Page 23 of Darrin: The Wolves

She took a step forward, her eyes flashing. “Hey! You humiliated me! I’ve come for what I’m owed, and that’s being an alpha’s mate.” She glanced past him to the archway leading into the main room and smiled coldly, striding closer to him. “You need a wolf female for a mate. Someone who understands the pack. Not some soft little human.”

Before Dare could answer, Audrey was suddenly in front of him. She put her hands on Nadia’s chest and shoved her.

“Stay away from my mate,” Audrey said, her voice low and filled with fury as Nadia stumbled backward. “Take the hint and leave. He’s mine.”

“This is between wolves, human,” Nadia said with a sneer.

“No, this is between you and me. My mate is too much of a gentleman to put you on your ass, but I’m not. And I’ve never thrown a punch before, but I will get in my car and run you over if you don’t get the hell out of here.”

Dare moved beside Audrey and let out a low growl from his wolf.

Sigh walked out of the kitchen, and Dare was aware that Trick was at his back. His pack was there in support. Nadia’seyes narrowed. He could see the anger and hurt, but he just simply didn’t care.

“Fate chose Dare as my mate,” Audrey said. “You think you can bully your way into the alpha’s bed. Well, newsflash,honey, but his bed is mine.”

“You’re human.”

“And you’re pathetic.”

Dare had never been prouder in his life. Audrey was a badass.

Now it was Dare’s turn. “You’re not pack. You’re not a guest. You have no claim on anything in King Lake. If you come back, I’ll let the dragons deal with you. Audrey is my alpha female and no one else will ever replace her.”

For a long second, Nadia stood frozen in the hall.

Then she turned and stalked out the back door.

“I’ll make sure she leaves,” Trick said.

He strode down the hall and out the back door.

“You guys okay?” Sigh asked.

Dare looked at Audrey and she smiled tightly up at him. “Yeah. Thanks for coming out,” Dare said.

“Man, the best thing we ever did was walk away from the old pack. Good job,alphas.”

He realized Audrey was trembling and her eyes were bright with emotion. He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Sweetheart.”

“Oh my gosh, I don’t know what I was doing! It was like I left my body!” She let out a little laugh. “I felt you. Like I could feel in my heart that something was wrong. Then I saw her getting close to you and the part of me that doesn’t like confrontation went out the window.”

She leaned against him and he put his arms around her, drawing her close. “You were perfect, Audrey.”

“Did I actually threaten to run her over with my car?”

He laughed. “Yeah. It was glorious.” He tilted her face and kissed her. “Just like an alpha female should do. I am so fucking impressed. You’re the perfect alpha female for the King Lake Pack. You’re perfect for me.”

“You’re perfect for me, too.”

He grabbed the tub off the floor and walked her back to the table with Cassidy and Juliette, then returned to the bar and set the tub under the counter. Trick walked in through the front door and gave a thumbs up.

Dare nodded.

He doubted that Nadia would come back. She might have thought that Audrey would walk away from him if she was pushed, but Audrey had proven she was more than ready to be alpha female.

“Well that was something,” Cassidy said when Audrey sat down.

Audrey stared at her in silence for a long moment and then laughed. “Yeah.”