The sheriff grabbed a set of keys from his belt, unlocked the door and let Corwin and Bess out. Their clothes were wrinkled and both of them looked as if they hadn’t slept much.
I rushed to hug Bess. “I am so, so sorry!” I cried out. “I totally forgot to call you back. It’s a really long story, which I can’t fully explain, but…” I glanced around and lowered my voice. “I’m staying for three more weeks so that Camille has a chance to mate during the full moon. Then, her uncle won’t be able to force her to come back, even if he manages to track her down.”
“What? You’re staying?” Bess gasped. She and Corwin both looked shocked.
Corwin looked at my neck, then glared at Max. “You monster! You left bruises on her neck!”
“Those are hickeys!” I said hastily. Damn Max. He’d really taken that whole “marking his woman” thing way too seriously.
They both started growling at each other and bristling and turning hairy. Claws were springing from finger tips, ears were going pointy, jaws were lengthening.
“Stop!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
I turned to Corwin. “He did not hurt me. I swear to God.” Well, he’d only hurt me in ways that caused me to beg for more and have multiple orgasms, but I wasn’t about to share that information with my friends.
Corwin’s fur receded, but he was still glaring and growling.
“Corwin, be careful,” Bess pleaded, clutching at his arm.
The sheriff stood there, tense and watchful, but he didn’t make a move. Would he intercede if the two macho men decided to throw down? Possibly not. He was a Battle, so he had to back Max, and also, if Corwin challenged an Alpha, the Alpha was within his rights to smack Corwin down.
Corwin had grown up with a dad who’d beaten and abused his mother, so he tended to react strongly if he thought a woman was a victim of domestic violence. What was scary was that he might go too far. He might actually challenge Max, and then he’d die.
“Corwin, come on!” I said. “You know me. I would not put up with being abused by a guy. I’d literally fight to the death rather than put up with that.”
“This is not your affair,” Maxwell growled at him. “This is my wife. Stay away from her.”
“Your wife? Oh, you haven’t told him?” Corwin sneered.
That was too much for Max. He cuffed Corwin so hard that he knocked Corwin back several feet. Corwin bounced off a wall, and then fell on his ass, momentarily stunned. A trickle of blood ran from his split lip. Bess screamed.
“Stop, please!” I begged. “This is my fault. Let me just talk to them alone outside for five minutes.”
I helped Corwin up, and Sheriff Battle led us out the back door to the parking lot. Max followed us and stood watching us and glowering from a short distance.
“Come on, Corwin, that was stupid and uncalled for,” I said to him. “I appreciate your concern, but you all but challenged an Alpha back there. He would have had every legal right to kill you.”
“He’s holding you prisoner,” Bess protested.
“No, he really is not. I could leave any time I want. I thought about leaving yesterday, and I changed my mind and decided to stay. Voluntarily.”
“He’s standing there watching you to make sure you can’t escape!” Her voice went high and there were tears in her eyes.
“Listen up, both of you. You know I can handle myself. I’ve been taking care of myself since I was a cub.”
“You’re not alone. We’re like your family,” Bess said, tears glittering in her eyes.
“I won’t let that bastard hurt you,” Corwin choked out, shaking with anger.
As if Corwin could stop him, I thought, but didn’t say it, because Corwin meant well.
“Okay, here’s what’s going on. First of all, yes, marrying him turned out to be way more complicated than I thought. I shouldn’t have underestimated it. However, Max knows why I substituted myself for Camille, and he has agreed that we will pretend to stay married until Camille can mate during the full moon. This is what I want to do. After that, we will get a divorce, and I will come back home. He is not abusing me. You guys know me better than that. Understand?”
“Why is he standing there watching you, then?” Bess asked suspiciously.
“Because he is being a typical Alpha male.”
“You’re not really his wife, though, so I don’t understand why he’s acting like that,” Corwin protested.
“I kind of do,” Bess said reluctantly. “He is an Alpha. He has an image to maintain. He can’t let you grab Josephine and run off with her.”