Bark Or Bite

Chapter 23

"No. I refuse to stand by and watch you place yourself in danger. I promised you that I would forever protect you when you were not able to protect yourself." Maximus is pissed. I told Grandpa John that I would work with Ian, regardless of what he would say.

"So you're saying I can't protect myself? I'm an alpha, just like you." I shoot back.

"I don't trust him around you."

"I'm not afraid of him, Maximus. I trust him."

His eyes search mine for a weakness, one that he will never find.

"Please. Don't do this."

"I have to. I'm not just protecting myself anymore. I have a pack to worry for. If there is anything I can do to make this war slightly easier, I have to do it. Consequences be damned."

His breath falters and his heartbeat slows. The angry heat radiating from his pores cools as he grips my arms and wraps me into a strong embrace.

"Okay."

"Okay?" I look up towards his hard brown eyes.

"Okay. But if anything happens, I'll kill him. Consequences be damned."

"Good. Nothing will happen."

"When are you leaving?" He asks.

"Now. It's still early. If I wait until tomorrow I've wasted an entire day."

"Okay. I can drive you." He lets me go to reach for his keys.

"No. It will be better if I go alone. I don't want him to feel threatened."

"Okay. Be safe."

"Always."

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"So he's really determined? This won't be easy."

"Definitely not. You know how Nik is. There's no getting out of this without bloodshed."

"I want to say that's what I was afraid of, but I honestly didn't expect anything different."

"He's ruthless. He'll do anything to take down the wolves. Honestly, Hannah, I'm afraid for you. I would hate to see my brother be the reason you got hurt. I know we aren't together anymore, but you still mean so much to me. You were my first love, my only love. You being different will never change the way I feel for you." Ian scoots closer to me on the coach. It was a small gesture, but I could see his hand reaching towards mine. Once my eyes flickered down, he stopped it.

"You mean felt for me, right? As in past tense."

"I meant what I said, Hannah."

"Ian, I took a chance coming here. I promised Maximus that you would be completely professional and nothing would happen. Please don't make what I told him a lie." Ian's hopeful features falter. My heart twists with guilt, but it will never be the intense feeling I feel when Maximus is upset with me. The way Ian made or makes me feel will never compare to the emotional wreck Maximus has the power to make me.

"I loved you once, Ian. It was immaculate. I never thought it would end. But my heart is somewhere else. I'm sorry."

His smile is faint, almost nonexistent. He was always great at hiding his pain.

"He's going to wait."

"Who?"

"Nik. He'll wait until his army is bigger, stronger. He'll wait until he sees your pack falter. Never show him weakness. He's smart. He knows when to attack. When we were kids, our father was very hard on him. He might have ruined him, but he taught him ways of defense that you will never be able to understand."