That’s when he noticed all the women were staring at him with mouths agape, eyes wide.

Somehow that...baffled him.

“Why aren’t you fighting for your men?”

They looked at one another and mutual shrugs ensued. “You think you’re the first one to come here and start a fight? Typical Saturday really,” Sarina said.

Vane grunted, then planted an elbow in his chest.

“Fuck,” Dmetri hissed and released his grip on Vane’s neck.

Vane laughed then slowly turned around as he rubbed at his neck.

“Wanna tell me what that was about?”

Shit. He really should have thought this through before he came here. But he’d been seeing red with only one solution possible—Vane’s physical pain.

That damned temple ticked again. What would he say? That he was pissed that Vane was going to let one of his pack mates go on a date with an Alpha? That would look as though he cared for her, and that wasn’t the case. She was just his now. Settling on what he was going to say, he straightened.

“You can’t let Christine see that Alpha.”

Vane sighed. “Yes I can and I don’t see why I shouldn’t.” Now everyone’s attention was on him. Dmetri rocked on his feet. “I’d rather talk about this alone.”

Everyone laughed. Vanessa leaned forward in her seat. “Oh no, we all want to hear this.”

“Agreed,” Rome said.

Vane looked like he thought this whole thing was hilarious. Dmetri wanted to hit him again just to wipe the smirk off his face.

“You that into her, huh?” asked Vane.

“She’s mine now. I don’t want her seeing anybody else.” Well if that didn’t just send the women chattering.

Jackson came forward, a frown on his mouth. “Since when do you go around claiming females?”

“I’m not claiming females. I’m claiming a single woman. As I said, she’s mine.” He wasn’t used to having his matters argued.

Vane shook his head. “Listen, you want her, great. Talk her into that. She called me and said she wanted permission for Alpha Jason Granger to come by tomorrow. I know the man, he’s solid.”

Even though she’d agreed that she wouldn’t see him, his gut told him she’d try anyways.

“You won’t let him see her.”

Sarina rolled her eyes and rocked the baby in her arms. “Dmetri, I respect what you want to do, but Christine’s a member of our pack, you’re not. Which means her wishes take precedence over yours.”

Fuck. He wasn’t going to get anywhere with these people.

“You really like her, don’t you?” asked Vera.

Dmetri looked at her. She was such a changed woman from when he’d been with her. He was happy for her, truly. And he didn’t regret their time together, even if it wasn’t what she or he wanted in the end.

“Of course I ‘like’ her. Why else would I tell her she’s coming home with me?” Vera whistled softly under her breath. “No, you really like her. I can tell. Maybe you’re about to find out what love feels like, Dmetri.” She said the words so softly but they sounded as though they were screamed in his ear. Love. He’d felt great fondness for his father and maybe that was fraternal love, but never for a woman.

Shaking his head, he looked around at the Kategans and their mates. They felt the need for that kind of connection, but it wasn’t one he cared for. Why did he need that when his life was perfect without it?

The sky slowly darkened overhead, heavy black clouds pulling in with the onslaught of a good storm. Everyone looked up at the sudden change.

“Looks like we’ll be taking this BBQ inside,” Vane said.

Everyone stood and did their part in putting away the lawn furniture. The air stirred around Dmetri, he didn’t have to turn his head to know who it was—Brayden. The man moved faster than he did, but then again, the man was old as dirt. He made Dmetri look like a teenager.

Brayden stood next to him and spoke quietly enough so that the Kategans couldn’t hear.

“We have movement in the forest.”

Dmetri’s heart pumped hard at the thought of getting some actual action. He’d underestimated Vane’s hearing, because he came up to them and in an equally quiet voice asked,

“What’s wrong?”

Brayden told him and Vane’s face pulled into a lethal mask.

Before another word could be spoken, an explosion boomed from behind them like a violent thunderclap.

Vane’s cabin exploded apart at the seams, wood flying everywhere like shrapnel. The smell of burning wood and the stench of smoke bloomed around them in heavy black clouds.

Terrified screams, shouts, and chaos rained down upon them.

“Get the women into the field!” Vane roared.

Dmetri, Brayden, and the men took off on a sprint. He only gave a passing glance to what had been Vane’s home that now burned and smoked with an acrid stench. As they reached the front of the cabin, another explosion sounded.

Dmetri’s eyes widened—it was the house next to Christine. He sprinted after her before he finished the thought. People were already coming out of their houses, screaming at the violence. Dmetri spotted a man and recognized him—one of Claude’s clan members. He stood in the backyard of the house he just bombed and held a grenade in his hand.

Dmetri’s heart had never pounded so hard in his life. Fear drove him. He leapt over the six-foot tall fence and tackled the man to the ground. The squeak of the pin being pulled sounded too loud and he knew it was his adrenaline. Dmetri acted out of instinct and grabbed the grenade from his hand, throwing it into the street behind the fence. He could only hope no one was there.

As the boom shook the decrepit house, flattening it into a pile of fiery rubble, he grabbed the vampires head and twisted. It snapped with a sick cracking sound. He needed a silver blade, needed to slam it into the vamp’s heart to really kill it, but for now it’d stay the fuck down.

Dmetri was on his feet in the next second and bounded over the fence into Christine’s yard. He slammed open her sliding glass door, eyes wide and frantic.

“Christine!”

No answer. He ran through each of the rooms, throwing open doors and closets, searching everywhere. He felt like he was losing his mind. He threw open the front door and saw her. His relief was so profound his heart slammed against his chest.

She turned and saw him, eyes wide and scared. He ran to her and she met him halfway, jumping into his arms. He caught her, squeezing her tight. Quickly he released her. More vampires were around, he could smell them.

“Stay here and stay safe,” he ordered and took off down the street.

He caught sight of a man darting behind another house and was just about to slam him into the ground, when someone beat him to it. Quick and efficient, Brayden snapped the vampire’s head so hard he was surprised it didn’t come off. He tore the grenade from his loose fingers a moment later.

“How many?” said Dmetri.

Brayden nodded at the dead vampire at his feet. “That was the last one. They killed four sentries before breaking into the compound.” He stared down at the lykaen with burning hate, violence barely contained in his too-still body. Then he pulled out a wicked curved blade and buried it in vamp’s chest. “I’ll take care of the others.” Brayden had always been honorable and with that came the protecting of innocent lives.

Losing them, putting them in danger set the vampire off like nothing he’d ever seen.

“Come on, drook. We need to go back and make sure everyone’s safe.” He spoke slowly carefully.

Brayden only stared at the dead vampire, his fists clenched so hard they trembled.

Screams tore through the air; they both whipped their heads at the sound and raced together—one blur of movement. They arrived back at the Vane’s cabin and the place looked like a disaster zone.