Mack nodded. “Come on, man, this ain’t worth it.”
Brandt hissed at them through his teeth. “No one speaks to me like that. She’s gonna damn well pay for it.” He shoved Rowan aside, only to come to an abrupt halt. Gwen frowned, confused, but then Zander’s hand smoothed up her back as he silently sidled up to her from behind.
“Everything all right here?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said, gaze still locked on the asshole in front of her. “You know, I had no idea that pussy lips could talk. My mind is blown.”
Brandt sneered as he studied them. “I heard you were rubbing yourself all over some shifter at Half ’n’ Half. What does it say about you, Gwen, that you gotta fuck other species because your own doesn’t want you? How’s that bestiality thing working out for you?”
Zander looked at her. “I’m confused. Is he trying to be funny or intimidating?”
She shrugged, scratching her nape. “I always struggle trying to figure that one out. Either way, he fails dramatically, so I don’t suppose it matters.”
Zander took a slow, predatory step closer to the human boys, and they each shuffled backward—he wasn’t even sure if they’d done it consciously. As he’d crept up to the house, he’d heard enough of the conversation to know the visitors were Brandt and his friends. Pissed didn’t begin to describe how he felt as he stared at the male who’d harassed and almost assaulted his mate. His wolf swiped at Brandt with his claws.
Arching a daring brow at Brandt, Zander said, “You’re not going to give me shit? You only mouth off when you’re dealing with females?”
Brandt swallowed hard and then jutted out his chin. “This is between me and Gwen.”
“No, kid, it’s not. You got a problem with Gwen, I become your problem. You piss her off, you deal with me. And trust me, kid, you don’t want to deal with me. You can’t. I can see in your eyes that you know that.”
Brandt’s breathing sped up. “There’re three of us. There’s only one of you.”
“No, there really isn’t,” said Bracken, coming up behind the boys. They whirled to face him, wide-eyed. That was when Derren and Ally came out from behind the SUV and moved so that the humans were then surrounded by the four shifters.
Brandt spun back to face Gwen. “Call off your guard dogs.”
“You think I don’t know that you’re terrified?” Zander asked. “I can smell your fear.” His wolf relished it. “So there’s no point in making ballsy little comments. You’re just making yourself look stupid.”
“Maybe he simply is stupid,” suggested Derren.
“It’s a strong possibility,” allowed Zander. “I tell you what, kid. You and me can take care of this right now. We’ll battle it out here. Your friends can even join in and help you. My pack mates will stand back; I don’t need the backup. What do you say?”
Rowan grabbed Brandt’s arm and whispered, “Dude, we need to go.”
Brandt glowered at his friend. “You’re scared of some fucking animals?”
“Yeah,” said Rowan, unashamed. “And so are you.”
Mack shifted from foot to foot. “I knew we shouldn’t have come. Let’s just go.”
Brandt’s eyes sliced back to Zander. “You wouldn’t be protecting her if you knew the truth.”
Rowan’s eyes widened. “Fuck, Brandt, use your head and stop!”
Shooting them a bored look, Zander lifted a brow. “You kids going now? Pity.”
“It would have been fun to watch you kick their asses, Z.” Bracken moved aside, letting the humans pass. Brandt did so reluctantly, but his friends couldn’t seem to get away quickly enough.
Tossing Gwen a glare over his shoulder, Brandt said, “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Not if you want to live, you won’t,” growled Zander. That made all three boys hasten their steps. When they were finally out of sight, he said, “Bracken, follow them to the border; make sure they leave the land.” With a nod, the enforcer did. Zander turned back to Gwen. “You were supposed to be inside the house.”
She arched a brow. “And you assumed this because . . . ?”
“Dammit, Gwen, you said you’d stay home.”
Her spine snapped straight. “No, I didn’t. I said I wouldn’t go trekking through the marsh. I didn’t say I would stay inside those four walls—I’d go crazy if I did. I should be perfectly safe in my own damn driveway. Brandt was in the wrong place, not me. And I’m not going to sit behind closed doors because of assholes like him and Rory. You wouldn’t.”
“We’re not talking about me.”
“That empathy deficiency is interfering here. Imagine how you would feel if the situation were reversed. Would you stay inside?” He didn’t answer her question, but his expression said it all. She resumed rinsing the car as she asked, “Now, did you find any sign of Rory out there?”
“He’s been here. He hasn’t come close to the house, but he’s come close enough.”
“I don’t think he’ll make another try for me. It’s too obvious a move. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who likes to be predictable. That, oddly enough, makes him a little predictable.” She looked at the Beta pair. “He’s more likely to strike out at one of you next time. Probably you,” she told Ally.
Derren’s eyes narrowed in interest. “Why do you say that? I’m not disagreeing, I’m just curious.”
“Well, if he targets your mate, wouldn’t your instinct be to hunt him?” At his nod, Gwen continued, “Then I’m guessing that Ally wouldn’t want you doing that alone. That means that she’d either go with you or insist on someone else doing so. By making that move, he’d be dividing your group. And that would make Zander a clearer target.” Gwen looked at Zander. “I know that so far he’s focused on others, but you’re the ultimate target.”
“We can’t split up, no matter what he or anyone else does,” Ally insisted.
“We won’t,” stated Derren.
Noticing that each of the shifters had dirty boots from walking around the marsh, Gwen asked, “Want me to give your boots a quick rinse?” At their nods, she used the hose to quickly wash off the mud before the water could soak through the leather.
The Beta pair headed up the porch steps, promising to take off their wet boots before entering the house. Zander remained where he was, and now he was looking at her with such intensity that her stomach twisted.
“What are you thinking about that has you staring at me like that?” she asked.
“Baby, you’re standing there wet in a tank top and shorts. What do you think is going through my head?”
She rolled her eyes. “One-track mind.”
“And you just noticed?”
The front door swung open, and Yvonne leaned out. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. If you need to shower, go now!”
With Zander’s help, Gwen quickly finished washing her truck and then took a shower. He joined her, of course. Conserving water was important. The brief bout of sex was just a bonus.
After dinner, they settled on Zander’s balcony with her sitting on his lap. At her request, he called Dawn to ask about Andie. Gwen had called Andie a few times herself, and though the cougar claimed to be okay, Gwen wanted to be sure. According to Dawn, Andie had settled in fine and was spending a lot of time with Heath—the male she’d met on the first day.