Chapter 34
Ari
We’re in the middle of our VIP experiences for the night when my entire body locks up as my brand-new mate bond is flushed with terror. “Hang on, hang on.” I plead with the fans in front of me. “Give me just a minute,” my voice cracks.
The men stop and all lock eyes with me.
“Security!” I call out.
They come running, immediately searching for the threat, the fans looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. Are you okay, love?
“Erica! We have to get to Erica.”
I’m coming for you.
Security, my bandmates, and I all sprint back toward the stage area where Erica chills on her chair, waiting for us to finish with the VIP experiences.
I feel a shock of pain through our bond, and I have never been more thankful that in addition to each venue’s security team, we have our own security team that travels with us.
Erica! Can you hear me?
They’re more like family at this point because we haven’t needed their services in a serious capacity for quite some time.
Yes. I-I . . . she finally responds but it sounds like she’s in shock.
Instead of hiring human security, we hired shifters. They’re fast, strong, and their heightened senses are invaluable.
We’re coming, siren. Hang on for me, yeah?
As security sprints ahead—faster than I’m capable of on land—I know that they’ll reach her before I can, and it brings me some semblance of peace while I freak the fuck out.
Rounding the final corner, the sight before me boils my blood, and all chances of a peaceful resolution are blown right out of the water.
Our security team—who may or may not be growling—is now surrounding Vann, who’s arm is wrapped around Erica’s neck, and he’s snarling directly at me, like no one else is here.
Just me, him, and my mate in his arms. Anger ripples through every cell of my body, my gums itching to let my razor-sharp mer-teeth loose and shred the skin, muscles, and sinew from his body.
Bloody visions of retribution flash through my mind.
Ignoring him, my eyes lock onto my sweet mate.
Her eyes are red and there are tears. The side of her face is red like the bastard hit her again.
She casts her eyes to the floor, interpreting that my anger is directed at her.
I’m not mad at you, Erica. Never you. She lifts her eyes back to mine. You did nothing wrong. We’ll fix this.
Feeling the subtle sense of reassurance through our bond, I refocus back to the sweating, snarling problem. He looks crazed, possessed. We’ll have to be smart to make sure Erica doesn’t get hurt any more than she already is.
From what I can see, it doesn’t look like he brought an actual weapon with him, so we have that on our side. The shifter security starts making subtle hand signals to each other before they all nod in unison.
I give Erica a heads up. Shit’s about to go down.
Readying myself for whatever they have planned, I focus on Erica. They can deal with him, I just want her. The human security guards are just reaching us, panting and completely behind on the situation, I can’t help but roll my eyes.
That’s when I notice one of the shifters has managed to sneak up behind where Vann has Erica and is trying to walk away while rambling nonsense about taking what belongs to him.
The shifter plants himself, waiting for Vann to back into him, and the single moment of startle is all he needs. He extracts Vann’s arm from Erica’s neck and has it twisted behind Vann’s back on the floor before the humans can even register what happened.
I’m bolting for Erica while Bach yells at the human guards to go get the police.
But something happens. Something flashes in Vann’s eyes and he’s up, flinging the shifter off of him, lurching for Erica.
I throw myself between them, and he’s on me with inhuman strength.
His meaty hands are wrapped around my throat, squeezing hard.
I snap, kick, and swipe at him with my clawed, webbed hands, but nothing works.
He’s crushing my throat and no oxygen is allowed to pass.
The shifters are yanking on him, trying to get him off.
My band rushes us. I barely see Fish dragging a hysterical Erica away from the melee. Bach wraps his own elbow around Vann’s neck, locking his fist in the crook of his other arm, while Scooter comes around and jabs Vann right in his eyeballs.
It’s a team effort, but just as black sparks dot my vision, they’re able to rip him off of me as he howls in pain.
I’m gasping and gulping down as much oxygen as I can, my entire throat on fire.
“Fuck this,” I hear one of the shifters growl before knocking Vann upside the head, his body going stiff and hitting the concrete floor with a loud thud.
There’s gonna be a lot of paperwork. We’re not supposed to hurt humans. We can usually handle them, but there was something wrong with him that I hope they’re able to examine.