“No,” I said.
He kept his gaze locked on me. “You’re as insolent as your parents, you know.”
What was that supposed to mean? My parents had been nothing but loyal to the pack my entire life. I shook my head. It didn’t matter. There were more pressing things to handle.
“I’m not going back,” I said, letting every ounce of hatred and anger I had ever felt toward Farrow and the rest of the pack bleed into the words. “Even if Jameson turned me out right now,I would just run. You can threaten me all you want, but the only way I’m going back with you and marrying Akron is if you drag me there, kicking and screaming.”
Farrow eyed me levelly. Every instinct in me was screaming to back down, to walk away with my tail between my legs, but I held firm, taking strength from my wolf, who was just as furious as I was.
“That can be arranged quite easily,” he said, his voice as cold as ice.
I realized the Silver Wolves weren’t going to deter him from his goal, after all, and that I’d made a huge mistake in standing this close to him.
He lunged a split second before I realized what he was about to do, and I wasn’t able to dodge him in time. His hand wrapped around my wrist, squeezing so tight that he nearly shattered my bones as he yanked me toward him.
I screamed, ready to fight with everything I had. But a moment later, a large hand was wrapped around Farrow’s neck, squeezing. Farrow’s eyes bulged.
“Let her go. Now.” Sam snarled, his face inches from the alpha’s. “Before I crush your windpipe.”
Farrow’s mouth gaped open and closed like a fish, and he released me, his fingers darting to his neck to pry Sam’s hand away. His two guards moved to jump on Sam, but Rand and Mark growled at them the instant they moved a muscle, and the two men froze.
“That’s enough, Sam,” Jameson said. “I’m pretty sure he gets the point.”
Reluctantly, Sam released Farrow, who hacked and coughed as he stumbled backward.
“Lay another hand on her, and it’ll be the last thing you do,” Sam growled. “I should have killed you the last time I saw you.”
“You’ll pay for that,” Farrow wheezed. “You just attacked an alpha unprovoked—”
“Like hell it was unprovoked,” Luke growled. “You just tried to kidnap someone right in front of us.”
“She’s a member of our pack. I have a right to—”
“I’m not a member anymore,” I snapped. My wrist throbbed dully, and I rubbed it with my other hand. “We both know it.”
“You—” Farrow began.
“Stella is under our protection,” Jameson interrupted. “And she’s made it pretty clear she’s left your pack, meaning you have no authority over her. So the next time you threaten her or anyone else in my pack, we aren’t going to be as courteous. Do you understand?”
Farrow scowled, but he started backing toward the door.
“You’ll regret this,” he said. “This entire town is going to burn.”
“I’ll let Rand and Mark see you out,” Jameson said pleasantly, ignoring the threat.
Farrow gave Jameson and then me a look of pure, unadulterated loathing, then spun on his heels and marched out with his two men, Rand and Mark close behind them.
Chapter 12 - Sam
The minute the door closed, I ran over to Stella.
“Are you all right?” I asked. Inside, I was seething, my wolf enraged. He wanted that fucker to pay for what he’d done. He’d tried to take Stella. If Jameson hadn’t stopped me in time, I doubted I would have been able to stop.
My hands went to Stella’s shoulders. I needed to touch her, to know that she was still here. I glanced down at her, my eyes locking on her wrist, where red fingerprints were already blooming. The anger resurged as I took in the sight, and my wolf bristled. That asshole had hurt Stella. He had tried to kidnap her, and he’d nearly succeeded. If I had been a second or two later, he would’ve pulled her against him and been able to use her as a hostage to ensure his safe escape.
The thought made my heart race and my wolf snarled, begging to be released so he could hunt down the other shifter and tear him to shreds.
“I’m fine,” she said, giving me a shaky smile. Her entire body was trembling.