Free Kate Allenton by Guided Loyalty Page A

thoughts. Ethan walked over to the door and pulled it open. Edward. He ran a hand through his hair before squeezing his neck. He wasn’t his calm, cool,

    collected self. He looked worried; he looked as if Black had set his sights on his mate and not
    Ethan’s.
          Edward barged into the room pushing past Ethan, like he owned the place. “Why didn’t you send her away? Why did you send me to bring her here? You know how close we are to that insane bastard. You did more harm than good, Ethan, and now she’s the one who’s going to pay the price.”
          Ethan stalked up to Edward and narrowed his eyes. “I wasn’t the one who let Black get anywhere near her. If I’d known you were so scared of him or that you were going to give him direct access, I never would have asked you to do anything. And, on top of that, you did this for him, not for me. It was just a coincidence we both wanted the same thing.”
    Edward landed the first punch. Ethan heard the bone crack in his cheek. Ethan’s immediate reaction was to fight, to destroy, and to kill. His mate was in the next room sleeping, and he’d be damned if he let this wolf around her again. Ethan swung, and his fist made contact with Edward’s nose. Bones broke, and blood squirted. Edward glared as he cupped his nose. His fingernails grew into claws. His teeth elongated, as Ethan started to shift, preparing to fight. When two alphas
    fought, there were only two outcomes. The weakest would either submit or die.
          “Don’t even think about it.” Cathy’s voice was a whisper from the hallway, but they both heard it. Edward’s nails receded, and Ethan’s body returned to normal, his eyes shifting back to those of a human.
    “You need your rest, baby.” Ethan growled, his body still tense, his muscles bunched tight.
    “I’m not your baby, Ethan Jacobs.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Edward has done nothing wrong. He protected me when you left me. He told me the truth when you either lied or didn’t talk to me at all.”
          “He let Black get close to you.”
    “Correction, my dear mate. He let Black talk to me in a controlled environment for my own protection. Don’t go assuming you know what I’ve been through. Don’t go assuming that I want anything to do with you.”
          Edward moved to her side and cupped her shoulders. “Do you want me to stay?”
          “If you want to keep your hands, I suggest you remove them from my mate.” Ethan growled.
          She shook her head, ignoring Ethan’s outburst. “No, Ethan and I need to have a long-overdue talk, but thank you for offering.”
          Edward’s hands dropped to his sides. “You know where to find me.”

         She nodded, and Edward left Ethan and her alone in the room. This was the first time they’d been alone since he’d left her back in Henderson, with no guns pointed at either of them, no mental breakdowns, and no one else but them. Anticipation, anxiety, and hurt consumed her, and he saw it in her eyes.
         Unable to resist, he ignored her unwilling vibes and moved to her side, pulling her into the comfort of his arms. Her back was ramrod straight. She didn’t sink into him as she’d done in the hallway. This was going to be harder than he thought. He released his hold. “Please let me explain.”
         “Nothing you say could ever justify how you treated me, Ethan.” Cathy walked to the window and moved the curtains to look out.
         “I’m so sorry, baby.”
         “Quit calling me that.”
         She let the curtains fall into place and turned. He hadn’t been expecting the hardened look on her face. He’d been expecting the sweet Cathy he’d left behind, not the one who looked like she was ready and willing to mete out her own brand of justice. No, this was not his sweet Cathy.
         “I’m not your baby; I’m not your friend; and, I’ll damn sure never be your mate. When