Destined (Darkin World Book 2)

Chapter Eleven

Something tickled her neck, bringing Breqlynn out of the deep sleep she'd been enjoying. The annoyance stopped, allowing her to slip back into dreamland.

A loud, animalistic sound had Breq's eyes popping open. Instantly, she came alert. Then, she saw Wolfrick leap over her and the couch. The sound of ceramic shattering made her bolt upright. Wincing, she felt her wound pull, then tear. With one hand, she pressed the bandage more firmly to her skin, hoping to stem the fresh flow of blood. A loud thump had her turning her head.

"I will kill you for touching what is mine." Wolfrick had Julian by the throat, threatening him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Jaeger?" At the sound of Breq's voice, Wolfrick's head turned. She noted his eyes were amber — not a good sign.

Breq rose and walked toward Wolfrick. "You need to let Julian go."

Jaeger lifted his lip and snarled at Breqlynn. Oh, she was so not taking that shit from him. With a sharp snap of air, she spanked his ass. Its sting was felt on her own.

"Don't interfere," Wolfrick growled. "I'll deal with you later." With that, the king of the shifters began to change into his half-form.

Poor Julian was turning red. What had he done to piss Wolfrick off so much? Suddenly, Breq remembered the teenager's objections to loaning her clothes, then the wolf's words upon her waking. Shit. She'd brushed Julian's arguments aside, thinking them ridiculous.

"Wolfrick, look at me." He wasn't hearing Breqlynn, so she smacked him upside the head with her free hand. "I said, look at me!"

The commotion brought others in the house running. Gideon, Breq recognized. The older, beefier version of Julian must be his father. But the tall, tough-looking woman with an Asian man she didn't know.

"I've got this," Breq told the newcomers, then slammed the door closed in their faces. No way was she going to let Julian's father witness what Wolfrick was doing to his son.

"Are you going to look at me or do I have to bitch slap you again?" Slowly, Jaeger's transforming head turned toward Breq. Her breath caught when she saw rage mixed with betrayal and hurt in his eyes.

"Nothing happened," Breqlynn managed to say calmly. Julian was beginning to turn blue around the lips, yet he still didn't struggle. "I was cold. Your t-shirts aren't enough to keep me warm. So, Julian lent me a pair of socks and sweatpants." With the hand not pressed against the bandage at her side, Breq pinched the dark material at her thigh. Pulling it out a few inches, she asked once Jaeger's gaze focused on the movement, "See? What you think happened, did not happen."

Finally, Breqlynn saw her words were getting through. Letting go of the material, she moved the hand up and touched the tense wrist that was holding the teenager against the wall. "Please, let him go."

Wolfrick did, and a gasping, coughing Julian crashed to the floor. Breq didn't dare take her eyes off the wolf. "Thank you," she all but whispered.

Shifting her hand from Jaeger's wrist, Breq cupped his elongated cheek. With a deep, shuddering breath, he changed back. His eyes were still a deep amber. "I'm sorry," he murmured, then leaned into her hand.

"I'm not the one who's owed an apology." Not wishing to raise Jaeger's hackles once more, it came out soft. Inside Breqlynn seethed at Wolfrick's total loss of control over something so stupid.

Below them, Julian protested. "It's okay."

"It most definitely is not okay." Breq's words shook with anger. Loudly, she cleared her throat.