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bloodied and battered bear and the next he was a stained and panting human.
Trista s hands hadn t left him, her touch remaining through his change as if she were afraid he d
disappear on her. He wouldn t. Not now, not ever. He d made a commitment in his mind last night and
it became a truth by standing against his brothers to ensure her safety. In that one instant, in that
moment when he faced Ty and didn t relent, he d set himself on a new path.
One that included her and not them.
His bear was not upset by that fact. It accepted that the walls standing between him and his
brothers remained steadfast and now higher than before.
Reaching behind himself, he grasped one of Trista s shaking hands and gave it a gentle squeeze,
doing his best to reassure her without words. When the shakes lessened, he assumed she d gotten the
point.
 Someone  his voice was hoarse from his vibrating roars  is going to explain why the Itan s
guest, my guest, was assaulted in my home.
He didn t leave room for an argument and he sure as hell wasn t going to take blustering bullshit
from any of the men before him.
 You re defending one of them. Van spat the word.  Do you know what her family did?
At least he knew who d started the fight.
 Did you try and stop it, Ty? Or were you both fighting to see who d kill her first? The answer
would determine who he d battle first. Now that he was faced with Van s words and not just his
brother s actions, the bear s desire for blood returned.
 Of course I tried to stop him, Ty snapped.
 Uh-huh. Keen concentrated on the third male in the room. Not just a wolf, but the Redby Alpha.
From all accounts, he was a crazed son of a bitch who sliced and diced and didn t bother asking
questions later. He d done that to the Boyne Falls Alpha as well as his own Beta.  Reid?
The male shrugged.  I scented her before I even entered the house and I m not opposed to
finishing off my enemies. The wolf leaned to look past him.  We ve been doing this dance for years
now. He grinned, the evil smile lined with blood. Reid licked his lips.  His little sister half-sister
 has been escaping me for months, but don t you think it s time to end it?
The body at his back stilled, frozen in place, and her hands no longer trembled.
 That s what the scent is. Ty s eyes darkened to midnight and fur sprouted along his arms.  I told
you she smelled familiar. She s that bastard s sister. You brought the sister of the hyena s pack Alpha
into my home.
Keen s bear reacted in kind, his own brown fur coating his arms and chest while his nails tingled
in anticipation of his shift.
 She could be the devil herself, but she is here under the articles of visitation, under my
protection  he ignored Trista s surprised gasp  which means she comes to no harm. He kept his
voice firm, allowing them to hang over the room, and there was not a hint of recognition in Ty and
Van s eyes. Reid, however, glared at him.
 What are ?
Keen spoke over Van and rattled off the location of the law without hesitation.  Volume Three,
Section Two, Paragraph Four, Sub-section Three, Paragraph Seven. Not waiting for any of the males
to question him further, he reached back and grasped Trista s hand.  And now, we re leaving. He
stepped forward, heading toward the doorway, and Van moved to intercept him. Keeping his gaze
settled on his brother, Keen spoke once again.  I forgave one attempt on her life due to your
ignorance, but I won t tolerate another, Van.
 Do you know ?
 I know you re breaking the law, that not two minutes ago you were ready to break the law! His
voice echoed off the walls and silence followed in its wake.  We re leaving. He looked to Ty.  I ll
send someone to pack my things.
 Keen, be reasonable. There are plenty of women in the clan, you don t need to 
 I would advise you to shut your mouth, Ty. His bear pushed against his flesh, stretching it until
he felt as if he d split wide if he didn t release the animal.  It s taking everything in me not to kill you
three. And you know I can. Van snorted in disbelief, but Ty s eyes widened and it seemed reality
finally dawned on his eldest brother. Adrenaline wasn t the only thing that d fueled his stand against
Ty. No, pure ability and dominance filled Keen from head to toe.  We re leaving.
Keen turned his back on the males and nudged Trista into action, pushing her from the room.
 Keen, she whispered and he shook his head, silencing her.
The next feminine voice he heard belonged to Mia and he turned his attention to the Itana. She
stood framed in the kitchen entry, her hand lying protectively on her belly as she blocked their path.
 Keen, it doesn t have to be this way.
He gave her a rueful smile and shrugged.  It was going to happen someday. You and I talked about
that. It just happened sooner rather than later.
 But& 
Keen shook his head.  It doesn t matter now.
 But& 
 Isn t up for discussion. I ll call you later and we can talk more then. For now&  He checked his
watch and noted the time. Trista s mention of the laws of visitation slammed into him and he realized
they needed to get a move on if he wanted to keep her from ending up in trouble once again. He spoke
to Trista.  Let s grab your things and I ll pack a bag. We need to get going.
Trista s twelve hours were almost up.
*
She&
And then they&
And he just&
Trista allowed Keen to push her farther down the hallway. Her shoe caught on the carpet, sending
her stumbling forward, but his warm hands grasped her forearms and kept her upright. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]