Page 65 of Wolf Forgotten

"Stop it!" Eli was already trying to separate us, but there was no way I was letting this asshole, who I only assumed was the stray wolf, get away with attacking me in my house.

He swung at me and I ducked, coming up with an uppercut that sent his head flying back and caused blood to drip from his mouth. His eyes were those of his wolf's and I knew we were in dangerous territory if I didn't get him to submit.

Eli fumbled in a drawer, pulling out a tranquilizer pen and popping the cap off. "Here." He tried handing it to me, and I shook my head.

I needed to put this guy in his place and then lock him back in the basement. Maybe Dante wasn't completely out of his mind when he suggested a one-week quarantine to ensure this kind of thing didn't happen.

"Mine." His lip pulled back off his teeth to reveal his canines, and he lunged for me again.

I sidestepped at the last second, and he ran headfirst into the wall, falling backward onto his ass with a whimper of pain.

"Dante, you're needed in the house."I didn't want to seek his help, but if I couldn't get this guy to submit, I'd need help getting him into the basement. I wouldn't put Eli and Ivy in danger.

Ivy tried to move past me, and I moved my body in front of hers. "Maybe you should wait outside. This might get ugly. I don't want you to get hurt."

Dante came in the backdoor and came straight for us just as the guy pulled himself up and made another move for me. Ivy darted past me and stopped Dante with a shove to his chest.

"Stay back! This has nothing to do with you." Her voice was distorted by what I could only guess were her canines.

In my distraction, I was mowed to the ground, my head bouncing on the hardwood floor and my vision spotting with black dots. He grabbed me by the throat but just as suddenly let go, listing to the side and falling in a heap with Eli standing over him, panting. He'd used the tranquilizer.

"Are you okay?" Eli dropped the injector and came to me, helping me sit up. "There's no blood. How's your vision? That was a really hard hit."

I blinked hard a few times and my eyes blurred. "Eh, I'll be fine." I rubbed at them, hoping that would help. Ivy and Dante were in a stare down with growls coming from both of them. It surprised me they hadn't shifted.

"Enough!" I let Eli help me to my feet and grimaced as I took a few steps toward them. "Back off her, Dante."

"Un-fucking-believable! She comes after me twice now and you tellmeto back off? Must be some really good pussy to make you change allegiance after less than a week." He backed away from Ivy and faced me. "How do we know she's not going to go rabid like this fucker over on the floor?"

Despite feeling woozy, I met him face to face, our toes nearly touching and his hot breath fanning across my face. “Watch your mouth, Beta, or next time her wolf challenges you, I’ll let her rip you to shreds.” My voice was deadly and Dante's eyes went wide before he stepped back and dropped his gaze. “Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Alpha,” Dante grumbled his response, and I stepped closer again and let my wolf come to the surface. “Yes, Alpha.”

"Get out of my sight. We can handle this from here." I gave him my back and he let out a strangled whimper he tried to hold back before I heard his footsteps retreating to the back door.

"Let's get him to the basement," I directed.

"No." Ivy moved in front of me and stood over the man. "He'll sleep in my room."

I was taken aback by the authoritative tone in her voice, and my wolf bristled. "He's dangerous. Did you not see that or were you too busy challenging my beta, yet again?"

"Maybe you need better betas." She squatted down next to the man and smoothed a hand across his forehead. "Eli, will you help me?"

Eli looked from me back to her. "Xander's been through a lot. We can't just lock him back up. I managed to get him to shower, and I shaved his hair and his mountain man beard he had going on."

"He was on the couch. You should have waited for me to get here." I didn't take my eyes off Ivy, who was stroking the guy's cheek now. "What the hell are you doing, Ivy?"

"I think... he's my mate." She shook her head. "Unbelievable."

Eli cleared his throat. "It makes sense now why he kept asking about you. I thought he was just confused."

"I need to go for a run." My wolf was ready to come out and rip out Xander's throat. I didn't want to share with some stranger that limped in looking like he'd been tramping around in the forest for months on end.

I had just made it past the island in the kitchen, heading to the door, when Ivy grabbed my arm. "Cole, wait."

"What?" Stopping, I shrugged off her hand and pulled my shirt over my head. Her eyes went to my chest. "I need a few minutes."

Eli had disappeared with Xander, and I narrowed my eyes. What the fuck was going on in my own house? I didn't even have control over my own damn omega.

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