Page 15 of Forbidden Love

The thought hit like a gut punch, sharp and unwelcome. If shewerehis, there would be no fucking debate. No rules to follow. He could handle this the way his wolfwantedhim to—no Pack politics, no waiting on Dell’s judgment, justaction. But he wasn’t Alpha, wasn’t part of the pack, and Deb was not his Mate.

That didn’t make it any easier to accept. But accept it, he would...for now.

“Yeah, he better,” Brock growled, his voice thick with barely restrained fury. “Because if he doesn’t, Iwillkill that son of a bitch.”

Garrett didn’t flinch, just gave Brock a knowing look. “I get it,” he said, his voice calm but edged with authority. “But Dell is a fair Alpha.”

Brock clenched his jaw so tight he felt it pop.Fairdidn’t mean shit to him in this moment. But he forced himself to step back anyway, exhaling sharply through his nose.

He knew Garrett was right. He needed to rein himself in and let Dell handle this. That was how Pack hierarchy worked. And Brock respected that no matter how much of a lone wolf he was now. Didn’t mean he had tolikeit.

Dell looked around at the crowd that had gathered and sighed. “Shows over, folks,” Dell announced loudly. “Head on home or wherever you were going.”

Once the crowd had dispersed and the tension in the air began to settle, Dell turned his focus back to the mess left behind. With a curt nod, he ordered Devon and Malcolm to haul Nico and Asher to Garrett’s, where the rest of them would sort this shit out.

Then, his sharp gaze landed on Brock.

“You good?” Dell asked, his voice steady but watchful.

Brock exhaled through his nose, his fists finally relaxing at his sides. “Yeah,” he muttered, though he wasn’t entirely sure that was true. His blood still simmered beneath his skin, his wolf still pacing restlessly inside him. He forced himself to look away from Nico before his temper snapped all over again. “Where in the fuck did you find those guys?”

Dell didn’t answer, just studied him for a beat before saying, “I’ll let you know what the decision is tomorrow morning.”

Brock hadn’t expected an answer. He also hadn’t expected an invitation into Pack business. That wasn’t his place—not anymore. But one thing was clear:hesure as hell had an opinion on how this should go down.

“The guy, Asher.” Brock nodded toward the retreating group. “He warned that asshole in the restaurant. Could’ve kept his mouth shut, but he didn’t.”

Dell ran a hand down his face, exhaustion creeping into his features. “I’ll take that into consideration.” He let out a slow sigh. “Losing even four guys is gonna hurt. We’re spread thin as it is, and it sure helped having more bodies on the perimeter.”

Fuck.

Brock understood what Dell wasn’t outright saying. They needed numbers. Protection. The more wolves they had watching the borders, the safer the Pack—and the town—would be.

“If you need help, I’ll take a shift,” Brock said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Preferably late at night. As long as someone can keep an eye on the house while I’m gone.” His jaw tightened at the thought of Tammy and Ben alone if their past came knocking. “I don’t know if Tammy’s ex is gonna show up or not.”

Dell studied him for a moment before nodding. “I might take you up on that.”

Brock gave a curt nod in return. He wasn’t looking to get tangled up in Pack politics, but he owed them for taking in his sister and nephew. And if running the perimeter helped keep this place safe for them, for Deb, then yeah—he’d do it.

“I’ll talk to you in the morning,” Dell said before turning to follow the others toward Garrett’s.

Brock didn’t linger. He turned in the opposite direction, heading toward the house where Tammy and Ben were.

His wolf itched to run, to shake off the rage still clawing under his skin. But first, he needed to check on them. Family came first before his own needs.

CHAPTER 8

Deb stifled a yawn as she made her way toward the Feed Store, balancing a full plate of warm chocolate chip cookies in her hands. She had no idea what the hell had possessed her to bake in the middle of the night, but after Brock walked her home, she’d showered, changed for bed, and then spent the next hour tossing and turning like a crazy person.

Sleep had never come. Instead, she’d given up and spent the rest of the night making and eating an obscene amount of cookies.

Now, with exhaustion creeping into her bones and a long day ahead of her, she was already regretting her life choices.

The walk home with Brock had been mostly quiet. His presence alone had been enough to rattle her. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way he smelled like leather, pine, and something uniquelyhim—or the way his strong, chiseled profile looked in the glow of the streetlights.

Lord help her, she was losing her damn mind.

She wasn’t the kind of woman who got twisted up over a man...anymore. Once was enough for her, and yet, here shewas, functioning on no sleep, carrying cookies like some damn offering, and all because she couldn’t shake the way his voice had sounded when he told her goodnight and to lock her door.

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