Jace is here. He came for me. To save me. He’s not the only monster on the street now and I can feel anger coming from all of them, but Jace is the only one that matters.
CHAPTER 9
JACE
I don’t need Dakota to tell me who this fucker is. It’s her twat of an ex, the one who put his hands on her before. I wasn’t going to go and hunt him down, content with my woman in my arms as I worked on tearing down her walls, the ones she put up because of him.
He made a mistake by coming onto my turf. I look around and notice I’m not the only one who came out to investigate my mate’s screams. A sense of pride and community I thought was lost fills me. I’ve isolated myself, even from my fellow monsters, because I couldn’t take it.
I was afraid.
Even if they’re not out here for me, I’ll take it. Dakota has made an impression on a lot of people in a short amount of time, only further proving to me she belongs here, that she’s mine. I heard her screams as I was already on my way to her. Feeling her terror through our bond was almost too much for me to take and I cursed myself at being so far away from her.
I should have watched over her at the shop, but she insisted I needed to do my job. She wasn’t exactly wrong, but now I don’t know if I’ll be able to let my mate out of my sight for a very long time. The feelings coming from her as they washed over me had me moving faster than I ever have before.
I’ve never been thankful for the creature I was made into before, but right now, as I see the fear in Macneal’s eyes, I could kiss Karloff. I won’t, but I’ll think about apologizing to him for treating him like shit and putting all the blame on him.
“Your mate,” Macneal scoffs. He waves his hand toward Dakota who is using the front window of Paws Up to hold herself up. “This bitch? She’s mine. I came to collect her,” he sneers the words and the feral part of me which was already on edge pushes against the chains of my control.
I growl, the sound low and threatening. I can smell the fear coming off him, but he doesn’t back down. So, not only is he an abusive fuck, but he’s stupid.
“She’s not yours.” I shake my head slowly, my steps decisive and measured as I get closer to him. I don’t know if I’ll be able to let him leave here with his life. I hope it doesn’t make Dakota think less of me. “You abused her.” There are a few gasps from those watching on the street. I can feel how much they want to step up to my side, but they know I need to do this. “You filled her with fear. You terrorized her and you pushed her to find a new home. She’s found it here.”
He looks around him, but instead of running away with his tail between his legs, he lets out a maniacal laugh. “Home? With you fucking freaks? I don’t think so,” he snarls.
He takes a step toward my mate, and I see red. I grip his shoulder, feeling a pop in my hand as I spin him. The first hit flies and breaks his nose. He screams in pain and drops to his knees.
“I’ll have you arrested for assault,” he screams.
This time it’s my turn to laugh. I shake my head slowly. “You think we have police here? A sheriff? You think they’d care or get involved? Look around you. We police ourselves and you’re an abusive fuck.”
The fear coming off him is intoxicating and it only fuels my need to hurt him, to break him, to show him he will never touch Dakota again. My next hit is against his temple, knocking him out, but it’s not enough. Not nearly enough.
I follow him down and land blow after blow. I need to bathe in his blood. I need to protect my mate. Always my mate.
“Jace,” Dakota whimpers.
The red haze clears like whisps on the wind, and I snap my head over to where she’s still holding herself up against the window. I expect her to be looking at me with horror, but I don’t see any in her eyes. I check the bond and it’s not filled with fear either.
I suck in a breath when I realize it’s filled with love. Love for me. And relief. So much fucking relief.
She doesn’t look down at her ex, she locks her gaze with mine and I get lost in her ice blue eyes. I stand up slowly, my movements jerky because I don’t want to scare her. I know Macneal is still alive because I can hear his heart beating. I wouldn’t be sad if he were dead, but I don’t need his death on my soul, not when I have this woman in my life.
My woman. My mate.
“Please take care of the trash,” I throw over my shoulder knowing someone will deal with him.
They might patch him up and send him on his way or they’ll dispose of him by giving him exactly what he deserves. I don’t know and I don’t care. As long as he’s gone and never comes back, it’s enough for me.
When I get to my mate, I pull her against my chest and bury my face in her neck, taking in her scent and letting it calm the last vestiges of the fear in me that I wouldn’t get to her in time. “I’m sorry,” I murmur against her skin.
“Sorry?” She chokes out the words, “Why would you be sorry? You saved me.”
“You saw a side of me I never wanted to show you,” I admit on a whisper.
Her fingers thread through my hair before she pulls me back from her and my heart starts to crack, but then she looks into my eyes. “I’m grateful you came. I was so scared.”
My shoulders slump and I let out a low whine. “I know, I could feel it.”