Derek’s POV I shook my head as I watched Julia walk away from me. What the hell was I doing letting that curvy little vixen get to me? I didn’t take girls out on first dates, let alone want to do it again. But something about her made me want to spoil her, protect her, and fuck her all at the same time. My eyes were glued to the way her tight jeans hugged her perfect ass as she sauntered away. It triggered images of her bare ass on display the other night when she was riding the bartending. The memory left me equal parts turned on as fuck and pissed the hell off. Just the thought of him with his hands on her made me livid. I tried to pull my mind back to the present, enjoying the way the silver moonlight bounced off her hair. It was up in a loose braid that started on one side of her head and angled down to the other, leaving the rest of her curls draped over her shoulder in soft waves. I’d spent the whole evening dreaming about winding those curls around my fingers while I pounde

Derek’s POV Julia and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other as we stumbled in the door of my apartment. We tore at each other’s clothes while our tongues tangled and teeth nipped. She tasted fucking fantastic, like sweet cinnamon apples, and I was starving for her. When I walked into that bar and saw that fucker with his arm around her, whispering in her ear like he belonged with her, I saw red! If Dillon hadn’t been there, I would have launched the little twirp across the bar. As it was, I had to watch the whole lot of them flirt with her until Dillon got up to leave. Even Kylo snarled in my head at the way they casually touched her, put their hands on her like she didn’t belong to me. She might not be our fated mate but my wolf did not give two fucks for such minor details when it came to Julia Kane. We’d already decided she was ours, fated bond or not. “”Fuck, Derek!” Julia moaned as I pinned her to the wall and nipped my way down her neck. She had already managed to

Derek’s POV “What the fuck is up your ass?” I finally cornered Dillon after the third time he’d snapped at one of the junior warriors for absolutely fucking nothing. “Nothin’ is up my ass!” He barked back. “I just don’t want to see anyone get killed because they did something stupid!” “Fine, man. Listen, you’ve been a pain in the ass all week. If that’s what you need to tell yourself to justify your behavior, that’s on you. But I’m here if you want to talk about it.” I offered. “I’m going to ask Blair to be my chosen mate!” He blurted out. I just stood there blinking at him for a full minute. I’m pretty sure trying to make sense of that statement just damaged my few remaining brain cells. I was struggling to find words to express my disbelief. “What the actual fuck, man?” Yep. That’s all I could come up with. “We’re friends. She cares about me.” He shrugged. “I’m tired of the game. Tired of being alone.” “She’s a rank-climbing whore who you recently told me you regret

Derek’s POV “Dude, are we going to the bar tonight?” That kid, I think his name was Kevin, asked his buddies. I wasn’t purposely listening to their conversation. I was just putting equipment away after training and happened to overhear them. It was those three pricks that Julia called “just friends” that she’d been with at the bar the night Dillon and I got back in town. “Sure! I’ll call Jules and tell her the plan. Gotta take our girl to our favorite hangout!” One of the other pricks answered. I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself not to beat them to a bloody pulp, ensuring they were all too crippled to dance at a bar with my girl! Except she wasn’t my girl anymore. I’d seen to that. If I hadn’t been such a fucking dumbass, she would be snuggled up tight with me in my bed tonight. Those three little assholes wouldn’t even be a thought in her mind. But I had to go and let my fucking pride ruin the best thing that had ever happened to me. “I know we’ve been fri

Derek’s POV “You look pale. Tell me what’s wrong, sweetness.” I reached for Julia when she met me at the entrance to the bar, but she just brushed by me. “Drink first. Talk later.” She muttered, heading straight for her usual table. My wolf was rattled. Neither of us liked seeing her this way, obviously shaken by something. Find the problem. Fix the problem. The mantra replayed in my head as I followed her. The waitress took our order and I was shocked when Jules ordered a shot of tequila with her vodka soda. Something definitely had her frazzled. It was taking considerable effort to keep Kylo from taking control. “Baby, I’m dying here. Please tell me what the fuck is going on.” I pushed when she tossed back the shot and downed her vodka like a cool glass of water on a hot day. “You know how you wanted to tell my brother about us?” She raised one perfectly formed eyebrow at me. “Of course I remember. It led to the worst week of my entire life. But I meant it when I said