Page 8 of Dane's War

“Raine,” Bandit growls warningly, “don’t you start.”

“Then stop with the hovering,” I mutter.

“You’d think with the bullshit of you being beat on, you might lose the sarcasm and attitude.”

“Not a chance,” I remark, cutting in on him. “I need you to back off some.”

“No offense, but I’m not backing off. Not until you tell me what the hell that was all about. Who attacked you? What the fuck did they want?”

My stomach churns at the thought of telling him. There’s no way I can tell him that. Why would I tell him now what I’d been hiding? So what, they had come for me. They beat on me. Bruises would heal. They’ll eventually leave me alone.

“It was nothing,” I tell him, earning a growl from not just him but nearly every shifter in the room. The growl that affects me the most is the one rumbling from Dane’s beefy chest.

I fight my body’s reaction to him. I have to. He’s someone I know, without even thinking, that I shouldn’t be with, let alone think about. Besides, I’ve got enough on my plate, thanks to Brady and his friends.

“Don’t lie,” Dane orders.

I whip my head in his direction and glare at him. “Don’t you tell me what to do.”

Without taking my gaze from his, I get out of bed, standing my ground. “I don’t need you or anyone else telling me what to do. You can back off with all the growling.” I glance around the room filled with very macho alpha types of shifters and glare. “All of you.”

“Raine,” this time, it is Sloane who speaks up, “what happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I snap. If I won’t talk about it with my own brother, I’m definitely not going to talk about it with her or anyone else. “Can we just go home, please?”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Dane snarls.

“My sister wants to go home, then I’ll take her home,” Bandit declares.

Dane moves, getting between my brother and me. “You aren’t taking my mate anywhere.”

“Your mate,” Bandit snarls. “You keep saying that,but just this afternoon, didn’t I hear two of your club’s doxies,” he spits the word out, “talking about the fuckin’ you’d given them just this morning?”

“That’s enough,” Sloane states, touching my brother’s arm. She looks to Dane. “Remember what I said earlier when you apologized. Don’t hurt your mate before you actually get to know her. She wants to go home, then you need to let her.”

Both shifters take in Sloane’s words and step back from one another. Sloane, however, brings her gaze to mine. “Let’s get you home where you want to be right now. Later, when you’re feeling better, you can talk about what happened,” she says, her arms going around my waist. “Come on. Bandit rode his bike, but I’m sure one of these Neanderthals can lend us a car to get you home.”

“My car?—”

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Sloane remarks and guides me from the room.

I’m thankful she doesn’t speak any further. Though a beautiful woman stops us just before we make it out of the clubhouse. She is holding a baby to her chest, and a little girl is clutching at her side.

“I’m so sorry to meet under these circumstances,” she says, stretching a hand in my direction. “I’m Karsyn. These two sweethearts are mine and Corbin’schildren. This little guy here,” she nods to the baby, “is Asher.” Then she jerks down to the little girl. “And this is Sage.”

“Nice to meet you,” I utter, taking her hand briefly. “Sorry to be short. I just want to get home and go to sleep.”

Karsyn nods and gives me a soft smile. “As you should. But please know that everything you go through in life. It happens for a reason. It makes you stronger. More resilient. Just remember to never shield yourself from the love and hope that you deserve.” She leans in and whispers for only me to hear. “Don’t let what he did to you blind you from the life you have ahead of you.” I gasp, body doing a full jerking motion, and meet her gaze when she pulls away. “I won’t speak a word. It’ll be our little secret until you’re ready to share.”

Stunned speechless, I nod and let Sloane draw me from the house. One of Bandit’s brothers was already at a car, holding the door open. Behind us, I can feel him staring after me. I find myself surprised he doesn’t try to stop Sloane. At the back door of the car, one hand on the side of it, I turn back, meeting his gaze. Seeing the intensity within those greenish blue orbs, I nearly lose my breath.

Just as quickly, I turn away and climb into thebackseat. Sloane moves in next to me, taking my hand in hers.

“It’s all going to be okay.”

I nod and give her hand a squeeze. It’s been a hard enough day, and I don’t want to do anything else to make it feel longer. I glance at the clock on the dashboard. It’s nearly midnight now as it is.

“What did you mean by what you said to Dane earlier?” I ask, unsure of why I did so.

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