Page 72 of Pumpkin Patch Pack
I don’t remember consciously deciding to attack. One moment I’m standing at the edge of the clearing, the next I’m charging forward, a snarl tearing from my throat.
The skeleton-clad men move to intercept us. I plow into the first one without slowing, driving my shoulder into his midsection and sending him flying. Another swings at me—I duck under his fist and deliver an uppercut that snaps his head back.
Liam and Theo are beside me, equally feral in combat.
Liam goes through them like they’re made of hay. These men might look imposing in their fitted suits beneath the skeleton costumes, but there’s a difference between city fit and farm fit. Years of hauling feed bags, wrestling stubborn livestock, and working sixteen-hour days have made Liam a force of nature, a raw strength these men can’t match.
One guard tries tackling him, and Liam picks him up and throws him into another.
And Emma, my beautiful, fierce omega, even in her state, is fighting back. As Marcus tries to force her into the car, she twists in his grip and drives her knee directly into his groin.
Marcus doubles over with a high-pitched howl, releasing her. Emma stumbles backward, her movements uncoordinated, her scent growing sweeter and more desperate by the second.
“Get her!” I shout to Theo, who’s closest. “Get her away from him!”
Theo darts forward, wrapping a protective arm around Emma’s waist as she sways on her feet. Her eyes are dilated—her skin flushed with heat.
“He drugged me,” she gasps, her voice slurred. “Heat inducer.”
A fresh wave of rage crashes through me. I turn back to Marcus, who’s recovered from the pain, and he charges at me.
The arrogant prick doesn’t stand a chance.
My fist connects with his jaw—once, twice, three times in rapid succession. His lip splits under my knuckles, blood spattering across his perfect, snobby face.
“You drugged her,” I snarl, landing another blow to his ribs that makes him wheeze. “You tried to force her.”
Marcus tries to speak, but I grab him by the throat, lifting him until his feet barely touch the ground.
“You’re dead,” I growl, squeezing until he chokes. “You understand me? You come near her again, and I will end you.”
“She’s mine,” he wheezes, his eyes bulging.
“She chose us,” I snarl, tightening my grip. “She will never be yours.”
A hand on my shoulder, Liam. “Rowan. Not like this.”
I want to ignore him, to crush this pathetic excuse for an alpha beneath my hands. But Emma’s whimper cuts through my rage. I release Marcus, shoving him hard against the car.
“You have five seconds to get off my property,” I tell him, my voice deadly quiet. “Or I finish what I started.”
Marcus straightens, adjusting his suit with as much dignity as he can. “This isn’t over,” he spits.
Those still standing, help the injured into cars. “But remember this, Emma, when you’re tired of playing farmer, I’ll be waiting.”
“Listen carefully,” I growl. “She is ours. Our mate. Our pack. If you ever come near her again, what I did to you tonight will seem like a friendly handshake.”
Marcus smirks; his arrogance still intact. “She’s in heat. She needs a real alpha.”
“She has two,” I snarl and take a threatening step forward. “And a beta worth ten of you. But you seem to misunderstand the situation. So let me make it really clear for you. We’ve had security cameras installed throughout the property.” I pull out my phone, showing him the app with multiple camera feeds. “We have everything recorded.”
His eyes widen slightly, the first sign of genuine fear.
“How do you think that footage would look to your shareholders?” I continue, my voice deadly calm. “Your precious family name dragged through every news outlet and social media platform. ‘Ashcroft heir caught on video drugging, assaulting omega.’”
Marcus swallows hard, his arrogance cracking. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me,” I growl. “One more threat, one more attempt to contact her, and it goes public.”
