2: His Court

XAVIER

The moment the gym doors crashed open, my wolf lunged toward the surface when three men in suits strolled in like this was some kind of James Bond movie.

MINE. PROTECT HER.

Kane’s voice was a snarl in my skull, tearing at the mental restraints I’d kept locked tight for years. He sensed a threat and he was ready to fight.

From their scent I knew they weren’t wolves. And since their eyes haven’t left the girl standing next to me, it’s easy to assume they were there for her.

Well, that was a twist I hadn't expected when I walked into the gym and found her.

The buzzing under my skin from the game stopped when I noticed how still Mia had gone beside me. Her heart was pounding so hard I felt it in my bones.

Her scent, mixed with a bit of fear, hit me again, crawling under my skin like fire.

“Hello, sweetheart,” the man in front said, and something dark twisted inside me.

Kane didn’t like that and neither did I. I didn't want him looking at her, much less speaking to her. The thought was crazy but my mind has become something else since I inhaled her scent when I first came in.

“Your father’s been looking for you.” The same man added.

“David,” she said, her voice carefully neutral. “I didn’t realize my father sent his security team to campus.”

“He’s concerned. You left your engagement party rather abruptly.” David’s eyes flicked to me then back to her again. “We’re here to escort you home.”

“I’m not going home.”

“I’m afraid that’s not a request, Miss Danvers.”

Kane surged again, harder this time. He didn’t like the way these men were looking at Mia. Didn’t like the barely concealed threat in their voices. He simply didn’t like them existing in the same space as our—

No. She wasn’t ours. She was human. This wasn’t my problem. I should leave and let her deal with whatever this is.

But when David took a step toward Mia, I moved before I could think, stepping into his line of sight, blocking him from reaching her. His eyes flicked to me dismissively. I was close to letting my wolf tear him apart.

“The lady said she’s not going,” my voice was even.

David’s eyes narrowed. “And you are?”

“Someone who’s wondering why three grown men need to corner a college student in an empty gym at midnight.”

The temperature in the room dropped. David snarled at me.

“This is a family matter. It doesn’t concern you.”

“Xavier,” Mia said softly behind me, and hearing my name in her mouth made something in my chest twist. “It’s okay. I’ll—”

“No.” I couldn’t look at her. If I did, if I saw fear in those storm gray eyes, Kane would rip through my control and these men would see exactly what I was. “You don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to go.”

“How noble,” David said. “But you’re out of your depth, boy. This girl is engaged to be married. Her father and her fiancé are waiting. And trust me when I say you don’t want to get in the middle of this.”

I felt my eyes begin to change, my canines lengthening at his words. I forced them back with effort that made my muscles scream.

“Then I guess we have a problem,” I said, “because I’m already in the middle of it.”

David stared at me for a long moment. I could see him calculating, weighing the cost of pushing this further. Whatever he saw in my face made him reconsider.

“Fine,” he said finally. “We’ll give Miss Danvers some time to think about her choices.” He looked past me to Mia. “But your father expects a call soon. And your fiancé…” He smiled. “You know Mr. Alaric can be very persuasive when he wants to be. I’d hate to see him… disappointed.”

His threat was clear.

“We’ll be in touch,” David said. Then he and his men turned and walked out, the doors slamming shut behind them.

I turned to find Mia staring at me, her hand still clutching that necklace. Her eyes were wide, her face pale, but there was something else there too.

“Why did you do that?” she whispered.

Because you’re mine, my wolf howled. Because I’d burn this entire city down before I let them take you.

“No one would allow a girl to follow three strange men in the middle of the night.” I said instead.

“I don’t need a savior.” She looked at me like I insulted her.

“I know.”

“And now you’re involved. Now they’ll…” She shook her head. “They’ll come after you. You shouldn’t have—”

“I know that too.”

Mia looked at me like she was trying to figure out a puzzle that didn’t quite fit together.

Before she could ask any of the questions I could see on the tip of her tongue, I dismissed her. “Go back to your dorm. You shouldn’t be out by this time.”

I expected her to argue, I could see the wheels turning in her head.

“Thank you,” she said finally. “For… whatever that was.”

Then she grabbed her bag and walked toward the exit. She paused at the door, looking back at me one more time.

I stood alone in the empty gym, my wolf howling in my head, my hands still trembling with the effort of keeping my claws sheathed. My body is still buzzing from the few times we touched while playing the game. I felt like I was on fire and I needed to burn all of that energy somehow.

I was certain about one thing. That girl was going to be the death of me.