“Alpha Loreck,” he continued, “demands retribution. Which we are more than happy to act out on the rogue himself, if you desire. Where is he?”
“No.” Loren didn’t even realize that she’d spoken until the man’s head swiveled in her direction.
Stupid girl!A part of her hissed.What are you doing?
What you should do,her inner voice murmured.Assert your place. This is your land. Defend it!
How? She had no clue. A cold sweat dripped down her spine. She couldn’t breathe. The leader seemed aware of her weakness. He took her in with one skeptical gaze, raising a scarlet eyebrow.
“I’m guessing you’re willing to suffer in his place?” He shrugged.“No matter—”
“Leave her out of this,” Micha insisted, grappling for her shoulder. “She didn’t do anything!”
As weak as he was, it was easy to shrug him off.
Completely devoid of emotion, Loren took a step, then another, crossing the short distance that separated her from the group of men. Her mind went blank. She didn’t have time to process the fear.
“Leave,” she told him in a voice she barely even recognized. It was cold. Hard. Icy. Nothing at all like the trademark Loren Connors’ timid little whisper.
“I don’t think so, pup,” the red-haired man replied, with a shake of his head. “Your mate overstepped the boundaries. There must be consequences. Bill knows this.”
Bill. Mate.The words bounced around the inside of her skull, but she pushed them away—later.
“Youoverstepped the boundaries,” Loren insisted. Somehow, her voice didn’t shake, easily rivaling his.
“Loren!” Micha sounded terrified in comparison. “Loren, get back—”
No.This time she didn’t even waste her breath saying the word aloud. She just tilted her head back, ignoring the rain that slid down her forehead. With a confidence she couldn’t explain, she met the red-haired man’s mocking stare and held it.
Prove yourself,that voice in her head growled.He is nothing to us. Nothing.
He had brown eyes. Sharp and vibrant, they reflected the shadows and seemed to glow.Animal eyes,a part of her whispered.
But she didn’t turn away—not that she could. Something deep inside forced her to keep the eye contact.Don’t back down now,it warned.Show no fear.
“Youaregoing to leave,” she said, though her voice was even louder. A stranger’s. “Now.”
She heard Micha make a sound that could have been a groan. “Loren…”
The red-haired man didn’t seem to mind the challenge. The corner of his mouth twitched like he wanted to laugh, but…
As time went on, his gaze narrowed, darkened, and as even more seconds passed, they widened again.
Then, he frowned.
The entire while, Loren never let her gaze slip. She kept it honed on him like a laser. This moment reminded her of middle school, wheremental games of tug of war ran rampant. The strangest thing was that she wasn’t the one struggling to stay upright in this little game.
Hewas.
It was like the reverse of her and McGoven. She could sense the fight in him. See his struggle in the way his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Then, slowly, but surely, a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead to mingle with the rain.
All of it added up to one conclusion that should have beenimpossible.
She was winning.
Of course, I am, some shadowy part of her insisted, almost bored.He is no match.
But the man didn’t seem to accept the fact. He scowled, his upper lip pulling back from his teeth. It was like she could read his mind. She should have turned away, he assumed. Meekly submitted to die.