Protecting What's His

by Daniella Starre

  “I understand. Go, go. I think I’m just about done here anyhow. Be careful, okay?” She accepted her kiss.

  “I’ll try to get out early,” he said. “Pizza and a milkshake for dinner?”

  She nodded. Milkshakes were her pregnancy craving, and she would never, ever turn down Detroit pizza.

  When Jasper left, Alexis wiped her tears away and metaphorically pulled on her big girl panties. She could do this. Once Jasper returned home, she’d tell him everything. Just because Melvin hadn’t tried to find her didn’t mean that he wouldn’t. Three weeks of peace didn’t guarantee a lifetime of safety. No, it was better to be wary, to be cautious, to stop ignoring the problem.

  But that was her biggest issue. With Jasper, she felt so safe and happy that she didn’t feel worried. All of her problems seemed to fade away until only he remained.

  By the moon, she did love him. For better or worse, she loved him. All along, she’d known it to be true. Her heart wasn’t her own but his and her baby’s.

  “Time to go home,” she murmured to her baby, rubbing her belly.

  She stood, adjusted her dress, and left the office and the building. Jasper had taken the car, but it wasn’t a far walk from here to home.

  Home. When had she started to think of Jasper’s house as her home?

  This, all of it, was insane, and yet, it was normal. Werewolves tended to do everything faster than humans, except die. If a werewolf lived to die from old age, they could be as old as one hundred and sixty years old. But not many did last that long. They were a violent people. That violence was her biggest fear, even more so than falling in love.

  Her parents had married after dating for only a week. When werewolves knew what they wanted, they tended to go out and get it, take it. To some extent, that made them powerful. They were go-getters, lawyers, bankers, soldiers, fighters. But it also tended to make the men assholes.

  Like Melvin.

  Ugh. Asshole Alpha featured in her nightmares more nights than not. Jasper was always there to hold her, comfort her. One night, he’d even sung to her. He was gentle and caring, but he could also be rough when the time called for it in the bedroom. Or at least he’d been before she discovered she was pregnant.

  Her hands went to her belly when the wind shifted. A familiar scent wafted toward her on the breeze, only this smell was hardly a pleasant one.

  Musky cloves, the stench of Melvin.

  Trying not to panic, she picked up her pace, glancing around and hoping to avoid detection. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was only her mind playing tricks on her.

  Maybe not.

  There, heading straight toward her from Jasper’s house, was Melvin. His eyes were narrowed, his weak jaw set, her hands curled into tight fists.

  She could turn. Run. Hide. But what would be the point? Melvin was here and had seen her. He’d just follow, and being halfway through her pregnancy, she’d never outrun him.

  So Alexis screwed up her courage and stood there, forcing him to come to her. His black, beady eyes narrowed to tiny dark slits, and he ran a hand through his sandy blond hair. Melvin always made that move, and she and the other female werewolves would always roll their eyes. He just liked to show off his bicep.

  “Hello, Melvin,” she said.

  His smile stretched wide, uninviting and filling her with despair. “Don’t start,” he snapped. “You left. You ran away. Why?”

  Alexis stared him down, silent but furious. Her finger curled into fists of rage. She longed to swing at him, to fight, to brawl, but she knew what would happen. He’d find a way to disarm her, to get her flat on her back or on her stomach, and then do who knew what. Actually, given her nightmares, she might have a reasonable suspicion as to what he would do to her.

  “I needed some time,” she said coolly.

  “Time to think. Oh, no. You should leave the thinking to me. You are a member of the pack, aren’t you?”

  Grim-faced, she nodded because what other option did she have?

  “Why don’t you—You’re pregnant?” Melvin asked.

  “Oh, good. Your eyes work. I was afraid you might not realize.”

  “Pregnant or not…” Melvin gripped her by the throat and shoved her back a few paces, squeezing hard enough for her to see lights. “You will do what I say. I am your alpha.”

  Immediately, Alexis thought of Jasper. He wasn’t her alpha, and neither was Melvin. Maybe she was meant to be a lone wolf after all.

  But she sure as hell wasn’t Melvin’s.

  “What is it you want?” she asked through gritted teeth.

  “For you to give me a chance,” he said smoothly.

  “A chance to do what? Steal my baby? Abuse me? Use me for your pleasure? Sorry, I’m not about to let that happen.”

  Melvin held up a hand. The fingers blurred, and, once composed again, revealed his wolf’s claws.

  “Shall we try that again?” Melvin asked, gripping her throat once more, this time with his claws.

  She coughed and sputtered. As much as she wanted to stand up for herself and fight Melvin, she didn’t want to risk the baby.

  But if she didn’t stand up to him, he’d drag her back there. He’d force her to be his.

  And then what? He’d get bored of me eventually and move on. What would happen to me then?

  His hand on her throat was frightening enough. Already, breathing was becoming difficult.

  Alexis gripped his wrist with both hands and pulled the skin in opposite directions. The resulting burning sensation compelled Melvin to release her, and she eyed him warily, cautiously. It was far too bright out for him to dare risk turning into a wolf. At least that was on her side.

  But Melvin wasn’t going to give up easily. That much she knew. If she didn’t face him now and get him to back off, her life would be over. Even if he didn’t kill her for getting pregnant by another, he would essentially turn her into his sex slave. She’d never allow that to happen. Her baby girl would not grow up in that kind of environment.

  Which meant she had no choice. She would have to fight after all.

  “Melvin, leave,” she said coldly.

  “I don’t think so.” He laughed, the sound harsh, grating. “You don’t tell me what to do. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. Now, come on home like a good, little— “

  “I’m not good, and I’m not little,” she said firmly. “I will not go anywhere with you, Melvin. You might be an alpha, but you aren’t mine.”

  His eyes flashed dangerously. “I don’t think you quite understand how things work. Were you dropped on your head as a child?”

  “Oh, I’m so wounded.” She rolled her eyes and retreated a step.

  Melvin grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him. He reached for her side or maybe her ass, but she stomped on his foot and punched him hard in the nose.

  “No means no,” she said. “I’m not yours. I won’t ever be. Leave me alone, or else you’ll live to regret it.”

  Melvin’s scowl deepened, etched permanently onto his face. He grabbed her hair and shoved her face against the streetlight. His body pinned her there, and although she kicked and punched, he remained unaffected. Well, mostly unaffected. He rubbed his groin on her, and she winced, desperate to flinch away from him and his hardness.

  “You need to learn some respect,” he whispered into her ears. “Maybe a few good smacks of that sweet little ass of yours will help with that.”

  Fury sliced through her, and she batted her eyes at him. “Maybe,” she whispered as if she was giving in.

  He eased up on his grip on her hair. When he leaned in for a kiss, she bit his lip so hard she tasted blood.

  His backhand was so strong that she knocked her head against the streetlight. Dazed, she nearly slumped down, only his body still pinned here in place.

  Footsteps pounding gave her hope, even more so when she saw the runner was Jasper.

  Melvin scowled at her before glancing over his shoulder. She brought down a judo chop to the side o
f his neck, and he grabbed her hand.

  "If you think this is over, think again," he hissed. "And if you think this baby is his, you need to think again about that too."

  And he raced away.

  9

  Jasper rushed over to Alexis, torn between staying by her side and running after the asshole who had clearly angered her. Alexis looked fierce, ready to fight, ready to kill.

  Werewolves were strong and powerful, and that fit Alexis perfectly.

  "Who was he?" Jasper asked, wrapping an arm around her and guiding her toward his place.

  "Why are you here?" she asked.

  He stared straight ahead, scowling furiously. Was she going to once again deflect and avoid his questions? Whatever the issue was, it had come here to Detroit. It was now an issue for them versus just her.

  "Aren't you glad to see me?" he asked, going for light-hearted. He couldn’t quite pull it off, though, too frustrated and upset. That werewolf caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. He'd been ready to go full wolf on him. The sight of another man handling Alexis roughly was enough to make him want to rip the man's throat out.

  "Of course, but I thought there was an accident."

  "There was. It was bad. Really bad. We have the rest of the day off. Everyone wanted to be able to hold their loved ones close." Jasper eyed her meaningfully and embraced her. By now, they had reached his porch, and he allowed her to go inside.

  Calmly, she settled onto his couch but only for a second. Then, she burst to her feet and began to pace the room. Her anxious energy filled the room, almost a third person, a suffocating presence.

  "I should've told you this before," she started. She hesitated, her back to him.

  She wasn't afraid, or if she was, it was buried beneath anger, frustration, and disgust.

  He stood awkwardly near the door, which he had locked and deadbolted, something he normally only did at night. Already, he was thinking about getting a security alarm system and maybe some lights. Anything to keep her safe.

  Unless she wanted to move away. Again, he wondered if she was fleeing someone, and he had a terrible suspicion that was the case.

  "You can tell me anything," he growled.

  Alexis glanced at him, surprised and then pleased. His teeth had shifted to his wolf's, slurring his words. He wanted to protect her, so a large part of him still wished to hunt down that son of a bitch. But he didn't just want to protect her body. Her mind and soul also needed protection. Only that grounded him to her side.

  Drawn to her always and forever, as a bee to honey, he crossed over to her and took her hands in his. Wordlessly, they stared at each other. Her anger remained, but a soft, subtle shift in her eyes and lips revealed her determination.

  "It's a long story, so I won't go into many details. The specifics don't matter."

  Solemnly, he nodded, but damn, was he happy to know she'd finally confide in him. Did it bother him that it took her problem tampering with their lives here in Detroit for her to tell him? A little. So long as he knew now, though, he would stand by her. They would face any issue together.

  "That was Melvin Hayes, alpha of my pack," she added after a slight hesitation.

  "He wants you to return home."

  "More than that."

  Many times now, especially that first night, a fire burned in Alexis' eyes. One of heat and passion scorching with desire. A fire burned now too, but this one was cool, furious, and unyielding.

  "He wants me," Alexis said bitterly.

  Jasper's first urge was to hide her away, but that wouldn't be right. She was a news blogger. He'd read her articles. She did a damn good job of being impartial and unbiased. Unlike most reporters, she did her research. She was thorough and took pride in her work. She did a service to the people. The world needed more like her.

  Hell, he needed her.

  It was up to her if she needed him too. Regardless, he would always be on her side, whether that was right beside her or from a distance.

  "Sounds like I need to teach him that lesson I instilled into that asshole," Jasper said, his tone as bitter as hers.

  She smiled slightly. "He tried everything to get me to… From drinks to almost forcing himself."

  "He never did, did he?"

  Jasper's anger had his wolf howling with rage and frustration. It had been far too long since Jasper had unleashed his wolf. Living in a city meant transforming wasn't an option. He'd drive the forty minutes northward to get to Pine Knob and run free on the mountain. It had been maybe eight months since he'd last made the time for it. Now he not only had the excuse to shape shift but also to hunt.

  Alexis' face turned white. "I would've said no, but…"

  Jasper held his breath. "But," he urged.

  "But he claims the baby's his. It's ridiculous. We never, he never, no. Just no. It can't be. It can't. She can't." Alexis' eyes filled with tears now, and her sorrow and worry threatened to rip Jasper apart. Her gaze dropped as if she couldn’t bear to look at him, and she stared at his chest rather than into his eyes.

  Gently, he lifted her chin, so she was looking at him again. "When the baby is born, if you want a paternity test done, go ahead. That's completely fine. I don't need one. I know already. The baby is mine. You are mine if you'll have me. And nothing will stop me from protecting what's mine."

  10

  Her grief, her worry, her fears, they all formed large knots in her stomach. The baby didn't appreciate that. She was kicking, rolling around, fighting. Alexis rubbed her belly to soothe the baby down some, but she couldn’t settle, and neither could the baby.

  Hearing those words, those perfect words, out of Jasper's mouth was all she needed. Her arms wrapped around him tight, and she gave him a spine-tingling kiss that stole her heart. Maybe everything would be all right after all.

  Jasper surprised her by picking her up, and she squealed. With his long strides, he brought her to the bedroom, and within seconds, all Alexis could focus on was Jasper and his body and all the different ways she could silently show him that yes, she was his.

  Another week passed. More nightmares. More measures to ensure safety. More kisses and talks.

  But also, more freak outs. So many more freak outs.

  Melvin didn't show up again. Alexis was so happy about that, but her worry and fears were enough to drive her to a near panic. She hated her hormones and was counting down the days until the baby could be born.

  Then again, once the baby was born, she was so afraid Melvin would come after her daughter instead of her. If that happened, she would kill Melvin herself… not that she would be able too. Melvin would kill her easily if it came down to it. Would he kill her, though? He'd probably chain her up and… She shuddered, not wanting to go down that dark, terrible road.

  It was late at night, and she couldn't fall asleep. Jasper looked so peaceful beside her, but the dark recesses of her mind filled with frightening images whenever the sun set. It was as if her mind would imprison her, just like she feared Melvin wanted to chain her body.

  Eventually, her body finally gave out, and sleep came to her.

  Melvin was being almost nice for once. She and a bunch of other werewolves were eating a huge meal together. She mostly ignored him, talking with the other werewolves, laughing, drinking wine.

  The alpha was the one pouring the wine for everyone. After her last glass, she realized they were the only two in the room. Her vision was blurry, and she tried to stand, tried to leave, but her legs gave out on her.

  Melvin caught her, groping her. She couldn't push him away. Her arms were like limp noodles. She couldn't cry out, couldn't scream. Her body felt alien to her, betraying her as he betrayed her. Her vision darkened almost completely as he ripped off her clothes and raped her…

  Alexis bolted upright in bed. Jasper wasn't beside her. From the scents wafting from the kitchen, he was making pancakes and bacon for breakfast.

  Her heart was racing furiously. All along, she'd assumed the dreams to be nig
htmares. No. They were memories. Melvin had forced himself upon her who knew how many times after drugging her. Why hadn't she remembered this before? Not that it mattered. All that she was concerned about was her anger, her fury, her rage.

  Once she delivered her baby, she was going to find Melvin. She would be the one to drug him. And she would kill him.

  11

  Jasper carefully arranged the bacon on Alexis plate. Two curled at the top to make ears to compliment her pancakes and one to make a mouth. The blueberries had cooperated enough to form two eyes. No nose, but, eh, he wasn't a culinary chef. No one was perfect. He just tossed some bacon onto his stack of pancakes and brought them out to the table. By the time he finished pouring their orange juice, Alexis entered the room.

  "Hey, you," he said, crossing over to give her a kiss.

  She smiled wanly. Her face was a little pale this morning, but she seemed in good enough spirits. He worried about her. The security system was up and running, but he didn't feel safe here. Not when Melvin knew exactly where they were staying and not with the baby coming soon.

  "Your breakfast awaits." He grinned.

  She sat next to him and frowned. "What is that… Is that supposed to be…" Understanding dawned in her eyes. "Florida."

  "Or California. Or anywhere else. Texas. Alaska. Maine. Hell, do you have a passport? We could go to Europe."

  "Go to Europe," she repeated faintly.

  "Move there," he suggested, critically watching her facial expressions.

  Her eyes widened in shock, and her jaw dropped. The dismay in her bright eyes worried him.

  "What's wrong?" he asked.

  She gripped his hand on the table. "You can't. We can't. Your pack. What about them? A werewolf needs a pack."

  "A werewolf does," he said gently. "Without a doubt."

  True lone werewolves did not reach one hundred and sixty years old. They didn't even reach one hundred. Or sixty. Werewolves weren't meant to be alone. The isolation would poison their mind, turning them mad. Their bodies would shut down, and their hearts would give out. It was a terrible, lonely death, and most werewolves would rather remain in a vicious, awful pack rather than strike it out on their own.