When Banner growled again, I opened my eyes and looked at my mate. For a second, we just stared at each other before I finally murmured, “Adryan, I need you to go. I want to speak with Banner alone.”
When my brother stayed silent, I looked at him. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw clenched. People didn’t tell him what to do. They were too afraid of how unhinged he was on a good day, let alone pissing him off on a bad one. But I didn’t care, not right now.
“He’s my mate, and you know what that means.”
It means he’s here to stay, and I have a new protector.
A long moment passed where we stared at each other in this stand-off that I refused to back down from. And thank goodness Banner didn’t instigate things or make it worse with his alpha, cocky tendencies.
Instead, my mate came to stand beside me. I knew he’d insert himself between me and my brother as some kind of human shield. But I was once again thankful he let me have control in this situation.
Adryan chuckled. I looked at Banner, seeing his teeth gritted in aggression, a warning to my brother.
“Ye donna even think about my mate let alone protecting her. She’s mine.” Banner slammed his fist against his chest. “She’s mine.” The last word came out in a deafening roar that had my ears ringing.
Adryan narrowed his eyes at Banner. “Watch it, fucker. She’s my little sister, and I’ll always watch over her.”
Banner was seconds away from lunging at Adryan, but my disgruntled sound had them both looking back at me. Adryan sighed with impatience as if I were still a little girl in his eyes.
“Adryan,” I finally said. “Please.” I softened my voice, a tone I’d used when I was younger to get my way. We were both stubborn, but he was even more. His arrogance and assertiveness, the fact he made sure to always get his way, made trying to show him that he was in the wrong could be the hardest thing in the world.
“I’m not going far,” he said in a low, dangerous voice as he stared at Banner. “I’ll be right outside the cave.” He tapped his ear. “And believe me, wolf, I can hear just as well as your feral kind.”
Banner made a low sound of warning and took a step forward, but I reached out and placed my hand on his forearm. He stopped immediately and looked at me, his body so tense under my touch.
Adryan exhaled and then turned and left, and it was when he was out of sight and I heard him leave the cave that I felt the tension leave me.
Banner slowly turned to face me, and I didn’t miss how he shifted his body to the right so that his back was blocking the cavern entrance.
“Lass,” he gruffly said. “That’s yer brother?”
I swallowed and nodded. “He’s a little—”
“Fooking insane, darlin’. He’s fooking bluedy insane.”
I couldn’t deny it, and a strangled laugh left me. “Understatement, but yeah. But he’s harmless.”
Banner cocked a dark eyebrow and crossed his arms over his wide chest and smirked down at me. “Harmless? That male was about tae rip my heart out. Literally.”
All I could do was lick my lips and nod slowly. “He’s extreme, but he means well. He’s just protective.” I shouldn’t be downplaying Adryan’s insanity, but despite his failings or shortcomings, I loved him. He was my family. “It’ll take him a little bit to know his place where you and I are concerned.”
Banner slowly grinned at that and moved closer. “And where are ye and I concerned, Luna?”
Ohhh. Banner’s voice did funny, pleasurable things to my body.
Banner took a step forward, and I found myself taking one back. The scent of his desire was thick in the air, swirling around us, making mine rise even more.
He kept advancing, and although I retreated, it wasn’t because I was afraid. On the contrary. It was exciting when he came forward, that he was almost hunting me like I was his prey.
The rocky wall stopped my retreat, but he didn’t stop advancing until his chest brushed against mine, his massive form towering over me. He braced his hands on either side of my shoulders and leaned forward so his face was inches from mine.
I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent and moaning at the wild, sweet intensity of it.
“My sweet lass, I want ye so badly.” He trailed his lips along the corner of my mouth, across my cheek, and then moved his tongue along the shell of my ear. I rested my head back on the rocky wall, letting my eyes close, wishing that Adryan wasn’t right outside the entrance and could hear, no doubt smell everything that was happening right here, right now. I knew he’d be in here in an instant to start more shit, whether being with Banner—my mate—was consensual or not.