Page 49 of Rugged

The man who wanted to fuck my mate approached the opening in the wall for her to pass through. Stood there and waited.

“No, fucking way,” I muttered and stormed in his direction. My hands clenched into fists. My eyes narrowed and probably went amber. I shoved people aside to get there.

The asshole grabbed her arm and pressed her against the side wall. Lyssa fought back, and it was like with Simi all over again. My vision narrowed and domed, seeing through wolf eyes. There was a roaring in my ears.

This guy was going to hurt her.

He was going to hurt my mate.

I had to stop it.

“Let go of me.” Lyssa tried to shove the guy away.

“Hey.” Willow grabbed the guy’s shoulder. She was part shifter and could fling the guy across the room if she wanted, but I didn’t give her the chance.

I shoved a high top out of the way and used my hand on a barstool seat to volley my body through the air.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” I snarled as I landed and yanked the guy off my mate. My fist connected with his jaw, and he didn’t just go down, he went flying.

I’d used shifter strength on a human–a huge rule breaker for my kind–but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.

It was like when Simi got attacked, only worse. The images of my sister lying on the ground, her clothing ripped off her, wrestling with a guy two times her size flashed through my mind.

Only this time, it was Lyssa on the forest ground.

Lyssa’s clothes ripped off.

This asshole trying to violate her.

It wasn’t enough the guy was off her. I had to eliminate the threat.

Stop his beating heart.

I was going toendhim.

22

EMMA

I knewhe’d rescue me.

No man had ever defended my honor before, but the second that drunk guy blocked my way, I’d known Johnny would show up and fix it.

What I hadn’t known–but maybe should have–was how scary he’d look while doing it. He was mad. His eyes had a crazy glint, his teeth were bared, and he hadn’t stopped to see if I was okay after he threw the guy.

“You don’t fucking touch her,” he growled, even though the guy was ten feet away from me now.Ten feet.

I was rooted to the spot. Stunned. A little freaked out, but I was trying to process what I was seeing. Johnny going completely ape shit.

He stalked after him, who was scrambling up on the other side of the gated area that housed the mechanical bull.

“Johnny, no!Stop him,” I heard one of the ranch guys yell.

That was my clue-in. What reminded me of his story with his sister–how he said he’d taken things too far. I also remembered the grief he had over what he’d done.

I needed to stop him before he did something he regretted again. I didn’t like a drunk guy hitting on me, crowding me, and not grasping the wordno, but I was in a public space. The girls were there. So were the Wolf Ranch guys. Cody, the bar owner, too. A roomful of non-drunk, not-jerky guys to help. I could’ve screamed. I’d been a little angry and a little scared, but I hadn’t really been in danger.

Except it didn’t seem like Johnny saw it that way.

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