“Neither is finding out that you endangered your mate,” Madison snapped back. “What the hell were you thinking, Chris? She could have been killed.”

“She’s fine,” Chris bit out between clenched teeth as he did his best to ignore his little mate’s trembling. The last thing he needed was to feel protective of his little mate or anything for her for that matter, but he was having a hell of a time not giving her some sort of reassurance to make her feel better.

He wasn’t sure if it was because women were softer, weaker in general, but for some reason he’d always felt very protective of them. Nothing roused his temper faster than seeing a woman hurt or unhappy.

Considering who his mother was and how she raised him he should hate women in general, but he didn’t. He always saw them as a group that needed his protection, except for Sentinel females that is.

It didn’t matter how soft or curvy looking a Sentinel female was he always saw them as equals. Whenever he patrolled or fought alongside them he’d never given their strength of ability a second thought, which was probably why he’d expected so much from his own mate.

Unfortunately for him she didn’t possess one damn redeemable quality that made him want her and he sure as hell didn’t count the way she made his body react. That was more on an inconvenience and distraction, one he’d happily do without.

“She doesn’t look fine,” Jill pointed out, earning a scowl from him that only made her roll her eyes. Damn annoying little sisters, he thought as he forced himself to look back at Madison.

“I’m not sure what you expected, Chris, but scaring the hell out of her wasn’t the way to go about introducing her to our world,” Madison said, using that damn tone she used to use when she was a teacher and he’d f**ked up and ended up in detention. It grated on him in the worst way, not because she was talking down to him, she would never, but because he knew she was right. He had f**ked up. If he’d taken a moment and really looked at her and not assumed so damn much he would have realized that she was different, softer, gentler, and weak.

She hadn’t belonged in that clearing anymore than his sister or grandmother did. It didn’t matter that she wore the Sentinel mark, his mark, she wasn’t one of them and he should have known that. Hell, she’d told him she was a damn coward and he’d ignored it completely and made so many damn excuses to cover it.

Well, now it seemed there were no more excuses to be made.

“What’s done is done, Madison. She’s not what we thought and as soon as we figure out what the hell she did to start this f**king war she’ll be out of our hair.

Then she’ll be Eric’s problem,” he said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. A mate should improve his life not destroy it, but now thanks to her he was going to have to do a job, their job, alone.

“You’re sending her away?” Madison asked, looking truly stunned. She shot a look to Jill, who wore a matching expression. Everyone knew how long he’d been waiting for her and they probably expected him just to accept her shortcomings and protect and coddle her, but he didn’t have the time for that shit or even want a woman that needy or dependent on him. Didn’t they understand that he wanted, no, needed a partner?

“Chris,” Jill started as she pushed away from the wall and came closer, “maybe you should sleep on it and-“

“You’re sending me away?” Izzy’s small, but much stronger voice said, startling him. It surprised him that he’d actually forgotten that she was in his arms for a minute there. The fact that she’d made him comfortable enough to let his guard down like that just went to show him that he needed to get her the hell out of here.

“Yes,” he said, refusing to look down at her and meet her eyes that were no doubt filled with terror. He didn’t need her weakening him and making him feel bad. She was the one who’d f**ked up, not him. He couldn’t allow himself to be sucked in and allow her to have any type of hold over him.

“Good. Then put me down,” she demanded, drawing his attention almost against his will. He looked down at her beautiful emerald eyes and felt himself weaken.

Without a word he put her down, needing space almost as much as he needed her back in his arms. What in the hell was she doing to him? he wondered even as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her.

“Are you ready to talk yet?” he demanded.

“No, I’m ready to leave,” she said firmly, stepping past him and heading for the front door.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he asked, surprised that she was willing to go back out there.

After Jill and their grandmother learned about the real world they lived in, it had taken them months before they found the courage to go out at night again and even then they’d only venture out at night if Ephraim escorted them. But that was a human female reaction.

Maybe he should take this as a positive sign that she wasn’t afraid.

“It’s still night time and a full moon,” Jill pointed out, making him wonder if she was still afraid. He didn’t like the idea of his sister living in fear, especially since the stubborn woman lived on her own near town. Of course that would change if they couldn’t end whatever bullshit his little mate had started. If they couldn’t put an end to this Jill was moving back in. End of story.

Izzy paused with her hand on the doorknob. “There,”

she cleared her throat, “are more of those things out right now?”

“There’s a lot more out there right now than just shifters,” Chris drawled, watching her reaction very closely.

“I see,” she murmured, letting her hand drop, not surprising him, but sure as hell disappointing him, which after tonight should be damn near impossible.

She turned around to face them, taking a slow deep breath before she said, “Could I have my bag back and a ride into town?”

He had to snort at that. She wasn’t going anywhere until she answered his questions and then she’d be going where he decided, which was as far away from here under Sentinel supervision as he could manage.

“I’m not giving you a ride anywhere,” he said.

She blinked at him. “Oh, I wasn’t asking you. I don’t like you. I was asking him,” she said, pointing towards Joshua, who had the balls to grin.

He shot his brother a glare, but his displeasure only seemed to make the little bastard grin more.

“If you give me a ride I’ll answer whatever questions you want,” she added, sounding hopeful.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said, stalking forward and ignoring the urge to wipe that smug look off his brother’s face. “You’re going to stay here and answer my questions and then you’ll go where I decide.”

“No, I won’t and secondly who the hell died and made you my keeper?” she asked, giving him the same look that he’d seen Madison give his father when the man had f**ked up, but right now he didn’t care that she was pissed. He cared even less that she liked his brother more than him. It didn’t piss him off at all to know that she preferred Joshua over him.

Not. At. All.

“I’m your mate,” he said, stepping into her personal space and backing her up until her back hit the wall.