Page 27 of Grumpy Special Ops Bear: Ep. 3
The thought of willingly throwing her into the line of fire made me sick.
“If you keep worrying about it, you’re only going to distract yourself more,” Grant warned me.
My heart thudded. “I can’t help it. This is all new to me, and I’m slightly overwhelmed here.”
I hadn’t even marked her yet, but our connection was still strong. I’d always scoffed at how much Dad had doted on Mom. He’d been the strongest and gruffest man I knew, but around Mom, he’d been putty in her hands and worshipped the ground she walked on. They’d been the happiest couple I knew, and they’d weathered many clan attacks, power struggles, and the devastating blow of my sister’s tragic death.
“Trinity has me wrapped around her finger already,” I mused.
Grant smiled. “Yeah, I know the feeling. You’ll remember it forever, and then you’ll look back on these days and laugh at how ridiculous you both were.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Oh yeah. This fight is just the beginning. Mates butt heads on everything.”
I rolled my eyes toward the heavens. “Shit, I’m so fucked.”
Grant patted me on the shoulder with a knowing smile. “But she’s damn worth it.”
I grinned. “Hell yes, she is.”
We joined Cutter at the other side of the drop-off as he worked out the best way to lure Price’s pack up through the cave. He smiled at us, and then he sniffed the air and froze. Grant and I followed suit, and then we all turned in unison, growling and snarling.
The second I saw who it was, my heart sank to the ground, and I felt a red-hot, fiery rage flooding my body. My inner bear roared and snarled.
This isn’t possible.
How did I let this happen?
There had been no signs of the wolves being this close. We had smelled nothing, yet here they were, Price and his pack with Trinity in the middle. They couldn’t have snuck into the cave via the front, so they’d probably gotten inside through the back and nabbed Trinity.
There was a grimace on her face, and she was favoring one side of her body. A naked Boyle carried a torchlight. He reached over and pushed Trinity’s side. She tried to keep the pain from showing on her face, but she cried out, and I roared fiercely. Cutter and Grant grabbed ahold of my shoulders, pulling me back.
“Let her go, you bastard!” I hissed.
“Oh, Fergus is a wee bit touchy,” Price mocked. He smiled at Boyle. “Now, why would that be, Boyle?”
“I think we might have found Fergus’s weak spot,” Boyle replied with a smirk. “What do you think?”
Price ran his hand through Trinity’s hair. She narrowed her gaze and tried to get away from his touch, but the blade reappeared at her neck. She froze.
“I think this beautiful Protector here is his mate. Now, isn’t that interesting?” Price said.
I locked eyes with Trinity, trying to tell her I was sorry. Price had gotten the jump on me, but he would not win. Somehow, I’d get Trinity and myself through this alive. Her lips twitched in a hopeful smile until Boyle saw it, and he grabbed her side.
“Ouch. Fuck!” she screamed.
“Leave her the hell alone,” I snarled. “What the fuck do you want?”
“I want your mate,” Price replied casually, as if we were discussing the weather. “There’s someone who desperately wants to meet her. He’ll kill her, of course, but maybe I won’t let him do it right away.”
I took a step forward, but Price pressed the blade harder against her throat.
“What do you think, Boyle? Looks like she could satisfy a wolf’s lust for a night or two.”
“I’d say a week at least. I can see her pretty long legs wrapped around me already.” Boyle groaned as he sniffed Trinity’s neck, and then he reached up and licked the side of her face. “Moaning my name repeatedly. I think she’d be good for quite a few of us, actually.”
Price smiled. “Then perhaps I’ll have her warm my bed for a month, and then you can use her any way you want.”
