Dawn cringed, as she tried to say still around the barrel of the gun. One false move and his trigger finger could slip. Curling her eyes towards his face, Dawn took note of the sweat dripping from Atticus’ brow, his green eyes brimming, as he worked to keep the gun steady at her cheek. Poor guy. He wasn’t cut out for the snatch and grab with a dozen eyes on him. However, as Dawn’s knees knocked together, she felt even less sure to the call of action. Wanting only to run, with Cade so close, she kicked back, her heel crashing into his shin.

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

Cade’s cry seemed to drag her through the dirt, and her hands nearly hit his ankles when she felt her body lifted to her feet, Atticus’ gun back at her cheek as he held her tight. Cade mirrored the man’s move, as he wrestled the older Panther to his feet and brought a forth a burst of blood from his cheek.

 

“What the hell is right?” he asked. “Got to keep that cunt close. Or at least keep her in line.”

 

Cade started to drive the blade deeper when Dawn forgot the bullet ready to enter her brain at any second. She had to say the right thing to throw them off the scent. It wasn’t just about the story now.

 

It was about the man who had made her fly.

 

“You think you can, pal?”

 

“Is that what you want?”

 

Falling into his hands meant no more flying, and she nearly gagged on the thought of what he might do to her, as she lowered her eyes.

 

“I want lots of things,” Dawn whispered. “Maybe…maybe this…maybe even your boy here.”

 

Swallowing hard, Dawn shitted her eyes past Atticus’ gun and found his sad eyes. Just a dumb kid. Give him a thrill, and she might have at least one of them eating right out of her hand.

 

“Come here.”

 

Dawn kissed his lips softly, and even as she heard Cade’s groan at her neck, she intensified her pursuit of his mouth. Atticus gave nothing in return, and she endured the Alphas’ laughter, as she saw Cade’s cheeks burn out of the corner of her eye.

 

“So, this is who you bring to the dance?” George asked. “Touch getting a little soft, boy.”

 

Enduring the mocking waves and Cade’s hurt stare, Dawn still took Atticus closer to her chest. Feeling him fall to his knees, she waited until all eyes turned to meet Cade’s humiliation. She rested her hand on Atiticus’ cock, feeling him down for everything, as she finally pried the gun from his sweating palm.

 

“What the hell is she—?”

 

Tumbling over her head and back to her feet, Dawn regained her footing, pointing the gun the just under Cade’s arms to Atticus.

 

“What do we…what do I do, Norm?” Atticus trembled, as Dawn cocked the trigger, and she pushed Norm to his feet, as Cade started to grind the knife deeper and hissed into his ear.

 

“What do you do?” Cade asked. “Looks like my girl took your boy out in like five seconds flat.”

 

Even as Dawn kept the gun in her hands, she longed for Cade to swirl into a new kind of action and let her finger leave the trigger.

 

“So, let’s see if she can see it through,” Norm hissed. “Or is she just posing?”

 

Dawn’s arms felt heavy, as she clutched the gun tighter. She couldn’t do it; she couldn’t kill a man even if he was the enemy, Cade’s enemy.

 

“She’s not part of this!”

 

Cade pushed Norm into Lenny’s small arms, as he tried to race to her side when George held him back, his gun aimed squarely at his fellow Alpha’s forehead.

 

“Then, why the hell is she back here?” George asked. “If you don’t want a taste, then what’s her real deal?”

 

The blonde held his tongue, as Dawn felt sure that she would have to fire a bullet so he could save face. She couldn’t…there was no way that she could…

 

“Cade?”

 

Fighting the tremble in her tone as she spoke his name, she kicked Atticus aside, tearing off her shirt as she fell into his arms.

 

“Did I do good, baby?” she asked. “You want to grab a rack like right now?”

 

He looked at her with worry in his stare, and Dawn narrowed her eyes, silently pleading with him to move on her sudden lie, as she pushed her fingers into his arm.

 

“I…I want to…”

 

Before he could speak her name, Dawn kissed him hard, wrapping her arms around his neck and hoping.

 

“Take out the trash,” George laughed. “Cade’s girl is DTF.”

 

Letting them think that, she waited until Cade’s breath was at her back. Flashing him a quick wink, she nodded and felt their minds mesh.

 

“Now,” she whispered.

 

Cade touched her arms, and she moaned into his hold, as she felt him peel the gun from her hands. He stuffed the piece into his waistband, and Dawn watched as both men endured a smattering of fists to their faces on account of the Alphas. Grateful that she wasn’t the one who had to cut them down where they stood, she cowered into Cade’s chest when Lenny rolled under an idle truck and reappeared with a shotgun in his arms.

 

“It’s old school,” he said. “But you’ll take off now and keep your distance.”

 

Norm stared to charge forward again when Atticus held him back, a stream of snot dripping from his nose as he kept tugging on the older man’s sleeve.

 

“Back pedal,” Atticus said. “There’s more of them than we figured on.”

 

“There’s one slit,” Norm said. “Take her out and—”

 

Norm spied his fallen gun, and he tried to reach for the piece when Cade kneed him in his side.

 

“No one but me touches her.”

 

Cade stamped the ground for good measure, and he rammed his fist into Norm’s face. He groaned as he stopped short of tearing the man’s head from his neck. Then, he reached behind his back and took hold of Dawn’s hand. As soon as their eyes locked, Dawn managed to nod her head and speak softly.

 

“Do you really want to do this?” she asked. “Is it you?”

 

He grunted and looked ready to land the death blow when he held back and ordered his men to let the Panthers leave.

 

“What the fuck?” George demanded “Are you crazy?”

 

Dawn’s firmly planted her hands on Cade’s back, as she shifted her lips to his ears and whispered lightly. “It’s the right thing,” she said softly. “Only way you can tell your story.”

 

“Or you.”

 

She wanted to take words back and just take him into her arms, but Cade grunted, as he pushed her back. He retrieved his knife, as he pushed the tip of the blade into Norm’s neck. Holding her breath, Dawn feared that Cade would cut his throat—when he simply sliced the man’s cheek. Dawn absorbed his cry, as he pushed him back and gripped Atticus by his throat.

 

“You…you get lost and pass the good word around,” Cade started. “We can kill you. So can…”

 

His eyes drifted towards Dawn, and she tried to hide her hands behind her back as he smiled at her softly.

 

“So can my girl,” he said. “So get lost and don’t come back.”

 

Cade pushed Atticus away, and he helped Norm to his feet.

 

“Not at the moment,” Atticus said. “There’s too many of them.”

 

“You’re just scared of her,” Norm said. “You could have snapped her neck and—”

 

“Never happening.”

 

Cade clutched the handle of his knife tighter, as he kept driving them back and until the Panthers were at their bikes. The men mounted, and Cade’s stare stayed hard, as Atticus raced off and Norm fixed his eyes into a cold glare.

 

“We’ll be back,” he threatened. “Better watch yourself. And your little slut.”

 

The bikes moved off into the night, and Dawn’s knees buckled. So much more than she had bargained for, and she started to turn away from him when Cade pulled her close and peered into her eyes.

 

“Hold still,” he quietly warned. “Let me keep you safe.”

 

Dawn started to struggle against him when Cade kept her close. Again he whispered into her ear, and Dawn tried to pull away when his arm tightened around her waist. One look from his eyes nearly cooled her rage, but she was ready to push him back when Lenny charged forward.

 

“You…you said to keep my ears open,” he started.

 

“So what did you hear?”

 

“I…they think that…that she’s a smokescreen.”

 

“I am not!” Dawn insisted. “I’m—”

 

“Did you get a lead on the rest of their plans?” Cade asked, as he kept Dawn back.

 

“I…it’s all I got, Cade.”

 

He kept his hand in Dawn’s, as he pulled her away from the other Alphas. For a slight second, his shoulders sagged, and Dawn moved to touch his arms when he suddenly whirled away from her and took her into his arms.

 

“Keep quiet,” he whispered. “We’ll talk soon.”

 

She was ready to protest when he slapped his hand to her mouth. Dawn whimpered into his palm, wanting to break free, when he pressed a stealthy kiss to her hair, his hand curling around her neck as their eyes locked. Dawn stood tall, her body following the path of his back, as he stared down the other Alphas and gritted his teeth.

 

“Who let them get close?” Cade started. “A second time around?”

 

Save for George, Lenny and the other Alphas shuffled their feet. Even as Dawn listened hard, not one of them did anything but mutter under their collective breath. Cade kept her close and stood taller, as George rushed back to his side.

 

“What does it matter?” George asked. “They’re still onto us. And you’re girl is part of it.”

 

“I never said that—”

 

“Who the hell is she anyway?” he asked. “Doesn’t look so hot now.”

 

Cade shot him a sharp glance over his shoulder that served to silence his laughter but not his smirk. Dawn wished for a weapon of her own, or at least the chance to use her hands and smack the smugness from his face. However, she held back under the force of Cade’s hold and sucked in a deep breath, as he squared his shoulders.

 

“Reese is waiting,” Cade said slowly.

 

“Real Boss Man?” George said.

 

“Just gas up and get going.”

 

Lenny didn’t need a second word, and the other Alphas started to follow. However, George held his ground, as Cade dangled his knife just under the man’s beard.

 

“Don’t make me say it again,” Cade threatened.

 

“I’ll say whatever the fuck I want,” George hissed. “Who is she?”

 

“Friend of the pack,” Cade said. “And under my power.”

 

Dawn felt her heart swell at the sound of his words. In a life before yesterday, she would have flinched at the sound of any man, even the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Adonis, lumping her into the same equation as something only he could control. But she couldn’t help but savor the idea of being under his power.

 

Along with his firm body.

 

“We’ll see what the he has to say about all this,” George scoffed, as he started to turn for his chopper.

 

“So what?” Cade demanded, as he grabbed his arm and swung him back to his side. “Like now you’re loyal?”

 

“Was always fucking loyal!” George spit, as he tried to push Cade back, the blonde’s body suddenly like concrete as he held his ground and narrowed his eyes. “And Reese’ll know as much. And where you’ve been spending your time.”

 

Cade brought his hand back, ready to land a punch when Dawn leapt forward , stunning him as she held him back.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

 

“He’s not worth it,” Dawn whispered. “Save your strength.”

 

Again George laughed.

 

“Maybe she ain’t no smokescreen,” George said. “Maybe you’re her bitch.”

 

The veins in Cade’s neck started to throb, and she could feel the tension racing up his arm, as he wanted to land a hard hit. However, Dawn pushed past him and reached for whatever manhood there might be between George’s legs, tugging hard, as he screeched like the true bitch he was and flailed back into his bike.

 

“And maybe I should make you mine,” Dawn said. “Show some respect!”

 

Staring at her with wide eyes, Dawn saw a soft smile swirling around Cade’s lips followed by a slight nod, as he kicked the moaning man’s shin and called his bluff.

 

“Get lost,” he said. “Tell Reese what you think you know. My version will make a hell of a lot more sense.”

 

“We’ll fucking see about that.”

 

George groaned, as he mounted his chopper, and Dawn barely stifled a laugh as he pulled away after the other Alphas. She savored the feel of his dust as he left, but there was suddenly a thumping in her heart. Who and what was Reese? Had she played her hand too quickly and become the problem that Cade needed most to avoid?

 

“Cade, I—”

 

He stunned her into silence, as he curled her into his arms and pressed her close to his hard chest.

 

“Glad you’re on my side,” he purred. “Let’s see what you can do with my junk.”