Chapter 51
ADAM
The restraining order seemed to work—until it didn’t.
A few weeks went by. No texts or harassing phone calls. No piss marks on our front lawn. No haunting late night motorcycle drive-bys.
It was too much for me to hope that Tank had actually given up. I was still on edge, my wolf growling at the back of my mind. It felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for the big bad wolf to come barreling out of the dark woods to snatch Fletcher away from me.
And Fletcher, he’d been exceptionally devoted to me since this whole mess started.
I felt bad for being so distant, but my mind was a war zone.
Still, he never once left my side. He crawled into my arms every night, and I held him until the pounding of my heart slowed enough that I could finally close my eyes.
“What do you think about going out for dinner tonight?” I mused aloud.
We’d not really gone out and done anything frivolous for ourselves in weeks. The closest we’d come to “going to dinner” was drive-thru takeout and coming back home to eat in the safety of our home before the food went cold.
Fletcher’s eyes lit up, but there was a guardedness about him that made me ache. He was my beautiful sunshine boy, and I hated Tank for dimming his light.
“Could we? I’m really craving chicken Alfredo and garlic breadsticks.” As if on cue, his stomach gave a rumble. He giggled and covered it with one hand. “Shh.”
I grinned. “What about Kissinger’s? I think I saw something in the paper about a dinner special they’re running.”
“Ooh, they’re so good. Let’s do it! Let me get changed.” He hopped up off the couch and scurried off down the hall. I shook my head, watching him go with a fond smile.
I loved him, so damn much. I couldn’t imagine my life without him now that he’d inhabited my heart for so long. How had I ever thought I could follow in my father’s footsteps and marry someone of his choosing when my heart belonged to this red-headed lynx?
Kissinger’s was busy, typical of a Friday evening, but after a short wait, we were seated and our orders were taken.
Fletcher and I enjoyed the ambience—the low amber glow of the backlighting, the sparkle of the small chandeliers hanging pendulous from the ceiling, the soft murmur of voices and clinks of silver against china.
We shared a basket of breadsticks and cheese sauce while waiting for our Alfredo. The bread practically melted in your mouth. Fletcher hummed happily, his eyes crescents of mirth.
Our dinner plates came piping hot, heaped full of what was definitely more than a serving of creamy Alfredo pasta, topped with grilled chicken. The waitress grated fresh parmesan over our meals and told us to enjoy, and we were left to do just that.
It was the best damn Alfredo I’d ever had—and I grew up with expensive taste.
Interspersed between hums of pleasure, Fletcher and I talked about a little bit of everything.
He spoke about buying a car of his own now that he had his license, so we didn’t have to share my BMW.
About maybe getting a little part-time job so he wasn’t stuck at home all day, because he wanted to contribute to the household, despite me having enough money for everything.
Everything about it just made me love him more.
After dinner, too full for dessert, we left the restaurant and walked hand in hand through the busy parking lot, to where we’d left our car—and immediately, my wolf snarled a warning as the sharp bite of licorice touched my nose.
No.
Tank was there, looking as deadly beautiful as ever in jeans and a black leather jacket. He leaned against my car with a smirk on his face.
A glint of metal drew my gaze to the knife in his hand—and to my car’s tires, which had been slashed.
Bastard…
“I told you you couldn’t get rid of me that easily,” he drawled, flipping his head to chase inky bangs from his eyes. “You got the cops involved. Nice job, buddy, but you only slowed down the inevitable.”
I gripped Fletcher’s hand tighter, pulling him to a stop, then stepped in front of him.
“Leave us alone, Tank. I’m warning you,” I growled.
“Big words for someone not brandishing a weapon,” he replied with a laugh, tossing the knife up in the air before catching it with liquid grace.
I stepped forward. “You wanna fight? Let’s shift and settle this like the Alphas we are.”
“Hah! As if. I have the power here and we both know it.” His expression darkened, twisting into something coldly terrifying. “Fletcher is mine, Adam. He’s going to come with me now.”
I bared my fangs. “Fuck you.”
So he turned those shark-eyes on my mate. “Fletch, baby. What do you want?”
Fletcher surprised me by bristling up and saying, “You heard him—fuck you. Go away, Tank. You’re freaking me out. Please, just leave us alone. Find some new guy to bother.”
“No!” Tank snarled. “I want you!”
Without warning, he lunged at me, the knife still gripped in one hand, ready to strike. I snarled and grabbed his wrist, and the two of us grappled over the weapon. I kicked Tank in the shin, but the man was like a brick wall.
“I’m tired of playing games, Adam.” Tank’s smile was cruel as he slammed me bodily against someone’s car. The car alarm began shrieking.
In the background, I could hear Fletcher’s panicked cries, the muffled sounds of him calling for help, but my attention was locked on Tank and the deadly knife descending towards me.
I pushed Tank’s hand away with one arm, while trying to wrestle him off of me with the other, but it was useless. The bigger Alpha was stronger, somehow. His licorice scent practically drowned me as he leaned in close and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of our boy. Hush now.”
“No!” I screamed, panic lighting me up like a firecracker. “Please, leave him—”
My words were cut short with a blinding slice of pain, followed by a bubbling intake of air as I choked on my next breath. My hands flew to my throat as Tank’s knife came away drenched in blood.
“ADAM!” Fletcher’s voice was filled with anguish. “NO!”
I stumbled back, sinking to my knees on the pavement as blood gushed hot down my chest to soak my clothes. My breaths came in short, jerky, bubbling bursts.
No… Not like this…
My head dizzy, I tried in vain to stop the flow, but there was red everywhere.
I was dying.
Fletcher fell to his knees beside me, his face white and horrified. “Adam! No! Please—ah!” He screamed as Tank grabbed his upper arm and wrenched him away from me. “STOP! LEAVE ME ALONE! ADAM!”
“Say goodbye, pretty boy,” Tank taunted him, pulling him away from me as my vision went dark around the edges. All I could see was the pain in my mate’s tearful green eyes, the sorrow written on his beautiful face as I slumped onto the cool pavement below.
I couldn’t even protect my Omega. What kind of Alpha was I?
Accepting my defeat, I stared up at the starlit sky as the blood pumped out of my body with each beat of my heart. Sirens shrilled in the distance, along with Fletcher’s anguished screams.
I’m so sorry…