Page 87 of Beginning Fate

Chapter 22

I was worried about Denny and still furious with Kylie. My mate had to come first, though, no matter how torn inside I felt.

A part of me wanted to lock Kylie up and ground her or something for being so stupid.

I knew she didn’t actually hate me. Well, I was pretty sure of that. It wasn’t the first time she’d lashed out like that. It wasn’t even the first time since we arrived in California. But it still made me feel awful when it happened.

If she was ever going to grow up, I knew I had to back off. It was just hard when I could see her making stupid decisions like this.

Then again, who was I to judge? Chances were I’d had more beers than her tonight. I wasn’t sure because she hadn’t answered my question when I’d asked her how many she’d had. But I also knew that I was spurred on in my own anger from the alcohol.

“I’m going to have to apologize to her when I see her again,” I confessed.

“I’m sorry. I told you we’d watch her, and I failed you.”

I snorted. “No, you didn’t. She’s a grown woman now. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. And like you warned me, if she wants to drink, she’ll find a way. Logically, I know that. I was just freaking out needlessly.”

“You were worried.”

“I was worried,” I agreed.

“I love how protective you are of her.”

“She can take care of herself. I know that. I picked up two extra shifts a week for a year to ensure she was properly trained in self-defense. But I still worry. I just can’t help it.”

Denny was calming down by the time we walked outside, and I was shocked to find the house largely empty. When they shut down a party, they shut down a party.

Where’d everyone go? I wondered.

As we stepped outside on the porch, I stopped in my tracks when I saw Kylie. There was that male again. I really did not like that guy. Even from here I could tell he wasn’t even a wolf, though I wasn’t sure exactly what sort of shifter he was.

He was kissing her and, much to my horror, she was kissing him back. But his hands were becoming more aggressive. The first time, Kylie managed to maneuver him away. The second time, she stopped long enough to shake her head, but I wasn’t even sure the asshole noticed. So on his third attempt, when he began to grope her breasts, something feral erupted from me.

“Get your filthy hands off of her,” I growled.

He continued as if he hadn’t even heard me.

I was pretty sure I wasn’t imagining my sister’s distress, though she continued to kiss him anyway even as her hands stalled his progression.

All I saw was him attacking her.

I stalked over to them and grabbed him by the shoulder as I roughly pulled him away from her.

Kylie gasped.

The man snarled at me.

“I said, get your filthy hands off of her!”

“Lady, mind your own damn business.”

Oh no, he did not.

“She told you no, you little ass.”

“You’re tripping. She didn’t say anything, so get the hell out of here.”

“She’s deaf, you moron.”

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