She snorted and shoved me. "Be serious."
"I am serious," I insisted, gliding a knuckle along her jaw. "And who saysIwon't be the one causing issues? Maybe I'll annoy you endlessly rehearsing Sunday services? Maybe—" I swallowed, and got real for a second. "Maybe my instincts will go wild and make me overprotective of you, and you'll find me stifling."
"I'll just poke you with the reacher-grabbers," she fired back, her eyebrows shooting up at my sudden laugh. "What? I'm serious."
I softened, her humour lifting the heavy weight from my chest. "I'm so glad you don't hate me."
"I don't hate anyone," she huffed—but paused. "Maybe—maybe them. The alphas who—"
I squeezed her into a tight hug, sinking through the latent bond with all the comfort and reassurance I possessed. "I hate them too, Luna. I hate every single one of them, every abusive monster in the world, but the ones who hurt you—I hate them the most."
I knew where they were. There was nothing stopping me paying them a visit. Well, except Tybalt who was still interrogating them, but I had a feeling he'd be fine with me killing the trash who hurt my mate. It was just a matter of finding which one—or ones since she'd saidalphas,plural.
"What's going on?" Luna asked, clear brown eyes squinting up at me. "I think—I can feel you? Or maybe I've been feeling you for a while and just not realising it. You feel … like a storm."
I winced. "Nothing's going on."
She gave me a dubious look.
Ah, shit. I couldn’t deny her anything she wanted.
So I explained, "I’m just imagining what I'd do to those alphas, were I to get my hands on them."
"Which you won't," she said, holding my stare. "Right?"
"Answer me one thing, Luna."
"No promises," she murmured.
"Would you feel safer with those alphas dead?"
She glanced away—and noticed the eggs now blackened and stuck to the pan. "Shit, the eggs!"
She dove away, but I caught her waist and spun her back into me.
"Luna," I said firmly.
"Yes," she muttered, scowling. "I'd be safer with them gone. But you can't just go aroundkillingpeople; you're a vicar."
"I'm an outlaw, darling." I ducked to kiss her temple. "And an alpha. No one hurts my mate and gets to live."
"That's madness," she huffed.
"Regretting agreeing to be my mate already?" I asked, partly teasing, partly dreading her answer.
But Luna rolled her eyes, squeezing my waist. "No chance. Just—don't tell me when you hurt people."
My heart plummeted.
I made her uncomfortable, probably evenrepulsedher—
"That way if the police ask, I can't tell them anything to hurt you even if they growl at me," she finished.
She was … protecting me?
I was so stunned that she successfully ducked away to take the pan off the heat. The kitchen smelled of burnt food but only sweet citrus filled my senses.
I waited for Luna to turn off the hob before I swept her into my arms and kissed her, swallowing her groan with a thrill of happiness and relief.