Page 52 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

Sarah let out a long breath that confessed everything.

John’s disappointment couldn’t have been more clear, but he turned to me with a similar question. “Doessheknow?”

“There are no secrets between us,” I said.

“Wait,” Sarah said. “What?John knows you’re a—”

“Yes,” I said. “He knows I’m a shifter, and I know he’s a seelie. One of the fae.”

“What?” Sarah asked, wheeling on John.

John’s expression turned furious. “Did you know he was a shifterbeforeyour kitchen incident?”

He made air quotes around “kitchen incident,” and I recalled how the morning after mine and Sarah’s tryst in the kitchen, I’d overheard her confessing the whole thing to him over the phone.

At the time, I’d thought she’d been confessing a transgression to a boyfriend. Sarah had corrected my assumption but now…looking at U.S. Deputy Marshal John Riordan…I knew my instincts had been correct. Or at least, partially so. He had a crush on Sarah.

“No,” she told him. “I didn’t know then.”

“And it was more than an ‘incident,’” I added, making sure John Riordan knew that lines were drawn, and he’d do well not to cross them. “Sarah and I are together.”

I kept my eyes locked on the threat, but I felt Sarah’s gaze flick to me.

“Unbelievable,” John said, raking his hand through his blond hair. “Ashifter?”

I clenched my teeth. It was well known that seelies looked down on all other types of shifters and fae.

“Jesus,” John muttered. “Who else knows? We’ve talked about this, Sarah. I can’t keep you safe if you blow your own cover.”

“She doesn’t needyouto keep her safe,” I said, my hands balling into fists. “I can do that.”

John slowly turned his eyes on me. A glowing ring of lavender showed around the edges of the brown contacts. “You didn’t do such a fantastic job of keeping her safe the other night. She was kidnapped right out of your offices.”

I took a step closer. “Iwas at least here to know she’d been taken.Iwas the one who brought her home safe. Where the hell were you?”

John took three quick strides in my direction.

I welcomed what was coming, but not with Sarah so close. I shoved her toward the door, and she staggered out of harm’s way just as John threw the first punch.

I dodged, then threw my own, connecting with his mouth and splitting his lip.

“Stop it!” Sarah exclaimed. “Both of you!”

John touched his fingers to his mouth, then pulled them away to see the blood. His eyes swung back to me. “What the fuck?!”

I raised my eyebrows in an expression that asked,What did you expect?He was onmyproperty, threatening me in front ofmywoman.

John charged again, this time knocking me backward but the desk kept me upright, and I was on him again, pushing him all the way across my office until I had his back slammed against the wall.

A picture slid off its nail, crashing to the floor.

“Reese! Stop it!” Sarah cried.

Toby ran in, skidding to a stop. I was vaguely aware of him wrapping his arm around Sarah’s middle and holding her back while he called out into the hallway for reinforcements.

“Someone needs to remember whose territory he’s on,” I warned John through gritted teeth. “Do not put your hands on me. Not here. Not ever.”

John pushed back, apparently thinking he still had a point to make.

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