link him to it. Even though she knew he should be punished if he killed that guy, she hated the thought of him being caged. Or worse. She knew a man like Jayce wouldn’t go to jail and the humans wouldn’t let a crime like this go unpunished. And since when had she stopped thinking of herself as human? Her animal side was taking over faster than she’d expected and it scared the crap out of her. Giving herself a mental shake, she smiled politely at Parker as he held a door open for her. “I understand, Parker. You should have just told me what you wanted instead of wasting all this time, though.”
She needed to keep it together while she was here. As soon as they let her go, she had to find Jayce.
* * *
Kat pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes as she exited the police station. She’d called December to ask her for a ride since Parker had driven her to the station. She would have asked him to take her home, but he’d been called away and she wasn’t going to get into a vehicle with that detective even though he’d offered. Not that he put off a bad vibe; she just didn’t like him after that long, tedious interrogation.
As she looked around the parking lot, her stomach clenched when she spotted two very pissed-off-looking shifters headed her way. Connor and Jayce were practically stalking toward her, their boots thumping on the pavement.
What was their problem?
It wasn’t as if she’d said anything to the cops.
She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Connor grasped her elbow firmly. “Come on,” he growled.
Jayce caged her in on the other side as they directed her back to Connor’s truck. She swallowed hard at her Alpha’s tone. Ever since she’d joined his pack he’d been nothing but nice. And he’d saved her life back when she’d been human and two lunatics had kidnapped her with devious purposes. Of course that was before she’d been taken the second time. She owed Connor and she trusted him. Now there was a deadly edge to him that reminded her of Jayce.
“Why are you guys here?” Why did her voice have to shake? She’d done
nothing
wrong.
Neither responded until they were in the vehicle. She sat in the front seat, Connor in the driver’s seat, and Jayce in the back.
Connor let out a low, annoyed breath. “Why the
hell
didn’t you call me when you got brought in for questioning?”
She frowned and looked back at Jayce, then Connor. “Why would I have done that?”
“Because I’m your Alpha.” There he went with that growl again.
Oh, crap. Maybe she’d broken a pack law or something. “I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“It’s not her fault,” Jayce said quietly. “She hasn’t had much education about our ways.”
“And that’s my fault.” Connor’s gaze narrowed on her once again. “You’re moving back to the ranch tonight. I can’t have something like this happening again. You are mine to protect. I know you don’t understand everything about pack laws, but there’s a hierarchy and you’re going to learn it, starting now.”
Fear spiked inside her, sharp and jagged. Its cloying scent nearly suffocated her, but she couldn’t smother it or hide it from them. Her throat closed up impossibly tight as she fought to breathe. She’d had her freedom taken from her a month ago. Living on the ranch wouldn’t exactly be a hardship, but she couldn’t be forced into anything. Especially not when she was still suffering from nightmares. With everyone’s extrasensory abilities, there was no telling who would hear her if she cried at night. There was no way that was happening. It was one thing to wake up crying and sweating and terrified from memories that wouldn’t leave her alone and it was another for others to be aware of her weakness. No, thank you.
Before she could respond, Jayce cut in. “I’ll stay at December’s house with her. I’ll be her shadow and teach her about pack laws. She won’t ever be out of my sight.”
“Like this
She needed to keep it together while she was here. As soon as they let her go, she had to find Jayce.
* * *
Kat pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes as she exited the police station. She’d called December to ask her for a ride since Parker had driven her to the station. She would have asked him to take her home, but he’d been called away and she wasn’t going to get into a vehicle with that detective even though he’d offered. Not that he put off a bad vibe; she just didn’t like him after that long, tedious interrogation.
As she looked around the parking lot, her stomach clenched when she spotted two very pissed-off-looking shifters headed her way. Connor and Jayce were practically stalking toward her, their boots thumping on the pavement.
What was their problem?
It wasn’t as if she’d said anything to the cops.
She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Connor grasped her elbow firmly. “Come on,” he growled.
Jayce caged her in on the other side as they directed her back to Connor’s truck. She swallowed hard at her Alpha’s tone. Ever since she’d joined his pack he’d been nothing but nice. And he’d saved her life back when she’d been human and two lunatics had kidnapped her with devious purposes. Of course that was before she’d been taken the second time. She owed Connor and she trusted him. Now there was a deadly edge to him that reminded her of Jayce.
“Why are you guys here?” Why did her voice have to shake? She’d done
nothing
wrong.
Neither responded until they were in the vehicle. She sat in the front seat, Connor in the driver’s seat, and Jayce in the back.
Connor let out a low, annoyed breath. “Why the
hell
didn’t you call me when you got brought in for questioning?”
She frowned and looked back at Jayce, then Connor. “Why would I have done that?”
“Because I’m your Alpha.” There he went with that growl again.
Oh, crap. Maybe she’d broken a pack law or something. “I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“It’s not her fault,” Jayce said quietly. “She hasn’t had much education about our ways.”
“And that’s my fault.” Connor’s gaze narrowed on her once again. “You’re moving back to the ranch tonight. I can’t have something like this happening again. You are mine to protect. I know you don’t understand everything about pack laws, but there’s a hierarchy and you’re going to learn it, starting now.”
Fear spiked inside her, sharp and jagged. Its cloying scent nearly suffocated her, but she couldn’t smother it or hide it from them. Her throat closed up impossibly tight as she fought to breathe. She’d had her freedom taken from her a month ago. Living on the ranch wouldn’t exactly be a hardship, but she couldn’t be forced into anything. Especially not when she was still suffering from nightmares. With everyone’s extrasensory abilities, there was no telling who would hear her if she cried at night. There was no way that was happening. It was one thing to wake up crying and sweating and terrified from memories that wouldn’t leave her alone and it was another for others to be aware of her weakness. No, thank you.
Before she could respond, Jayce cut in. “I’ll stay at December’s house with her. I’ll be her shadow and teach her about pack laws. She won’t ever be out of my sight.”
“Like this
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