Fang turned around to look. He appeared as perplexed as she felt. “Bugging her for what?”

That’s exactly what she thought. “Never mind, sweetie. It was stupid.”

She’d never known Fang to look at another woman. He only had eyes for her and unlike Dev, Etienne, and Serre, he wasn’t a player. She knew that.

So then what game was Tara playing? Maybe she’s imagining it…

That was the most likely scenario.

Putting it out of her mind, Aimee went back to work.

Fang got off work first and headed to his room. He was stiff and sore from all the hours he’d been in human form and needed desperately to be a wolf for a while. He lay on his bed in his true form and sighed.

But even so, he missed Aimee. He could hear her downstairs in the bar and feel her with his soul.

Closing his eyes, he waited for her to join him.

It was just after two when she appeared in his bed. The two of them had been sharing a bed for the last few weeks. She slept as a human while he kept his wolf form. They would “play” in his room since it was far enough away to keep any of her family from overhearing them. But they slept in her room just in case her family knocked on the door.

When they did, Fang would flash out before they entered. It was a dangerous game they played.

One that would mean his life if they were caught, but in his mind, it was more than worth it.

He sighed as she stroked the fur at his neck. Nothing in the world felt better than the way she touched him. Her fingers worked magic on his skin and fur.

Leaning down, she rubbed her face in his pelt and gave a tight squeeze. “I missed you.”

Fang turned human and rolled over. Completely naked, he pulled her into his arms to hold her close. “I missed you too.”

Aimee sighed in bliss as his lips touched hers. That tight, ripped body was all she needed in her life. And never was the urge to run away with him stronger than it was tonight.

She only wanted to be with him. Reaching down, she cupped him in her hand and smiled at the way he jerked and sighed.

Fang wanted to stay here like this forever as she trailed her hand down the length of his cock. Though they’d done nothing more than pet, he was fast losing patience with it.

He wanted so much more, but he wasn’t willing to push her into anything, especially given the hatred his parents had borne each other. If they really were mates, then he wanted her to completely accept him without reservation or doubt.

Relaxing on the bed, his demon sense kicked in. There was a slight rustle out in the hallway.

Worried it was one of her brothers, he tilted his head, then cursed.

It was Wren.

And he was here to kill Nicolette.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“What was that?”

Fang debated telling her. The demon in him wanted to turn the tigard loose on Nicolette and let him kill the bear. It would solve a lot of their problems.

But in the end, Nicolette was her mother and she loved her. That alone made the nondemon parts of him win the fight. “It’s Wren. I think he’s after your mom.”

Aimee gasped as she looked up at Fang. “You have to stop him.”

Now?

Was she out of her mind?

He looked down at her bare breasts that were pressed against his chest. The only thing she wore was a thin pair of pink panties. Panties he’d intended to pull off with his teeth before he licked her until she was begging him for mercy.

But she’d already gone dry on him.

Even more sexually frustrated than he’d been before, he growled. “Let them eat him.”

“Fang!”

“All right. I’m going.” Flashing a pair of jeans on his body, he left the bed and damned the tigard with every step he took. At this point Wren would be lucky if he didn’t kill him.

Fang cracked open the door.

In tiger form, Wren was stalking through the upstairs of Sanctuary. It was obvious he was on a hunt.

“Shit,” Fang breathed as he realized the tigard was in fact heading straight for Nicolette’s room.

As soon as he heard Fang’s curse, Wren turned and crouched low as if ready to attack.

Fang had to stop himself from scoffing at the action. Like he could stand up to Fang. “Get your ass in here,” Fang snapped. “Now!”

Wren started away from him, which didn’t help his mood at all. If he wasn’t going to listen to him, Fang was going to rip him to shreds.

Aimee rushed to his side to peep out the door around him. “Listen to him, Wren. Please.”

The tigard froze at Aimee’s voice. Hoping she wasn’t still naked, Fang glanced over his shoulder and realized that one side of her face was red and her lips were swollen from their play. But at least she was dressed.

Before any of them moved, another door opened. Aimee dashed out of sight as her younger brother Etienne froze in his doorway. Tall and blond like the rest of his brothers, the bear was only a few decades older than Wren, but he didn’t appear any older in human form.

He instantly flashed to his bear form.

Fang cursed under his breath. “There’s no fighting in Sanctuary,” he said between clenched teeth, closing his door to protect Aimee as he moved to stand between them. “You both know the eirini laws that govern us.”

“He is marked, wolf. Stand down.”

Fang paused at the sound of Papa Bear’s deep voice. Normally the bear was easygoing and jovial. But this tone was all business and all lethal.

Wren flashed himself to human form to confront the famed Papa Bear. “I did nothing wrong. This is bullshit and all of you know it.”

“You’ve gone mad,” Papa Bear said. “You’ve threatened my cubs and my mate.”

Fang had to keep himself silent. Hell, they all threatened the cubs. He’d called Dev an asshole on his way up and had threatened to beat him down.

But obviously Papa Bear wasn’t about to cut Wren any slack.

Wren narrowed his gaze at the bear. “No, I haven’t. But you can tell your bitch that I’m here for her now.”

Papa Bear ran at him.

Fang put himself between them and caught Papa as he lunged. The bear was strong, but the demon inside Fang gave him the ability to hold the bear back and keep him from killing Wren.

Roaring in frustration, Papa knocked Fang aside with one hell of a paw punch and went for Wren.

Wren flashed to tiger form and launched himself at Papa who transformed instantly to a bear. He caught the larger bear about the throat as Etienne attacked him from the back. Wren hissed as Etienne threw him against the wall and laid one leg open with his huge claw.

Dazed, Wren sprang back to his feet only to have his wounded leg buckle.

Fang was trying to rejoin, but his shoulder had been ripped open and blood was pouring down his side. Gah, it hurt and burned.

The bears reared before they started toward Wren. They’d only taken two steps when a bright light flashed in the hallway.

Wren backed up, ready to fight, only to pause as he saw Vane and Fury in the hallway now.

In human form, Vane took one look at Fang’s bleeding shoulder and growled low in his throat. “Aubert? Have you lost your mind?”

Papa Bear, or Aubert as he was really named, flashed back to human while Etienne remained a bear. “He is marked for death. We took you in, wolf, when you had nothing. Is this how you repay us?”

Vane’s eyes were blazing. “No, Aubert. I haven’t forgotten my debt to you or Nicolette. But I will not stand by and see this happen to an innocent. Wren has no clan to back him. Therefore I offer him mine.”

Fang was stunned as he heard those words. Was Vane out of his mind? To offer shelter to someone wanted by the Omegrion was suicide.

Papa Bear was every bit as incredulous. “You would back him against the Omegrion’s decree?”

Vane didn’t hesitate with his answer. His face was grim and deadly. “You damn straight.”