns. “You already took your shirt off? That was fast.”

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