Page 49 of Tempting Her Grumpy Protector
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GREER
Greer’s vision went red the moment he saw the human’s hands on Sunny. His female. His woman.
MINE! It was the only thought in his head as the Rage filled him with fury and the need to protect and to kill the one threatening Sunny overcame him.
A roar ripped out of him, shaking the branches of the Sacred Grove. He launched himself across the grass, every muscle coiled with lethal purpose.
That fucker groping his woman was about to die.
“What the fuck?”
The pudgy human man stumbled back but didn’t release Sunny fast enough. Greer tore him away with one brutal yank, sending him crashing to the ground. The stink of alcohol rolled off him, but Greer hardly noticed. All he saw was prey—an enemy who had dared to touch what was his.
KILL!
The word thundered in his skull, the Rage rising like a tide. He fell on the human, fangs bared, hands clenching into fists. They pistoned down, slamming into the man’s jaw and nose, bones crunching beneath the blows. The red haze deepened. He wanted to snap the human’s neck! To drink his life’s blood—to rip and tear until nothing remained…
The human gurgled, gasping, scrabbling at the grass. Greer’s hands went to his throat, fingers tightening, ready to crush his windpipe?—
“Greer!”
Sunny’s voice cut through the haze.
His head jerked toward her. She was on her knees, eyes wide and wet with tears, her hand trembling as she reached for him. She wasn’t afraid of him, he realized—she was afraid for him—afraid of what he was doing.
“Greer, stop. Please. You’ll kill him!” she begged.
The red haze faltered as the Rage receded. His chest heaved, heart pounding like a drum. He looked down at his bloodied hands wrapped around the fragile human throat. One more squeeze and the man would be gone. Dead.
Good—he deserved it! He’d been trying to rape Sunny!
But he took another look at her and knew he couldn’t kill the human in front of her. She was already traumatized and her scent…well, her scent was extremely confusing. It was filled with the sharp tang of fear…but there was a warm undertone to it he recognized from the times they’d been intimate on Thropp’ic Sigma. What in the Seven Hells was going on with her?
“Don’t kill him,” Sunny whispered, swiping at her eyes. “I mean yes—he probably deserves it, but he’s related to the bride in the wedding I just left. We don’t want to ruin her wedding day, you know?”
Greer wrenched his hands off the human’s neck with a snarl of frustration and disgust. The human man collapsed in a heap, wheezing, clutching at his bruised neck and streaming nose, which was certainly broken.
Greer shoved away from him and gathered Sunny into his arms, crushing her against his chest.
“Are you hurt? Did he…did he touch you?” His voice was a guttural rasp, still thick with lingering Rage.
She shook her head quickly.
“No…he tried but you came just in time. I’m all right.” She winced. “Except for here…” she touched the point of her nipple through the red gown she wore.
”He acted like he was trying to twist the damn thing off! But other than that, I’m fine.”
“Fuck, little one. I was so afraid I’d be too late to save you this time!”
Greer buried his face in her hair, his entire body trembling as the Rage bled away completely. Relief nearly unmanned him. He had almost lost her—and he had almost lost himself.
Sunny nestled against him.
“How…how did you know where to find me?” she asked.
“The Goddess—she told me where to look.” His voice sounded ragged…hoarse. “She said you were in danger.”
