68

68


Vishal

Shit! I had completely forgotten that Jane was using a different name in the human world. My mind was so panicked that I wasn’t thinking clearly.

“Sorry, my mistake,” I said quickly. “I meant, where is Ella?”

The waitress’s face brightened with recognition. “Oh, Ella! She’s not available right now. She’s meeting with the boss in his office.”

“Your boss?” I asked, my heart starting to race. When she nodded, I felt my wolf stirring restlessly inside me. “Is your boss a woman?”

She smiled again, completely unaware of the danger in my voice. “No, our boss is a man. Mr. Mark owns this place.”

“What?” The word came out as almost a growl. My wolf was furious that our mate was alone with another man. I won’t forgive him if he touches what’s ours, my wolf snarled in my head.

I slammed my hand on the bar, making the glasses jump. “Tell me where I can find them. Now.”

The waitress jumped back, her smile disappearing instantly. “I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t tell you where the boss’s office is. It’s against company policy.”

Her eyes darted around nervously, and I could hear her heart beating faster with fear. She was scared of me, but still loyal to her boss.

I didn’t need her to tell me anyway. I could find Jane using her scent - that sweet smell that called to every part of my soul. All I had to do was follow it until it led me straight to her.

I started walking toward the back of the bar, following the invisible trail that only I could detect. It led me to a corner where there was a large wooden door with a sign that read “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY - DO NOT ENTER.”

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” the waitress called out, running after me and trying to grab my arm. “You can’t go back there!”

I shook her off easily without even looking back. She couldn’t stop me even if she tried.

“Stop! You’re not allowed in there!” she kept shouting, but I ignored her completely.

Jane’s scent was stronger now, mixed with the disgusting smell of an older human male. My wolf was going crazy inside my head, clawing to get out.

As I got closer to the door, I saw June standing outside, pacing back and forth with worry written all over her face.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her urgently. “Where is my mate?”

“She’s in there,” June muttered, pointing at the closed door with shaking hands. “She’s supposedly having a meeting with the boss, but something doesn’t feel right.”

That was all I needed to hear. A red haze of fury clouded my vision. Without hesitation, I grabbed the door handle and twisted it with all my supernatural strength. The lock broke with a loud crack, and the door flew open.

“Please stop,” I heard her whisper fiercely. “I don’t want this.”

“You’ll learn to want it,” the old bastard said with a sick smile. “All the girls do eventually.”

That was it. I completely lost control.

“GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!” I roared, my voice echoing off the office walls.

“Who the hell are you?” he snarled. “This is a private meeting. Get out of here before I call security.”

He was threatening me? While touching my mate?

I didn’t waste time with words. My wolf was in control now, and he wanted blood. I launched myself across the room and tackled the old man, sending him crashing to the floor. Jane stumbled away from the wall, gasping for air.

“How dare you touch what’s mine?” I growled, punching him in the face with all my strength. I heard his nose break with a satisfying crunch.

The man screamed in pain, blood pouring from his nose. “You’re crazy! I’ll have you arrested!”

“You’ll be dead before the police get here,” I snarled, hitting him again. And again. And again.

June rushed into the room and immediately joined in, kicking the man in his ribs while he was down. “You disgusting pig!” she screamed. “How many other girls have you done this to?”

We kept attacking him until Jane’s voice cut through our rage.

“Stop it! Both of you!” she cried out. “He’s not worth it!”

I looked up at her, my fists still raised to strike again. “He touched you,” I growled, barely able to control myself. “He had his hands all over you. He deserves to die for that.”

“But he’s not worth you two getting in trouble. Please, just stop. I’m safe now.”

I wanted to keep hitting him until he stopped moving forever, but Jane was right. This wasn’t our world - this was the human world, with human laws. If I killed him here, it would cause problems for Jane too.

Reluctantly, I stepped back, my fists still clenched so tight my knuckles were white.

“If I ever see you near her again,” I told the bleeding man on the floor, “I’ll finish what I started today. Do you understand me?”

The old man nodded frantically, holding his broken nose. “Yes, yes, I understand. Just please don’t hurt me anymore.”

June spat on the floor next to him. “You’re lucky today, you sick freak.”

I walked over to Jane. “Are you hurt?” I asked softly, checking her arms and face for injuries.

“I’m okay,” she whispered.

“I tried calling you, but your phone went straight to voicemail,” I explained, my voice still rough with leftover anger. “When I couldn’t reach you, I knew something was wrong.”

“I’m sorry,” Jane said softly. “I should have told you I was meeting my boss. I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”

“Who is this piece of trash?” I asked, glaring at the man who was struggling to sit up.

“He’s the owner of this bar,” Jane said quietly. “Mr. Mark. He called me into his office and started making advances, and when I refused, he... he tried to force himself on me.”

“He won’t bother you or any other woman ever again,” I promised, my voice deadly serious. “Will you, Mark?”

The old man shook his head quickly. “No, no, never again. I swear.”

“Good,” I said coldly. “Because if I hear that you’ve hurt anyone else, I’ll come back and finish this conversation.”

Jane placed a gentle hand on my arm. “Please, Vishal, let’s just go. I want to get out of here.”

I nodded, realizing she was right. As much as I wanted to make sure this bastard never hurt anyone again, Jane needed me more than my revenge did.

“Let’s go,” I said, taking her hand carefully. “I’ll take you home.”

Jane squeezed my hand gratefully as we turned to leave. June followed behind us, but not before picking up a heavy paperweight from the desk and throwing it at Mark’s head. It missed, but it made her feel better.

“That’s for every woman you’ve ever hurt, you sick bastard,” she said.

As we walked out of the office and through the bar, I could feel Jane trembling beside me. My wolf was still restless, wanting to go back and tear that man apart, but I focused on being what Jane needed right now - her protector, her comfort, and her safety.

Once we were outside, Jane stopped walking and took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, looking up at me with grateful eyes. “Both of you. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t shown up.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” I replied, pulling her closer to my side. “I’ll always come for you. You’re my mate - protecting you is what I was born to do.”

Jane smiled weakly, her eyes reflecting gratitude and relief. “I’m lucky to have you in my life, Vishal.”

“No,” I said seriously, touching her face gently. “I’m the lucky one. I searched for you my whole life, and now that I’ve found you, I’m never letting you go.”

June cleared her throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but we should probably get out of here before that creep calls the police or something.”

She was right. Even though Mark was clearly in the wrong, humans didn’t always see things the way we did.

“Come on,” I muttered, guiding Jane toward the street. “Let’s get you both somewhere safe.”