Claimed By Her Alpha by J.E. Cluney

7

Dray.

* * *

I’d been waiting with Ethan out the front when I heard voices out the back of the building. I’d heard snippets of the conversation, my wolf surging to the surface as I realized what was happening. I’d lurched around the building, just in time to see the shit-stain of a man bring his hand upon my mate.

Red flooded my vision as my wolf howled murder, and I’d shot towards him.

Ethan’s warning words fell on deaf ears as I hit the sack of shit hard and drove him to the pavement.

I wanted to pummel his head into it until he couldn’t breathe, until every damn bone was broken in his face and he’d be lucky to ever speak again. I wanted to break every fucking bone in his hand so he’d never be able to wipe his ass again let alone strike another woman.

Hell, I wanted to just kill him.

I trembled with utter fury as I held him down, and I knew he saw the creature I truly was shining through my eyes as all his fight died in an instant.

The fear and horror that crossed his face was exactly what I wanted to see in this moment.

“You’ll be lucky if you can wipe your ass when I’m through with you, you sorry piece of shit,” I snarled, not caring that my eyes glowed with my inner wolf.

The man shrunk beneath me, whimpering softly like a pathetic mutt.

How dare he lay a hand on her. He was unworthy to even look at such a divine being, and yet he’d had the audacity to fucking hit her? I’d end him right here. Fuck the Alpha laws. If a wolf touched my mate, I’d fight him too. But no wolf would be that goddamn stupid.

“Dray.”

I froze at my name being whispered. Her voice was so fragile yet sweet, and my wolf responded instantly, wanting to protect her and shield her from this vile rat.

I waited just a moment for the glow in my eyes to fade before I looked at the serene creature on the pavement with Ethan, still holding the side of her face as tears trickled down her cheeks.

The agony the sight caused me made my jaw clench as my muscles rippled, my wolf growling deep within me. I never wanted to see her cry. As her mate, my job was to protect her and fill her life with bliss and joy, to care for her.

Ethan was staring hard at me, and I knew he understood what I was feeling in this moment.

I used whatever humanity I could scrounge up to keep from beating this wretched man into dust.

“He hurt you,” I growled out, hating how she flinched back a little. Fuck. Why was I scaring her? I didn’t want to scare her, but it was difficult to withhold the utter bestial rage that simmered inside me.

This man had brought harm to my mate. Clearly in more ways than one. From what I’d heard him say, he was an ex of hers. The knowledge that he’d been with her in that way made my blood boil.

“He did,” she said softly with a nod as her eyes fell to the man beneath me.

I could very easily crush his windpipe with my hands or rip out his jugular. It would only take a moment.

“But he’s not worth the effort,” she muttered.

I blinked as I stared down at the pathetic man beneath me, clearly terrified of me.

He was a pitiful man, a type of foul male I recognized. One who brought down any female he managed to charm, twisting their beliefs and self-perception until they withered to nothing but a shell of themselves.

Clearly, my mate had tried to escape him, but he was proving to be a difficult parasite to be rid of.

As much as I wanted to end his fragile, useless life right now, I knew my mate would not take kindly to it. Not to mention the other Alphas. We had a code, and killing humans broke one of the main ones.

Stupid fucking code.

Right now, I’d love to tear up that damned code that was brought into creation centuries ago. But they put it in place to protect us, and being an Alpha, it was my duty to enforce it.

“You will never come near her again, got it? If I so much as find out you were within a mile radius of her, I will find you, and I’ll break your fucking legs,” I growled. “If you ever raise your hand on another woman, I’ll make sure you’re forever drinking out of a fucking straw,” I hissed as I lowered my face to his so that Everly couldn’t see it.

I flashed my wicked golden eyes once more, wanting to instil fear into him.

Fuck with this wolf and my mate, and you’d wish you were never born.

Those blue eyes only widened as his lower lip trembled.

“Don’t test me, or I’ll rip you to pieces,” I said softly, not wanting Everly to hear my final threat to him.

I pulled back, easily climbing to my feet as I glared down at the man.

“Best get lost before I change my mind,” I snapped.

The man scrambled to his feet and took off like the terrified rat he was as I turned to Everly and kneeled down before her.

“Are you okay?” I asked carefully as she wiped her tears away.

“Yeah, nothing I can’t handle,” she said with a forced smile.

“He’s not going to bother you anymore,” I stated. If I ever saw the piece of shit again, he’d have hell to pay.

She just stared at me with those wide emerald eyes as I offered her my hand.

“Thank you,” she said after a moment as she accepted it.

As soon as her soft hand was in mine, my wolf reacted, growling for me to hold her close and comfort her. To protect her from everything and everyone who sought to harm or upset her.

I squashed it down as I smiled softly at her and nodded at Ethan. He let out a breath he’d been holding, and I was grateful for his presence.

“Sorry, not how I expected this night to go,” she apologized with a nervous laugh as she dusted herself off.

“Ben will no longer be a problem, you were getting a restraining order sorted out, right?” Ethan spoke up.

Everly nodded, ashamed as she stared down at her feet.

“I’ll make sure they put it through quickly. I’ve got some friends in the area,” Ethan stated with a firm nod.

“Thanks,” I said, giving him a grateful nod. I knew he was doing it more for me. Well, Ben really, because if he tried another stunt like this, he’d end up missing limbs.

“Will you be okay now?” Ethan asked Everly, and she nodded softly. “Okay, well, Dray has my number if you need anything. I’m going to head off, I’ve got a few things to do before I call it a night,” he said as he flicked his gaze to me. He had mentioned some Pack stuff he had to do, but I was grateful that he was prepared to come to my aid if needed.

“Thanks, both of you,” Everly mumbled as she toyed with her purse.

“Don’t mention it,” Ethan said as he turned and strode off, leaving us alone together.

I stared down at the sweet woman before me, softening at her sudden uncertainty. She’d been so fiery and full of life, and now, she looked like a lost little deer.

My wolf was torn, seeing her both as something to protect and lift up, and something to also hunt and claim. I pushed it back to the softer option. She did not need me wolfing out right now.

“Hey, I left your cocktail around the front, although, now might not be the time,” I said carefully, every fiber of my being screaming to just touch her and make her feel better, however I could.

“Honestly, now’s a great time,” she said with a dry laugh before shaking her head. “I’d like to just chill out over a drink.” Her face changed, as if she was pulling herself back together, refusing to show how fragile and scared she’d just been. I imagined she’d become quite well versed in putting up her walls, with such an ass of a partner.

Such a strong-willed, witty woman. She’d make a perfect female Alpha.