“Are you okay?”
Dane nodded, avoiding looking at Jai. “She’s fine, or at least she is now that she’s away from Nick.”
“Nick?” Ret perched on the edge of the desk. “Sorry—Jai mentioned that she’d had a bit of trouble but he wasn’t specific.”
Dane felt a swell of gratitude for Jai for looking out for his sister, protecting her when he wasn’t sure what Dane wanted the others to know about the situation.
“Nick was her boyfriend,” he said. “He was abusive to her and so she moved out.”
Ret looked disgusted. “Has she got somewhere to stay while she gets sorted out? There’s a room at my house if you need it.”
“Jai is letting her use his spare room, but thanks for the offer.”
“If we can help in any way, or if you need any time off, just let me know,” Ret told him.
For a while it seemed that everything was getting back to normal. Dane warned Nick that he wasn’t to contact Sasha when he and Jai went to collect the rest of her belongings from Nick’s house.
“I mean it, Nicky. You don’t come near her, or even speak to her,” Dane informed the man. “Am I making myself clear?”
Stubborn, Nick folded his arms across his chest.. “None of your business what I do,” he pointed out.
Dane grabbed the front of Nick’s shirt in his fist, hauling the man closer until they were nose to nose.
“Don’t push me, Nicky. Now, I’ll tell you again,” he said slowly. “If you bother her in any way, you’ll have me to deal with, and it’s really not a wise idea to piss me off.”
For a while it appeared that Nick had listened to him and was keeping away from Sasha, but that didn’t last.
“I saw Nick today,” Sasha told them when she got home from work a couple of days later. “He was standing outside the shop, watching me through the window.”
“Did he say or do anything?” Jai asked.
Sasha shook her head. “No, he just watched me. When I asked the security guard to go and get rid of him, he’d already gone.”
“Is it the first time he’s done this?” When he saw Sasha hesitate, he knew that it wasn’t. “Sasha?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen him,” she admitted, “but there have been a few times recently that I thought I could feel someone watching me.”
Dane jumped to his feet angrily. “I think it’s about time we had another little chat, Nick and I,” he said.
Sasha glared. “What do you mean by another?” she demanded. “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t need you to fight my battles for me? I can take care of myself.”
“But I’m just looking out for you,” Dane protested. “You’re my sister.”
Sasha sighed. “I know, and I appreciate it but I don’t need a babysitter.”
Dane knew it had irritated her when she was little how everyone would treat her like a fragile little doll because she wasn’t a were, and now here he was doing the same.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly. “I want you to promise that you'll tell me if he appears again.” And if he so much as lays a finger on you I’ll break him in half , he added silently.
* * * *
One morning, about a week later, Ret came out of his office and headed for Jai’s desk.
“I have an assignment for you. Michael is going to see Eric McIntyre and it’s your turn to do bodyguard duty.”
Jai groaned inwardly. These visits were a regular occurrence, with Alphas meeting if they needed to discuss business or pack alliances, or just as social visits. As Alphas, their status required that they were given protection when they travelled. As hosts, Eric’s pack would provide an escort when they reached town, but the visiting Alpha would also bring a couple of their own people. Recently, they had all been home visits, the other Alphas coming to them; they hadn’t had an out of town visit for a few months. The guards took turns on the out of town jobs and Jai’s number had come up this time.
“I was going to suggest you take Dane
Dane nodded, avoiding looking at Jai. “She’s fine, or at least she is now that she’s away from Nick.”
“Nick?” Ret perched on the edge of the desk. “Sorry—Jai mentioned that she’d had a bit of trouble but he wasn’t specific.”
Dane felt a swell of gratitude for Jai for looking out for his sister, protecting her when he wasn’t sure what Dane wanted the others to know about the situation.
“Nick was her boyfriend,” he said. “He was abusive to her and so she moved out.”
Ret looked disgusted. “Has she got somewhere to stay while she gets sorted out? There’s a room at my house if you need it.”
“Jai is letting her use his spare room, but thanks for the offer.”
“If we can help in any way, or if you need any time off, just let me know,” Ret told him.
For a while it seemed that everything was getting back to normal. Dane warned Nick that he wasn’t to contact Sasha when he and Jai went to collect the rest of her belongings from Nick’s house.
“I mean it, Nicky. You don’t come near her, or even speak to her,” Dane informed the man. “Am I making myself clear?”
Stubborn, Nick folded his arms across his chest.. “None of your business what I do,” he pointed out.
Dane grabbed the front of Nick’s shirt in his fist, hauling the man closer until they were nose to nose.
“Don’t push me, Nicky. Now, I’ll tell you again,” he said slowly. “If you bother her in any way, you’ll have me to deal with, and it’s really not a wise idea to piss me off.”
For a while it appeared that Nick had listened to him and was keeping away from Sasha, but that didn’t last.
“I saw Nick today,” Sasha told them when she got home from work a couple of days later. “He was standing outside the shop, watching me through the window.”
“Did he say or do anything?” Jai asked.
Sasha shook her head. “No, he just watched me. When I asked the security guard to go and get rid of him, he’d already gone.”
“Is it the first time he’s done this?” When he saw Sasha hesitate, he knew that it wasn’t. “Sasha?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen him,” she admitted, “but there have been a few times recently that I thought I could feel someone watching me.”
Dane jumped to his feet angrily. “I think it’s about time we had another little chat, Nick and I,” he said.
Sasha glared. “What do you mean by another?” she demanded. “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t need you to fight my battles for me? I can take care of myself.”
“But I’m just looking out for you,” Dane protested. “You’re my sister.”
Sasha sighed. “I know, and I appreciate it but I don’t need a babysitter.”
Dane knew it had irritated her when she was little how everyone would treat her like a fragile little doll because she wasn’t a were, and now here he was doing the same.
“Fine,” he said reluctantly. “I want you to promise that you'll tell me if he appears again.” And if he so much as lays a finger on you I’ll break him in half , he added silently.
* * * *
One morning, about a week later, Ret came out of his office and headed for Jai’s desk.
“I have an assignment for you. Michael is going to see Eric McIntyre and it’s your turn to do bodyguard duty.”
Jai groaned inwardly. These visits were a regular occurrence, with Alphas meeting if they needed to discuss business or pack alliances, or just as social visits. As Alphas, their status required that they were given protection when they travelled. As hosts, Eric’s pack would provide an escort when they reached town, but the visiting Alpha would also bring a couple of their own people. Recently, they had all been home visits, the other Alphas coming to them; they hadn’t had an out of town visit for a few months. The guards took turns on the out of town jobs and Jai’s number had come up this time.
“I was going to suggest you take Dane
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