Page 49 of Consider The Lilies

Romner closes his eyes, inhaling deeply. When he opens his eyes again, they flash like there’s a bomb inside him, just waiting to go off. “Enjoy your little victory while you can, Stan,” he snarls as his scent grows thick and sharp. “Because, one day, someonewill find your weaknesses. And they’ll rip you open and turn you out, destroying everything you love.”

I keep my expression completely blank. “Are we done?”

Romner opens his mouth, but before he can say another word, the softest giggle hits my ears. Yuki tenses next to me as Lucy’s laugh grows louder. Then she and Stefan walk beside to the house and next to the porch, followed closely by Bear.

“That poor gerbil!” Stefan laughs. The sound is so bright and relaxed. “How did you—“ He freezes the second he sees Romner and Dak.

“Holy shit.” Romner smiles wide, his whole demeanor shifting from rage to intense excitement.

Bear’s big body goes tight, mimicking Yuki’s hard expression. But Lucy keeps smiling. She’s used to seeing alphas come and go in our house, so the sight of these two men doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary.

“My apologies, sir,” Lucy says sweetly as she reaches for Stefan’s hand. “We didn’t mean to interrupt your meeting.”

The wind shifts, and Stefan angles his body as if ready to run. I’m sure he can smell the heightened emotions hanging in the air. “Lucy.” He squeezes her hand, tugging her a little closer. The beta looks confused for a second, but then she notices the tense look on Yuki’s face, and her smile falls.

“You really fucking did it.” Romner turns to me. I want to slap the smug look right off his face. “I heard your pack had claimed an omega, but I didn’t believe it.”

Bear moves around Stefan and Lucy, standing like a mighty shield between the pair and our “guests.”

“It’s time for you and your lapdog to go,” Yuki says to Romner, and I couldn’t agree more.

“Fuck off, you knotless bitch,” Dak barks, taking a step toward Yuki. She doesn’t move a muscle, looking at the fucker like she’d love nothing more than for him to take a swing.

“If you’re looking for a fight,” Yuki growls softly, “I’ll fucking give you one.”

Romner takes half a step toward my omega, and Bear flashes his teeth, blowing up to make himself bigger. I inch a little closer, ready to break Romner in half if he moves even one more inch.

“They say you bid on the boy,” Romner says to Bear. “That you were looking at him like a lovesick pup. That true?”

My packmate doesn’t say a word. He glares at the overdressed asshole, letting the air grow even thicker with unease. That’s how Bear likes to do things. He never speaks to anyone outside of our men. He says he doesn’t want to waste his breath, but I think it’s because it unhinges people.

Romner shakes his head then looks at me. “One day you should really teach him how to speak.”

“Are we done?” I flick my cigarette toward the edge of the porch. I want these two assholes out of here and far away from my omega.

“You know, Stanley,” Romner turns to me, smiling like he’s won something, “it seems you do have something to lose. Once people hear you have a juicy little omega,” his gaze slides to Stefan, “they’re going to come for revenge, and they won’t be coming for you.”

My fist is suddenly flying through the air. Romner doesn’t register it until it’s too late. I hit him square in the face, making his head pop back and blood spurt from his nose. Dak moves the second I connect with his pack alpha, but he doesn’t rush me. Instead, the big blond idiot runs right at Stefan.

It’s as if everything is moving in slow motion.

Bear steadies his feet, ready to tackle the fucker.

Yuki runs after Dak, leaping onto the blond fucker’s back.

But it’s what Stefan does that completely shocks me. He tightens his hold on Lucy’s hand then jerks the beta, hiding her behind his slight body.He’s protecting her from the fight.

Suddenly, Romner is on his feet, and everything is chaos.

My two men burst through the back door, throwing punches at Romner while Yuki and Bear begin beating the shit out of Dak. I take several steps to one side, trying to get to Stefan, but he moves the other way. He shrinks against the house, pulling Lucy toward the back door. It’s dangerous for him to be so close to the fight, but his move is smart. After all, he’d be exposed in the yard with nowhere to go. Inside is the safest place.

Romner lets out a pained growl right as Bear manages to pin Dak to the ground. And just like that, the fight is over.

“What should we do with him?” Darius, one of my men, manhandles Romner, gripping the front of his shirt.

“You want him dead?” Yuki looks at me. Her nose is bleeding, but she lets it drip down her lips and chin.The she-alpha loves the taste of violence.

But it’s the softest gasp that pulls my attention. Stefan stares at me from the other side of the porch, his hand on the doorknob. His big green eyes stare at me with so much intensity. Waiting for me to answer Yuki.

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