Page 7 of Sapphire

The door bursts open, Riggs and three bouncers standing in the doorway, their gazes locked on me in my disheveled state, where Silas has me pinned against the wall.

“Alpha Anderson, I need you to step away from her,” Riggs says calmly, his hands lifted to show he isn’t a threat.

Silas releases me to face the men, his face already halfway into the change.

“Mine!” His roar rattles the rafters overhead. I watch his body expand before my eyes, making him almost twice the size he was before.

A younger man I’ve never seen enters the room after pushing through the other men, his eyes the size of saucers, once he spots Silas.

“Silas, brother, you need to breathe.” The man says, and I pray to all that is holy that he can calm the enraged Alpha.

Silas swings his head toward the newcomer, and I see the shift fade slightly. “Maddox?”

“Yes, brother,” he replies. “You need to calm down. We can talk about whatever the fuck is going on here. There is no need for violence.”

Silas reaches back and grabs my hand, tangling his fingers with mine.

“Get them out.” He gestures toward Riggs and the other men.

“I’m not leaving her alone with you,” Riggs interjects. “We can talk about this, but I am staying until I know she is safe.”

“She isn’t yours to protect!” Silas roars, and two of the bouncers flee the room.

I wonder if Riggs knew he employed cowards.

I know the rest of Burlesque Love has been emptied to avoid more issues from arising. An unclaimed omega is enough to cause sane men to go into a rage as they try to get at her. Throw in the charged atmosphere of the club and an Alpha like Silas, and it will probably end in bloodshed.

I never should have agreed to dance for him. I knew this was a bad idea from the moment Riggs asked me.

Taking a chance, I place my other hand in the center of Silas’ back before speaking.

“Silas,” I say softly.

His entire demeanor changes as he faces me. His body seems to want to curl around me and protect me from everyone else.

“It’s okay.” I cup his face gently, and he leans into my touch. I hear someone curse softly, but I don’t shift my attention from the enraged Alpha. “Tell me what is going on in your head. I know my scent is overwhelming, but you are one of the most powerful Alphas in the world. You can fight through the haze of lust.”

“You can’t feel it?” He asks with a frown.

“Feel what?”

“You’re mine. My mate. The one I all but gave up looking for.”

“No, Silas.” I shake my head in disbelief.

“You won’t feel it until the effects of the patch wears off,” Riggs says from the doorway. “The only reason he can tell is that he is an Alpha. A regular male would have missed it.”

Shock courses through my body at Riggs’ words. “How long does it take to wear off?”

“Seven to ten days.”

“But I know,” Silas says, gripping my chin and forcing me to look at him. “You are mine.”

“I don’t know you,” I pull away from him. “You could just want an omega you can knot. To use and leave behind.”

He looks like I physically slapped him, and I want to take back my words my words. But I learned long ago that if I don’t protect myself, no one else will.

“What now?” The man named Maddox asks.

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