Page 67 of Shadowed Fate

"That's enough," I snarl, surging to my feet. The wolf inside me pulses, hungry for a fight. "You don't know her at all."

"And you do?" Lochan sneers. "Face it, Rory. You're too blinded by her big tits and tight little ass to see what's right in front of you."

I take a step forward, blood roaring in my ears. "I fucking said that's enough."

My vision blurs red as I advance on Lochan. "You don't get to talk about her like that."

Lochan stands his ground. "Or what?

A low growl rumbles in my chest. My skin burns, the urge to shift overwhelming. I may not be able to stop it on a full moon but I can sure as hell make it happen on cue. "Keep running your gob and find out."

"Guys, come on," Tiernan interjects, stepping between us. His voice is calm, but there's a hint of strain.

I barely hear him over the pounding in my ears. Lochan's words replay in my mind, each one stoking the fire of my rage. Reducing Brigid to nothing more than a pair of tits crossed the line.

"Stay out of this, Tiernan," Lochan snaps. His eyes never leave mine as he continues, "Someone needs to knock some sense into our lovesick pup here."

“Fuck. You.” I crack my knuckles. "You don't know the first thing about Brigid or what she's been through."

Tiernan places a hand on my chest, gently pushing me back. "Rory, he doesn’t feel it yet. He doesn’t know.”

I shake my head, trying to clear the red haze. But Lochan's not done.

"What I know is that she's dangerous," he says, his voice dripping with disdain. "And you're too busy thinking with your dick to see it."

“Fuck you, Lochan.” It takes everything in me to stop myself from slamming my fist into his face. But me losing control won’t help Brigid right now. Though holy fuck, it would feel good to pound the shit out of the bastard right now.

Lochan's jaw clenches, his eyes burning with an brutality that would make most people flinch. But I'm not most people.

"I'm done with this," Lochan says, backing off. He turns on his heel, yanking the door open with enough force that it slams into the wall. The sound echoes through the suite like a gunshot.

As Lochan storms out, I see Callen standing just outside, his hand frozen mid-air about to reach for the door handle. His eyes are wide, darting between me and Lochan's retreating back.

"What the fuck?" Callen asks, bewilderment etched across his face.

I run a hand through my hair, tugging at the roots. I need to get out of here.

“I'm going for a run." I brush past Callen, calling over my shoulder, "Tiernan will fill you in."

As I lope down the hallway, Lochan's words echo in my head, mixing with memories of Brigid's touch, her scent, the way she helped me control my shift.Fuck. How can Lochan not see what I see?

The truth burns in my chest: I'd tear this whole fucking world apart before I'd let anyone hurt her, including my friends. And that scares the shit out of me.

Chapter 30

Lochan

My footsteps echo through the empty halls, matching the pounding in my chest. Fucking Rory. I clench my fists. How can they all be so blind?

A dangerous thing like shadow magic isn't a joke. It destroyed everything.

Memories flood back. My family, gone in an instant. I shake my head, willing the images away.

Rory doesn't get it. None of them do.

Shadow magic didn’t take everything from them, the way it did to me.

Brigid's face flashes in my mind, making my gut twist. Her arrival, the resurgence of shadow magic, Dean Charling’s death—no fucking way is any of that a coincidence.

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