With a terrible roar, Kyle flew at Jasper and knocked him away from Hollie. He slashed at the other two men with his claws, and they scrambled away in shock.
At her whimper, Kyle spun round and met the woman’s wide, green eyes.
She was scrabbling back in blind terror, trying to get away from the monsters around her.
The panic and horror in her eyes enraged his bear further, but Kyle put a leash on his furious beast and forced the beast down.
He didn’t want to frighten and traumatize her further. By sheer force of will, Kyle pushed his bear down and shifted to human form.
Kyle straightened up and faced Jasper.
“Leave,” he said.
“You are the one who should leave,” Jasper snarled. “This is pack business. Just stay out of our way, bear, and we won’t hurt you.” He gave his men a signal and they drew their weapons.
“Leave the lady alone,” Kyle said.
“Don’t interfere in the affairs of our pack. You don’t want to become an enemy of the Black Blade pack,” Jasper warned. “I’m the Beta, and I can sic the whole pack on you.”
Kyle yawned loudly to show how unimpressed he was.
Jasper barked a command and his soldiers aimed their guns at the woman instead. “Don’t move another inch, Hollie,” Jasper warned. “They’ll blow your head off if you even twitch.”
Hollie froze. She had been inching quietly towards a cluster of trees, and Kyle knew that she was going to try to make a break for it.
“I won’t let you hurt her,” Kyle said as his claws and fangs lengthened. He stepped forward to shield Hollie with his body.
“Hollie is a member of our pack,” Jasper said slowly and deliberately as if he were explaining a complicated concept to a small child. “We are teaching her how to shift into a wolf.”
“By raping her?” Kyle growled.
“Just mind your own fucking business,” Jasper shouted, his veins bulging from his neck and temples.
Kyle arched a brow. This was a guy who didn’t seem to be able to control his temper and appetites. Kyle suspected that Jasper would fly into a rage whenever someone called him out on his bullshit. When he couldn’t explain himself, he would use anger as a defense. It was a common and cheap tactic of abusers.
Jasper snarled. “I can do whatever I want with this whore...”
Kyle moved so quickly that no one had time to react.
Wrapping his huge hand around Jasper’s neck, Kyle slammed Jasper against a tree and held him there.
The other two men immediately aimed their guns at Kyle’s head. “They’ll blow out your brains,” Jasper choked out.
“And I’ll tear out your throat,” Kyle answered, his lips stretching into a knowing smile. “We’ll both be dead.”
Kyle’s smile widened when he saw the flicker of fear in the scumbag’s eyes.
He wasn’t afraid of death, but Jasper was.
Jasper swallowed and looked at his lieutenants. “Put down your guns,” he ordered. “Put them away, now!”
Kyle kept his claws in Jasper’s neck as the men lowered their weapons. “This is silly.” Jasper attempted to laugh. “Why should we kill each other over a mongrel bitch? We’re cool, right? It’s all the bitch’s fault. I’ll see to it that she is punished. Dan, Ron, cuff her and drag her back to the pack house...”
Kyle slammed Jasper’s head against the tree. “Don’t touch her,” he snarled at Dan and Ron. “Let. Her. Go.”
“Hollie belongs to us,” Jasper wheezed. “You have no right to her. She is a member of the Black Blade pack. Unless you’re her Alpha or her mate...”
Kyle snapped his eyes to Hollie. She had scrambled to her feet and was backing away slowly.
Fight or flight.
She had tried to fight, and look where that had gotten her. She now realized that flight was the better option.
Hollie tensed for an instant, coiling and gathering her energy for the sprint. She was going to try to make a run for it.
Kyle held her gaze and shook his head slightly.
Don’t run.
These were wolves. She couldn’t possibly outrun them. If she ran they would chase her down and rip her to shreds.
But the determination and defiance in her flashing green eyes told Kyle that she wasn’t going to change her mind.
He had to stop her.
Stop her from getting herself killed.
They both moved at the same time.
Kyle lunged forward just as she lurched towards the trees.
He grabbed her and yanked her to him. As her fist flew towards his jaw, Kyle roared and bit hard into her shoulder.