Wicked Bite (Realm Enforcers #5)(76)

The black in his eyes glittered hot and bright. "Not the boss of you?" he yelled back.

"No," she screamed.

"This is my territory," he bellowed. "My men were out there. In danger. For you."

"My men were in danger, too." Her voice rose even higher. "I'm the head of the Guard."

His chin lowered. "Exactly." His low tone was even more frightening than his bellow. "You're the president. The queen. The one that everybody will jump in front of a bullet for. It's your fucking duty to stay safe and behind, to keep your people safe. To keep my people safe."

The fact that he had a point just spurred her anger higher. "I do what I want." Plus, she was a damn healer.

"Not on my land." He took two steps toward her. "Not wearing my bite."

Her mouth went dry, even as her body flared to life. This side of him-this dangerous, deadly, raw side of him that nobody else saw . . . she'd bet her entire fortune that he didn't let anybody else see him like this. "Your bite does not give you any rights over me," she yelled, her recklessness matching the storm around her. She couldn't help it. There was more to him, and she wanted it. Didn't understand it, but she knew how to get it.

They were on opposite pages, and that had to change and now. She needed to change that. So she challenged the alpha, knowing full well what she was doing.

He stepped into her space, his entire body vibrating. His muscles clenched and grew defined. Determination glowed like lava in his eyes. "My bite gives me every right, and it's time you learned that. I've tried so hard to be somebody else. Something else. That's fucking over."

She shoved him in the abdomen. Hard.

He didn't move an inch.

"You said we're over," she snapped, shoving freezing wet hair out of her eyes, hurt bubbling through the anger. "We're done. Over. So get the hell out of my life."

"No." He tugged her wet sweater to the side and ran his thumb across his bite mark. 

Electrical jolts swept down and around her, hitting every nerve. Panic mixed with her anger. "Yes."

His gaze remained on the bite. "You're reckless, dishonest, and a pain in the ass." He looked up, his hard eyes making her breath catch in her throat. "You came here. You wanted to mate a shifter. Me. An alpha grizzly."

"So?" she challenged, her legs outright trembling.

"You did exactly what you'd planned in your nice safe office a world away. You wanted to mate a grizzly bear alpha." His hand slid up her neck to cup her head. "I tried to be nice. Gentle. Patient." Twisting his wrist, he shoved her toward the cabin. "I tried to be what you probably thought you wanted."

She stumbled and then pivoted around to face him. "Fuck you."

"Yeah." He planted a hand against her upper chest and pushed, sliding her backward over the ice as he moved. "It's time you got what you really wanted."

Her hands windmilled and she tried to plant her feet, but he was too strong. Before she knew it, the porch steps stopped her slide.

His hand remained planted across her chest. "Get. Inside. Now."

She stared at him, so many feelings bombarding her that she couldn't find just one. Rain slashed down on him, and in the gray day, his features were all rugged planes of strength. His eyes glowed. Steam rose from him. The smart thing, the safe thing to do would be to turn around and go into the cabin. That movement would give him a few seconds to control himself.

She didn't want his control.

Now she wanted all of him. Logic didn't explain it; neither did strategy. But deep down, in a place she'd never explored, she needed to know all of him. He wasn't the only one with ancient, wild, and passionate blood pounding through his veins.

So she lifted a foot to the next step.

Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.

And she kicked him right in the shin.

He stilled. Sleet blasted around them, shattering against the wooden porch. She panted, her face wet, her sweater plastered to her, waiting. Watching him. Wanting to run but knowing she wouldn't get an inch. She lifted her foot again to kick.

And didn't make it.

He took her down, and hard.

Her ass bumped the porch. Before she could strike, he flipped her over, her knees on the bottom step and her elbows landing on the top. Pain shot up her arms.

He shredded her sweater, ripping it apart in the back. "Kicking me is something you won't want to do again. Ever."

Exhilaration streamed through her along with caution-warning she couldn't heed, even if she'd wanted to. She struggled, slapping back, aiming a kick at his gut.

His groin pushed against hers, holding her in place and immobilizing her legs. "I warned you." Cold air swept her bare back, and rain pummeled across her skin. Even so, she could feel his heat.