Page 65 of Alpha Rising (Secrets of the Northland Shifters)

“Jesus, bitch. Get your skinny ass home and leave me alone.”

I could feel Sam at my back, so I stepped to the side. “Break down the door.”

“Sarah, this isn’t the way to do this.”

“Lauren is bleeding. Her eye is swollen. She’s scared out of her mind, and if that dickwad’s comments are any indication, that’s the least of what happened to her tonight. Break down this door!”

Sam’s lips got tight, then he shook his head in surrender. “If you weren’t my alpha’s woman…”

I filed that sentiment away for future thought. I had no idea being Reese’s “woman” would give me such a high-ranking spot in the shifter hierarchy.

Sam centered himself on the door, and his eyes glowed with the supernatural beast that lived within his skin. He lowered his shoulder and rammed it against the door. The lock was cheap—the guy should talk to his landlord about that—and the door burst open.

“What the fuck?!” The guy jumped off the couch, grabbing something from the end table as I stormed inside.

He was about my age—late twenties and—I subconsciously noted—good-looking, wearing nothing but sweatpants. The room smelled like stale beer and cigarettes.

I was halfway across the living room floor with the bat cocked over my shoulder when he charged.

I heard aclick, and a knife blade flipped open in the guy’s hand. He swung at my face.

Fortunately, I had the presence of mind to lean back, and he missed my throat by an inch.

Sam’s menacing growl filled the room as he rushed in behind me.

I swung the bat and while I meant to hit the guy’s head right off his shoulders, my fingers slipped on the wet wood and all I did was clip his temple.

Still, it must have hurt because he dropped the knife and grabbed his head. “What the fuck iswrongwith you?”

Sam yanked the bat out of my hands, which was fine by me. It allowed me to grab the guy’s shoulders and jerk my knee up into his groin.

He howled and dropped to his hands and knees.

I kicked him in the face, and he flattened to the floor. “How doyoulike it?”

“Get away from me!” The guy pushed up on his forearms.

“You hit my friend,” I said, sticking right behind him as he army crawled toward the hallway. “You bloodied her nose, and bruised her eye, and I don’t even want tothinkabout what else went on in here.”

I kicked him again, this time in the ass as he retreated.

“That’s enough!” Reese ordered.

I froze at the unexpected sound of an alpha’s growl, then slowly turned to face the door. “What areyoudoing here?”

Reese’s mouth was tight as he surveyed my body, likely looking for signs of injury. “Sam called me after he got your call. Now go check on Lauren.”

I’d seen Reese angry before. I’d seen him intense. But the animalistic menace rolling off his body was scary. I could see why Lauren and Abby changed direction every time he came their way.

Still, I didn’t jump into action. I glanced down at the guy on the floor, feeling like my work wasn’t quite done.

“Now!” Reese demanded, and I jumped at the sound.

It took a second to get control of my racing heart, then I swallowed hard and edged toward the door. Seeing as Reese’s big body was still blocking the opening, I had to side-step around him before sprinting for the Jeep.

When I got behind the wheel, I let out a long breath. Rainwater dripped off my body and onto the seat and floor.

“That was unnecessary,” Lauren said, staring down at her lap.

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