Page 92 of Tail, Dark and Handsome: Celestial Mates
“Odd, since you seem quite happy with your human.”
How dare he…
A touch at his shoulder made him pause. He relaxed his fist, claws still unsheathed. “Don’t,” his mate whispered. “He wants you to be angry. He wants you to hit him.”
No doubt Chase had camera drones hovering nearby, ready to capture the moment Winter lost control and attacked him.
“Leave,” Winter said, using every bit of his control to pull his claws back.
“No. I want to see mynephew,” he drew out the last word, like a challenge. He wanted to provoke Winter.
“Get off my property before I summon the authorities.”
“Oh, you were waiting to do that? I already called them,” a soft voice said from his side.
Chase sneered, blood in his teeth. “You think you can scare me off with idle threats? All I have to say is that the wild and out-of-control Winter Cayne attacked me for no reason. Everyone knows he’s jealous and possessive.”
True.
Marigold grabbed his hand, their fingers tangling. “Wow. It’s amazing how ineffective threats are when you record them. It’s that funny? And not just words, but video, too.” Chase’s ears twitched, the first crack in his posture. Marigold continued, “We’ve been having some trouble securing the garage. Things have been going missing, so Karil and Asan set up video monitoring. It’s motion-activated, so we have you on camera entering the garage, Chase, and—”
“And you have a recording of Winter punching me,” Chase said, slow to understand.
“After you grabbed me.” She touched her throat. “This will bruise. I’m just a delicate little human after all, but it’s your choice.”
“He grabbed you? He touched you.” Winter stepped toward Chase. Marigold blocked him from his target, using her body as an actual shield. “Why are you protecting him? What is there between you?”
Chase smiled as if in triumph. Winter understood then that the male came only to sow chaos and discord.
Marigold spoke, her eyes never leaving Winter. “You should leave now or hang around and explain it to the, um, police? Are they called the police here?”
“The Watchtower sends the provincial guards out,” Winter replied.
“Oh, excellent. Anyway, the computer already sent an alert. So…” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
Chase looked incensed, his tail whipping from side to side. “Very well. I will leave. Remember what we discussed, Marigold. And Winter, I am counting on your attendance at the harvest festival. Do not disappoint our investors.”
Those blasted investors.
“I will be there,” Winter said.
He waited until Chase climbed into his vehicle and disappeared down the drive before he spoke. “Are you injured?”
He took her hands in his, turning them and inspecting them for damage. The pulse in her wrist fluttered under his touch.
“I’m fine. He wanted to rattle me,” Marigold said. “He said things about Rebel—”
“I do not wish to discuss Rebel,” he said. He wanted to discuss how Chase touched her and how his mate shielded the worthless male.
“I know it’s not pleasant, but we really need to.”
“No.”
“No?” She sounded baffled.
“No. She is not a topic for discussion. You are always poking where you should not. It is tiresome.”
Marigold clutched the crystal in her hand. Winter wondered that the edges did not damage her skin. “I think when your cousin comes flouncing in here, making innuendos and veiled threats, I need to know what he’s talking about.”
