Page 21 of Kiss My Sass

He walked over to them unhurriedly, listening with all his senses. No one had spoken a word yet. They just stood, waiting he imagined for him to arrive. Derrick stood half a foot taller than the Crow King.

Good Alpha. Strong.

His animal approved of Derrick, always had. He was easily the tallest man there, save for Thor. He knew the male had his back and normally, neither he nor his Demon Wolf would ever think of questioning him.

Until now.

Why the fuck did the Alpha agree to meet with these needle dicks? They hurt his Nica. Demanded she return to them when Thor would never let that happen. Fuck. He was losing it. Thor was acting like a possessive fucking caveman, but he never claimed to be anything else. No, he wouldn’t ever send her back, but more than that, he knew she didn’t want to go back.

“Great. The giant is here. Now, can we talk about you giving me my mate back?” the King whined like a petulant child.

Grrrr.

“I was not aware we had your mate, Jack Branwen, King of the Pine Murder. Perhaps you have a photo? A description? Anything handy, so we might help you search for this lost mate.”

Derrick addressed the man whose neck Thor was itching to break with as much respect as propriety demanded. But he did not bother to disguise his loathing for the woman beating piece of shit. And that was why Thor loved the man.

“You listen to me, Wolf. She’s here, I saw her—” Jack said, spittle flying from his lips.

A fierce growl interrupted the byplay, and Thor stepped forward, forcing the man to back up. He was rude and disrespectful to their Alpha, and the beast in him would not tolerate such blatant discourtesy. His Pack mates loosed similar growls, though none held his venom. Thor kept advancing, forcing the King to retreat like the coward he was. No, he was not above using his size to intimidate, especially in these circumstances.

“You will address our Alpha with the respect he is due,” growled Thor, holding on to his anger by a thread.

“You can’t do this. I came here under a banner of peace, but I will bring this to the Council if I must—”

“Peace? You beat a woman for refusing your bed. You came here with your men, walked into our bar to force her to go with you, and you call that peace?”

“Thor,” Derrick said his name. “Leave off,” he commanded.

Thor was breathing heavily, wrestling with his Demon Wolf, but the beast owed fealty to their Alpha. He stopped short, holding onto the fist he so desperately wanted to bury in that asshole’s face. Derrick had saved the man from a broken nose, but there was nothing he could do about the permanent growl in Thor’s throat.

“She is m—”

“No. She is not your mate,” Thor stated, daring the Crow King to argue.

He did. But not with Thor. The pitiful excuse for a man couldn’t seem to meet his eyes. Thor’s growl got louder, and the Crow King stuttered. He imagined his eyes were full black now, glittering, and dangerous looking. Having the sight meant sometimes Thor could see a person’s true nature. When he looked at the Crow King all he saw was darkness.

Grrrr.

The Crow blanched, the color leaving his face faster than rats fleeing a sinking ship. He looked back at Derrick, as if Thor’s Alpha would take his side for some reason. Stupid, entitled coward that he was, he probably did think that. Thor just shook his head.

Of course, he can’t look at us. He knows we want to rip his black heart out of his chest, his Demon Wolf grinned inside his mind’s eye.

“Alpha,” Jack sneered the title. “Domenica Corvo is my mate. She is a liar if she says otherwise! I signed a marriage contract with her mother for her hand, and it is binding. By Crow law, Domenica Corvo is my claim,” Jack said, handing one of his men an envelope.

One of his Crows, a lanky, thin male, held the envelope out to Derrick with shaking hands. Fucking guy had to be twenty years old, if that. Cole stepped forward and took the thing, handing the envelope to Derrick. Thor made no effort to move. His black eyes stayed pinned on the Crow King while the slimy, unworthy male continued to argue his so-called rights.

“I will look this over, but Mr. Branwen? You should know I don’t give two fucks about Crow law. The Dire Wolf MC lives outside of Shifter Council law, as we have for hundreds of years.”

“Yeah, well, you broke off from your MC,Wolf,” the Crow King replied with a smirk. “You can’t claim their privilege anymore.”

“You know, it’s interesting you think those ties are so easily broken, Crow. You think because we settled here, we are no longer part of the greater Dire Wolf MC, but you could not be more wrong. If I were you, I would think about that before deciding what route you wish to take with us,” Derrick commented, inclining his head to the Pack.

“I will have her back!” the Crow King shouted, and Thor paused, only moving forward when Derrick slapped a hand on his shoulder.

The rest of the Dire Wolves walked behind the two of them, giving the Murder their backs in the ultimatefuck yousomeone could give to another Shifter. Thor wanted to be the last to leave, but it turned out to be no simple thing to walk away. His entire body trembled with pent up anger.

Hisotherpulsed and growled. That part of him watched hungrily, waiting for him to act. The shadow spirits grew louder, egging him on to do something foolish. His Demon Wolf allowed him to commune with the spirits and granted him use of hissight, but it was not always good.

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