Page 67 of The Wolf She Shouldn't Desire

My wolves around me create a low chorus of growls in disagreement. Looking at the other vampires surrounding Danny, I’d say they don’t agree either. Good to know Talia surrounds herself with like-minded vampires. “He’s never going to win that battle. Wolves are stubborn as hell, and a lot currently think the opposite in that wolves are superior.”

“Yeah, Talia has been trying to reason with him and her father in that all they are going to accomplish with their current actions and ways of thinking is a war that neither side is going to win.”

“Can’t argue with her on that. Why did he call you to tell you he had her?”

“He said so I could let her father know in order to not waste unnecessary resources looking for her. He thinks her father would be appreciative of him stepping up to teach her his so called lesson.” He shakes his head in disgust, clearly in disagreement.

“Did Zander say what he was going to do to her during his ‘lesson?’” my teeth are clenched so hard while asking the question with every possible thing he could mean by “lesson.”

“My money would be beating the shit out her…and hope that’s all he has in mind for her.”

“Hopethat’s all?!” I growl fiercely. What the fuck? Shouldn’t he be hoping she isn’t hurt at all?

“Easy. She can handle herself and various levels of torture. Her dear old dad made sure her and I could withstand various levels of torture since it was a high possibility that enemies would come after us for what we do for the coven. AllI meant is I hope he doesn’t…take from her what she has been refusing to give him from the start.”

“Fucking hell,” Eric growls low behind me.

“Meaning?” I growl.

Danny just stares back at me with clenched fists and that same look of anger he aimed at the man he held against the wall a few minutes ago. Its as if he refuses to vocalize exactly what he is meaning. Refusing to speak it into reality.

I turn away from everyone to stare into a dark corner. Every ounce of me is ready to tear this place apart at what I don’t want to say out loud either. Rape. Of course that sick bastard would want to force himself on her. Hell, Talia mentioned Zander wanted to do that a few days ago, and I about went on a hunt for Zander if she hadn’t convinced me not to. I didn’t think of it until now as I was trying to block out the thought that someone out there wanted to violate her in such a sick way.

I bite down on a grunt of pain at the ferocity I have to use to keep my wolf locked down inside me with this particular train of thought in relation to Talia. Talia, who a few days ago was tangled in bed with me, naked and moaning her pleasure right along with me. Not… Fuck! I can feel my skin prickle with the sensation of fur wanting to break through. I don’t need a mirror to know my eyes are glowing as well with the urge to shift. I’ll fucking kill him—damn the consequences—if he touches her in that way. I’ll make sure its slow and painful too. I’d already planned to kill him in general and had solidified the thought in my head with the knowledge that he is likely beating on her as we speak. But it’s a done deal now. With a deep breath through my nose, I try to find some calm for myself and my wolf before turning back towards Danny and the others.

“What’s the plan to get her away from that prick?”

“We already had a plan to take care of him. Now, we just have to do it sooner rather than later.”

“I want in on this plan.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Danny responds in a dead serious tone. I glare at him in challenge. “You go after Zander, and you risk starting a war with the vampires. He has the backing of our coven right now and every ally we have, and there are a damn lot of them. Powerful ones too that you do not want to go up against.”

“He already gave us enough ammo to justify going after him and his band of assholes with all the wolves he has been attacking. What difference does it make?”

“The difference is that I’m trying to prevent a war. Just as Talia has been trying. Let us handle this. You’ll just get in the way. We’ve seen Zander’s home and know how to navigate it. We’ll get in, get her out, and make sure we leave the place burning to where the finger is pointed at another group of vampires.”

“How is that not going to cause problems anyway or guarantee that the blame won’t inadvertently be pointed at wolves?” Eric asks this time. “He’s been attacking them regularly in the north part of the city that anyone who is smart would look at werewolves being behind the attack as the first plausible suspect.”

“Because with the announcement of Zander’s engagement to Talia the other night, everyone but Zander and her father could tell no one was happy about it.”

“She’s engaged to that monster?” Jax asks in angry disbelief.

“Not by choice, believe me. Her father arranged it, and she has been fighting it tooth and nail since he told her to follow through with the arrangement. Anyway, the vampires in this city and the surrounding areas won’t have a hard time believing that someone attacked Zander and his small coven to get rid of him so as to open the doors again for her to find another to marry. Noone wants to see Zander have the power and standing he would gain with our coven attached to his if he were to marry Talia. It’s not just the wolves that can’t stand him. A lot of vampires don’t either, and even if they do, they will be wanting to take his spot at Talia’s side rather than by his. So, it won’t be hard to get the city to believe it was vampires that attacked him rather than wolves.”

“Just so we’re clear, you plan on killing him? And his coven too, I take it?”

“And make sure he knows who’s holding the knife that guts him before decapitating his ass.” This comes from one of the other vampires. The cold, hard, fierce, and determined look he throws at me with those words leaves no doubt that he is serious.

“Her father going to have issues with this or suspect you all?” I look at each of them before landing back on Danny.

“We’ll cover our tracks. Plus, I’m now betting on him being pissed that Zander took his daughter before he officially gave her to him so he won’t suspect any of us. At least, not right away.”

“You vamps have twisted mindsets and a sense of possessiveness sometimes.”

“Just the very old ones who have been around for far longer than you can imagine who are stuck in the past and their ways,” Danny responds as he looks over my shoulder at Jax who made the comment. Danny turns his gaze back to me. “We appreciate the offer to help but leave this to us. Don’t make it worse or give others in this city a reason to come after you or any of the wolves in this city for that matter. Some aren’t as extreme as Zander, but they would love the opportunity to hunt down werewolves none the less.”

Every fiber in me wants to say I don’t care and to help go get my woman out of the hands of that sick bastard, but Dannyhas a point. Plus, Talia trusts him, so I will trust himfor nowto get her out of the hands of Zander. If for some reason they can’t get her back, then I can reevaluate and do it my way. I nod at Danny. “We’ll stay out of your way, but if you change your mind, come find me or one of the wolves standing behind me.”

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