Thunder (Alpha Love - a Paranormal Werewolf Shifter Romance Book 3) by Olivia Stephens Page B

for a while, “To an onlooker it might seem like what you’ve been doing recently hasn’t had the best results for the pack. If I didn’t know better, I might be asking myself whose side you’re really on.”
    Before the words are out of her mouth, Gus advances towards her. A sound like a growl comes from his throat, and Sofie wishes that she’d worn something easier to run in.
    “That’s rich coming from you; someone who works for Shale and who isn’t even one of our kind. You’re an outsider. You don’t belong here. This isn’t any of your business.” Sofie can see how angry Gus is as he flings insults at her. They echo the dream that she had, and the words sting as much now as they did the first time she heard them; but, she refuses to back down. She’s tired of being bullied, by Luke and the Collector, and she has no intention of letting them walk all over her.
    She opens her mouth to tell Gus where to go but, out of nowhere, Ashton is suddenly between them. Like a flash, he put himself in position to protect Sofie from whatever he thinks Gus might be willing to do to her. Ashton draws himself up to his full height, towering over Gus, looking down at him, dominating him, and making it clear exactly who’s in charge.
    “Get out of here.” Ashton says in a low voice, full of bottled-up anger. Sofie can see the whites of his knuckles as he clenches his fist. “We’ll talk later.” He responds to whatever message he’s read in Gus’s face. Gus seems like he’s about to say something but thinks better of it and takes a step back, making it clear that he has no intention of challenging Ashton. He looks past his pack master and gives Sofie a look filled with so much hate that she has to stop herself from taking a physical step back. Then, he’s gone.
    Sofie takes a few deep breaths. “Wow, I knew that Gus wasn’t my biggest fan, but I hadn’t realized quite how much he hated me.” However, there was no mistaking it now. “I guess I’m not going to be on his Christmas card list this year!”
    She expects Ashton to laugh and ask her if she’s alright, but that isn’t what happens. He turns around to her, his face grim. “You should never have spoken to Gus like you did, accused him of working against us. He’s pack, and not only that, he’s my second-in-command.”
    Sofie can barely contain her shock at his reaction. “What are you saying? That because I’m not pack I can’t be trusted? That I can’t say what I think?” She tries to keep a lid on her anger, but it’s a losing battle.
    “Of course not. That’s not what I’m saying. I know how smart you are, and I’m getting an idea of how stubborn you are, too. All I’m saying is that you can’t go around accusing people of things. If you have something to say, come to me and I’ll look into it. You can’t make a were angry like that without being ready for the consequences. If I hadn’t been here, what do you think Gus would have done to you?” Ashton lifts his hand and traces the line of her cheekbone with his thumb, so gently.
    She realizes that the concern in his eyes is for her, not for Gus’s hurt feelings. He’s worried about Gus hurting her, however accidental it might be.
    “How am I supposed to live like that? Having to keep my mouth shut in case one of your friends turns into a wolf and rips my head off!” She tries to make light of the situation, but it’s really not anything to laugh about. She knows that he wants to keep her safe, but she also believes that her safety should sort of be a given in any relationship.
    Ashton looks at her, his eyes filled with so much emotion that she’s dying for him to let out. But, he doesn’t . And he says I’m the stubborn one , she thinks.
    “I don’t know,” he answers truthfully. “I don’t know if you can live like that, can you?”
    “Could you?” she fires right back at him. “Worried about what might happen to me all the time? That’s not how it should be.”