I turned to him and gave him a smart smirk. "You did, which is why I'm here. You do not control what I do, Lucas."

His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath in and then rubbed at his face. "Gina, this isn't a game. Pack your shit up and let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here." I said, crossing my arms.

"You aren't," he growled back. “You just said you thought someone was watching you, and you want to stay here?”

Not really. I likely wasn’t going to sleep, but I sure as hell wasn’t going back to his house so he could yell at me more.

"I don't recall you having a say in what I do." I sat down on the bed. "Aren't you supposed to be on the night shift anyway? Why are you here?"

He growled, taking a few more steps towards me. "I was, but you didn't answer your phone, and I got concerned."

I felt my heart skip a beat. But I quickly shook it away. He wasn't concerned. He was trying to be controlling. There was a difference.

"Well, you wasted a trip. You can go."

His eyes narrowed on me. "Gina, I swear to God, I do not have the patience for your smartass tonight."

"Do you ever?"

He took a deep, long breath in and then released it. He turned and grabbed my bag.

"Hey!" I was moving, rushing towards him, reaching for my bag. "Don't touch anything!"

"If you're not going to pack your shit up, I will."

"Lucas, if you don't drop my stuff, I swear to god I will hurt you."

Lucas didn't respond, so I pulled a hand up to punch him. He caught my fist, and his eyes narrowed at me. "I already told you. I'm in no mood. I don't have time for you to throw a tantrum because you want to prove a point."

I pulled my leg up and kicked him, which he had never been prepared for. But it got him to drop my bag and take a step back. "You do not get to order me around!" I snarled at him, shoving a finger into his chest. "You do not get to come in here and demand me to do anything!"

"I am trying to protect you!" he yelled. "We don't know who is out there! And you don't get to act like a goddamn five-year-old!"

"And I don't need you to protect me," I screamed at him. "I don't need you or anyone to look out for me! Why don't you get that!"

Chapter 16 - Lucas

I was so tired, and she wasn't letting up. She stared at me, her blue eyes holding still unmoved. I knew that she was stubborn, but this was on another level.

"Why don't I get that?" I said, repeating her words. She reminded me of myself when I first arrived in town. Having to protect yourself for so long, having to always have your shackles up because you never knew what was coming. It was exhausting, but I had left and could finally breathe. She was still acting like she was back in that pack, needing to look over her shoulder.

"Everyone needs someone," I said, trying to rein in my anger. "Believe it or not, Gina. I am trying to help. That is all I've done since the second that you got here. I'm helping you get this house, I'm giving you space, and I've opened my home up to you, but you being stupid and wanting to stay in this house when I know that there are people out there that could hurt you is just dumb."

"And you continue to see me as a fragile wolf when that isn't true."

"You can be both," I snapped because she was. Gina was strong, but she was no match for Logan.

"No," she yelled back. "I can't. I am not that little girl who didn't know how to protect herself."

"And you think wandering the woods is going to prove that?" I yelled. "You think getting hurt is going to prove you're powerful?"

I thought back to an hour ago and how my body had tensed up. I sensed someone was at the border, but it wasn't one of our guys. My wolf growled angrily, and as I scanned the area,I couldn't see anyone. But I knew. Ayden had told me enough to know it was Logan.

I couldn't stomach the thought of him coming this way and running into Gina. He'd tried forcing himself on one woman. What was to stop him from trying with another? Someone who had no idea what was waiting in the woods.

I took a step towards her and dropped my voice. Clearly, I wasn't getting through to her, so I would have to go another route. "Fine, you want to prove a point, so be it. Go walk in the woods."