CHA-5

"Does anyone here know his pack or his kin?" I barked.

The guys just stared. I shifted, my claws itching to break skin. Every second we stood here was another second Brandon Cole or his sentries could catch our scent.

Jax finally stepped toward us. He looked at Cass, then softened his voice into an almost pathetic tone. "Hey, kid. Where do you want to go?"

Cass didn't even look at him. He flinched away from Jax's voice and burrowed his face back into my chest. I let out a low, rumbling purr to steady him.

Jax raised his eyebrows, shot me a look of pure judgment, and sighed. "Looks like he’s claimed you as his sanctuary, Navarro."

Adrenaline spiked through me. He wanted me.

Then the reality of Jax’s words hit, and I recoiled. "No. He can't come to my territory. That's insane."

"Luke, someone’s coming," Isabella hissed, her eyes darting toward the upper landing.

"Move!" Jax urged, grabbing my shoulder and shoving me toward the exit. "We’ll hold the line. Just get him out. If Cole’s scouts catch us with the Castillo heir, this whole school becomes a war zone."

I didn't argue. I sprinted into the freezing night with Isabella sprinting behind me. To the right, I saw Zachary Kowalski leading Patrick Muldoon on a wild goose chase near the equipment sheds.

Isabella beat me to the truck. She dug a spare key out of her gear, yanked the heavy door open, and stepped back.

"Thanks," I panted, trying to settle Cass onto the bench seat. But the moment my arms loosened, he let out a jagged whimper and dug his fingers into my jacket.

Dammit. I was starting to sweat despite the frost. Part of me—the part I hated—didn't want to let him go. This protector high was messing with my head. I liked being the only thing he trusted. But we were seconds from being caught.

"Cass, I have to drive," I pleaded, my voice thin. I cupped his face, trying to force him to look at me, to snap out of the trance. He just rocked his head back and forth, clutching my wrists. "You're okay," I whispered. "We're right here. I’m not leaving you."

His breathing turned into frantic, wet gasps. He was going to boil over again. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a vice. I couldn't watch him break again. "Cass, let go so I can get us out of here. Please."

"Just crawl in the back with him," Isabella hissed, her hands shaking as she gestured at the seat. "I'll take the wheel."

"Fine. Do it." I climbed into the back, pulling Cass onto my lap. Isabella slammed the door, threw her bags into the footwell, and cranked the engine.

She threw the truck into gear and caught my eye in the rearview mirror. She snickered. "So, you’re already calling him 'baby' now?"

I scowled at her reflection. "Shut up. It was a slip."

"Sure. Whatever you say, Romeo." She laughed under her breath and peeled out toward the main road. "Just don't forget he's a Castillo, not a pet."

I wanted to snap back at her, but Cass chose that moment to crawl fully into my lap, pressing his forehead against my heart.

I stopped breathing for a second, then wrapped my arms around him. "It's alright," I rumbled. "It's done. You're safe."

He exhaled a long, shaky breath and went still.

I sat there in the dark, realizing the absolute disaster I’d just invited into my life. The mate of my greatest rival was in my truck, heading to my home. Brandon Cole—a male I wanted to see stripped of his rank and rotting in the dirt—had just lost his partner to me. And Cass was so broken he’d probably let me do anything.

As we cleared the gates of the training complex, I looked out the tinted window. Brandon was leaning against the stone pillars of the entrance, looking like a wolf who’d just lost his entire world.

Good. He didn't deserve a second of sleep.

The windows were blacked out; he couldn't see me, couldn't even see that Isabella was driving. But I tightened my hold anyway, shielding Cass’s body with mine.

Brandon saw my truck and threw up a middle finger as we roared past.

He had no idea. I buried my nose in Cass’s hair, unable to stop a jagged, petty smile from spreading across my face. I’d just stolen the Alpha's prize right from under his snout.

The bastard should have looked after what was his.

LUKE

Cass had finally spiraled into a deep sleep by the time we reached the Navarro Ridge complex.

"I hate driving this tank," Isabella muttered, overshooting the only open space near my unit.

"What are you doing?" I barked. "There was a spot right there!"

The thought of lugging Cass’s weight across the parking lot didn't thrill me.

Isabella growled back. "You’re delusional if you think I can parallel park this beast in a gap that small. I’m going around. I’ll drop you at the door and find a spot elsewhere."

I started to offer a tip on how to handle the steering, but the look she gave me in the mirror shut my mouth fast. Growing up with a house full of sisters had taught me exactly when a male needed to be silent to keep his skin intact.

I sighed. "Fine."

By the time she looped back, the spot was taken. She double-parked next to a white sedan. My truck had those suicide doors that wouldn't open in the back unless the front was unlatched, so Isabella had to hop out and play valet.

When she opened the door, I hauled Cass to my chest. "Get the door for us. My keys are in my front pocket."

Isabella scanned the street. It was empty. She reached into my pocket—an awkward maneuver while I was holding a hundred and eighty pounds of wolf—and grabbed the ring.

She ran up the steps to my porch and had the door swinging wide by the time I reached the curb.

"Thanks," I grunted, stepping past her.

She just nodded and ran back to the idling truck.

I watched from the threshold until she was safely behind the wheel again, then I kicked the door shut.

A heavy, nameless weight settled in my chest. I carried Cass to the sofa, kneeling down to ease him onto the cushions. Since he was out cold, he didn't fight me or cling. Part of me missed the way he’d gripped my shirt, but most of me was just glad the screaming had stopped.

I reached out, my hand trembling slightly, and tucked a stray dark curl behind his ear. He didn't move. I bowed my head, my eyes burning. I’d never dealt with a breakdown like that. My sisters usually turned to each other when the world got heavy, not me.

It hit me then: Cass might be the first person who ever truly looked to me for comfort. I hadn't realized that being someone's anchor changed you. It rewired your chemistry. I felt a crushing sense of responsibility for him now.

I stayed on my knees beside the couch, watching him sleep. I realized right then that I’d go to war with every pack in the territory to keep him from breaking like that again. He had trusted me to be his shield.

That duty was mine now.