Chapter 170

No one will take my family from me.

I knew Asher couldn’t mean the words like they sounded. It had to be the wolf talking, and Asher’s wolf had always been confused about our relationship.

But that didn’t make me any less happy to hear the words.

It wasn’t the proper place or time for the emotion. I had no excuse for the surge of pleasure that coated my heart in warmth. But it happened all the same.

Asher was too far gone to notice the shift in me.

“I will destroy him,” he growled, turning for the door.

I launched myself forward and grabbed his arm with both of mine. His elbow was so near my abdomen. He couldn’t move without hurting me.

He froze at once.

“Don’t,” I said. “It might make things worse.”

“How?” His voice was so raspy, he barely sounded like himself.

“If he was the one who reported, and something happens to him, won’t that draw attention onto you, and then onto me? Won’t that endanger all of us?”

For a long moment, he stood in silence, me clutching Asher’s arm. Asher standing perfectly still.

Then he closed his eyes. He took three deep breaths.

When he spoke again, his voice was more measured. “You’re right.”

The tension in his body slowly slipped away. It was likely safe now, for me to release his arm, but I didn’t let go yet. I didn’t want to.

“I’ll see what I can find out about the report,” Asher said. “In the meantime, you need to be careful with everyone, including Lamar. I don’t have to remind you that Lamar and Joseph are teammates.”

“Lamar’s only being pretend-nice to Joseph to maintain peace on the team. He told me they aren’t really friends.”

Asher leveled me a look. He wasn’t convinced.

“Too many coincidences,” he said. “Something isn’t adding up.” I opened my mouth, but he spoke again before I could say a word. “I’m only saying to be careful. Nothing else.”

He dropped his gaze to where I held him. I still didn’t let go. I felt like his closeness was the only thing keeping me sane under this tsunami of fear.

“Cyn,” he said.

I closed my eyes. I had missed the way he said that nickname so much, I could burst hearing it now.

“Even when I sounded like a jerk, all I’ve ever wanted to do is protect you,” he said. “I’ve gone about things the wrong way, but… I just want to keep you safe.”

It wasn’t an apology. It was even much of an explanation. At least, not a very good one.

Asher had hurt me deeply, and then allowed that hurt to fester.

Forgiveness wouldn’t come in one evening. And I couldn’t forget the promises I’d made to Lamar, or to myself.

I pried my hands from Asher’s arm and released him. I avoided his gaze as I said, “I know you want protect me, Asher. But… I’m still going to go out with Lamar. I need you to respect that.”

Asher’s voice was quiet. “I understand.”

“And you can’t let your wolf hurt him.”

“I’ll try.”

Lifting my eyes, I gently chided him. “Asher.”

He clenched his jaw. “Fine. I promise.” He exhaled low and slow. “Until you tell me otherwise.”

“Which I won’t do,” I said.

He didn’t say anything, but I supposed if he wasn’t arguing, it was as good as agreeing.

He stood in silence for a moment. I missed times like this, when we could just comfortably exist side by side. But as things were between us now, it wasn’t meant to last.

“I should go.” Asher walked to the door. He hesitated, when he reached it. “Goodnight, Cynthia.”

“Goodnight,” I replied, but he was already out into the hall.

That night, despite all that was happening, I slept more soundly than I had since Asher and I broke up.

His scent lingered in my room. My body retained the warmth from his arm. And the way he’d called me Cyn kept the nightmares away.

I awoke refreshed. The fear continued to linger, but it was pushed to the back of my mind, like white noise in a crowded room.

I had classes today, so I changed and made my way to the classroom.

Near the end of my second class, my phone buzzed in my purse. I had it set to only make noise if a message came through labeled urgent. Fortunately, the lecture was mostly done, and the professor was only assigning the homework.

I diligently wrote down what the professor said, then reached for my purse.

The message I received had been from a number I didn’t recognize. Still, any urgent message made me worried, so I clicked to open it.

The text read, Your boyfriend is in the hospital. Room 202.

It ended with an address, which I recognized as the hospital where Nancy and Irene worked.

The world shifted. My stomach clenched so hard, I thought I might throw up.

When Asher had left my room last night, he’d been fine. But he’d said he was going to look into the report.

Did someone find out? Did someone hurt him?

Asher.

I grabbed my purse, but realized only when I was out of the building that I had forgotten my textbooks. I’d get them later.

Asher was hurt. Anything else could wait.

Could he be dying? Why wasn’t there more info in the text?

I tried calling the number. No answer.

I tried Asher’s phone next. Nothing.

I couldn’t run without hurting the baby, and it frustrated me. I wanted to hurry, but Asher would never forgive me if I lost the baby because of my fear for him.

It took me far longer than it should have to reach the hospital. Every moment was agony.

Asher’s warmth. His secret smile. The way he said my name.

I couldn’t lose those things.

I couldn’t lose him.

I burst through the doors of the hospital and hobbled to the elevator. I pressed the button for the second floor ten times before the damned doors finally closed.

When they opened again, I rushed to the first person I found. “Where is room 202?”

A nurse directed me.

I could see the door.

Please don’t let him be hurt too badly.

My phone rang in my purse. I ignored it.

There was no room for distractions now. Not with Asher hurt, right there.

I hurried into room 202, then jolted to a stop.

That wasn’t Asher.

Lamar was in the bed.

Lamar. The boy I was dating.

Not Asher, my ex.

Relief made my knees weak. I was so tired from running.

Immediately, I felt like an asshole. Lamar was my boyfriend, and he was here, in the hospital.

Except he was wearing his regular clothes, not a hospital gown. And he wasn’t in the bed so much as sitting on it, with his legs dangling off the side.

“Cynthia?” he asked, facing me.

One of his eyes was swollen. Had he been punched?

“Are you okay?” I moved closer.

“Yeah. Just a black eye, fortunately.”

I frowned. That didn’t seem terribly urgent. The message had made it seem much worse.

Who had even sent that message, anyway? That hadn’t been Lamar’s number, or Nancy’s, or Irene’s. I didn’t know anyone else here. But whoever it was had known I was dating Lamar.

“What happened?” I asked. I clung to the side of the bed. My legs ached from the strain of fast-walking so far.

Lamar looked away, hiding his bruised eye behind his profile. “I don’t want to tell you. You’ll get upset.”

He didn’t have to tell me. That was his choice. But… I’d promised him to try harder.

Trying harder meant caring more.

I placed my hand on his shoulder. “Tell me anyway,” I said. “If you want to.”

He licked his lips.

When he looked at me again, there was an anger in his eyes I had never seen before.

“Asher attacked me.”