The Beta's Forbidden Mate

Chapter Twelve

Before I could even register what was going on, Asher was on his feet, his lips peeled back in a ferocious snarl.

"Hide," he said, his eyes fixed on the bedroom door. "Now!"

In the next second he was gone, and a dark brown wolf stood in his place, its fangs bared.

I scrambled up off the floor, my guitar falling over onto its side with a dull ringing of strings. Before I could take another step, the door crashed open.

Four hulking men stood on the other side. All of them had golden-yellow eyes, and they were all completely naked.

I cringed back as they entered my bedroom. Asher growled, and the man in front looked down at him with pure contempt.

"So it's true," he said in a disbelieving voice. Under that, there was a clear note of triumph.

He was built like the blond Hulk, with military-short hair, a thick barrel chest, and fists the size of frying pans. They were curled at his sides as he glowered at Asher.

The three men behind him shifted into huge wolves in varying shades of gray, brown, and black. Their fur bristled, their eyes gleaming. I backed away, but it was a small room.

There was nowhere to go.

"The alpha didn't want to believe it, but I told him something was going on with you. And now look at this. The beloved beta, with a filthy human." Blond Hulk clicked his tongue regretfully. "He'll be so disappointed."

His cold gray eyes turned on me, and he took a predatory step toward me. "Though I'll admit, she is a pretty little snack."

Asher leapt between us with a snarl, his sharp fangs snapping at the huge man.

Blond Hulk sighed, his eyes going around the room. They landed on Ruby, who was cowering in fear from the scent of so many predators.

"A snack indeed." He licked his lips and reached into the cage.

"NO!" I cried. I tried to leap forward, but Asher blocked my path, his terror-filled wolf's eyes fixed on me.

Ruby squealed in panic, her back legs kicking at the air.

The screaming cut off as the man ripped my pet rabbit apart in one swift motion.

Black fur drifted down in tufts. The copper scent of blood filled the room, red streaks splashing over the floor.

Blond Hulk threw the pieces of my bunny to his wolves, who snapped her up in just a few bites, then sat back, licking their chops.

My vision blurred as vomit rose in my throat.

Smiling in satisfaction, the man wiped the poor bunny's blood off his mouth and signalled to his bloody-muzzled henchmen.

With coordinated ease, they leapt at Asher. He growled and snapped at them, lunging for their throats, the soft fur of their bellies. A brown wolf sank his teeth into Asher's flank and he gave a high-pitched yelp.

I darted forward, but Blond Hulk slammed me back against the wall with one meaty fist, knocking the breath from my chest. I struggled, but it was pointless—I might as well have been fighting a bulldozer. He held me, pinned like a bug in a museum, while his wolves continued their assault on my mate.

It was three against one. No matter how hard he fought, there were just too many of them. It took only a few minutes for them to knock him off his feet and

The brown wolf had his back leg trapped in a fierce hold. Another clamped down at the base of his neck. The third raked razor-sharp fangs across the flesh of Asher's stomach, ready to tear him open.