In a move faster than Charlie thought possible, given the jackal’s inebriated state, Frank swung out and connected with Charlie’s gut. The wind was momentarily knocked out of him, but he straightened to his full height, felt the shift take over, and grinned at the little fucker. Frank shifted as well. The sound of their bones breaking and realigning and their clothes tearing away pierced the night.
There they stood, jackal to bear, and all Charlie wanted to do was rip into him until blood coated his fur and there was nothing left. Frank made the first move, his actions sloppy but fast. The rage in him was on the verge of insane and manic.
A searing pain lanced through Charlie’s side, and he roared. He swung his paw out, connected with Frank’s muzzle, and sent him flying against the brick building.
For a few seconds, Frank was down, but because the asshole was crazier than shit, he got back on all fours and charged at him again. Charlie was done with this. He charged for Frank and met him in a head-on collision. He was three times the size and weight of the jackal, and with rage filling every part of his body because this dick still wanted Ary, he knew there was no chance he’d lose.
Frank might have gotten in a few shots, but that ended now. Tackling Frank to the ground, Charlie used one big paw to hold his snapping head down and brought his muzzle close to his. Roaring out as powerfully as he could, he smelled the rotting stench of Frank’s fear finally break through the surface. Maybe he was finally realizing this wasn’t a fight he was going to win.
He struggled beneath Charlie for a few more minutes, and Charlie thought how easy it would be just to clamp his jaw on Frank’s neck and snap the thin bone.
Finally, the fight left the jackal, and Charlie shifted back into his human form. It certainly hadn’t been the longest or most vicious of fights he’d been in, but it had been the most important.
“I’m only going to say this once, so your crazy ass better be paying attention. February is mine and will always be mine. I’ll protect her until I can’t breathe any longer, and if I ever see you near her again or hear you’ve been talking about her, I’ll hunt you down and finish this. I will not offer you another warning. Do you understand?” His voice was a low rumble of repressed anger. It took Frank a few seconds, but when he finally realized Charlie spoke the truth, he nodded once.
Charlie stood and, without a backward glance, headed to his truck. He saw Bram leaning against the side with a cigarette between his lips.
“I was wondering if you were going to just beat his ass already or if you just planned on playing with him for fun,” Bram said. “Was gonna join in the fun when I saw what the hell was going down, but I thought you needed that fight all to yourself.”
Charlie flipped Bram off and opened the back passenger door to grab an extra set of clothes he always kept. Ford was passed out cold and taking up the entire back seat.
“You taking your truck back or are you too drunk to drive?”
“Nah, man, I had just as many drinks as Ford, but when I knew it was time to call it a night, he just kept going. Just bring me back in the morning to get it.”
Once dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Charlie climbed in and waited for Bram to do the same. Once they were on the road and heading back to his place, Charlie decided now was as good a time as any to find out what the hell was up, but before he could talk, Bram filled him in.
“Mina called Ford right before you guys showed up. Told him she is back in town for a wedding.” It wasn’t as bad as Charlie thought. Yeah, Mina had been with Ford for a while. And after they broke it off, his brother had just been… different.
“Okay, well, why in the hell would she call him and tell him she’s in town? She trying to hurt him all over again? It’s been ten fucking years.”
“Charlie, she called to tell him she’s in town for her wedding. She’s getting married to some doctor or some shit like that, and using her folks’ estate to have it on. She wanted him to hear it from her first.”
Charlie looked over at his brother and felt his heart breaking for Ford all over again. “Shit. No wonder he was all kinds of fucked up.” He should have just let Ford kick someone’s ass. At least that way he would have gotten some of his anguish out.
Charlie adjusted his mirror so he could see Ford lying on the backseat. Damn, looks like there are going to be plenty more of these nights in the near future.
Charlie took his brothers back to his place, since he’d have to drive them to get Bram’s truck in the morning. After getting Ford settled in the guestroom and seeing Bram to the other spare room, Charlie went to the master suite. He needed a shower to wash the fight off of him. He was surprised to see Ary up in bed with the sheets drawn up to her chin. The sight had him chuckling.
“Baby, you look so damn worried it’s cute.” She eyed him, and he knew the moment she realized he was in different clothes. He held his hand up right when she was about to talk. “I plan on telling you everything, kitten. Let me just take a shower first, yeah?” She swallowed and then nodded.
He took the quickest shower imaginable and stepped back into the room with a towel slung low on his hips. Ary was sitting on the edge of the bed and staring right at him.
Exhaling and running his hand over the damp hair at the nape of his neck, he sat down beside her. He supposed he’d start with Ford’s issues then move on to Frank.
“I had to get Ford because his ex-girlfriend is in town and told him she’s getting married.” At her confused look, he lifted his hand and smoothed his finger between her eyes. “He was with Mina for a while, but then they split up, and Ford just got… well, darker, I guess.” He exhaled. “So he got drunk tonight at Slater’s, and I had to smooth things over with the human he was trying to fight. He and Bram are staying overnight, so I can take them back to get Bram’s truck in the morning.”
“Oh God. Is everyone okay?” Bless her heart for thinking of everyone else.
“Yeah, baby, they’re good.” Shit, how did he now bring up Frank? He didn’t want to upset her further and knew bringing up that prick’s name would do that. Before he could bring it up, she told him what she already knew.
“You saw Frank at the bar, didn’t you? Fought him too?” At his nod, she looked away and swallowed again. “I smelled him all over you, his blood too. You’re okay, though?” He smiled when she started running her hands up and down his chest.
“Yeah, baby.”
“Did you kill him?” Her voice cracked slightly. There was pure worry in her eyes.
He shook his head slowly. “No, but he won’t be bothering you again.” She turned her head and looked at the ground.
“I’m not happy you got into a fight with him, but I don’t doubt he probably instigated the whole thing. Frank was always good at pissing people off.” She sighed heavily and turned to look at him. “I’m glad you’re okay and you didn’t kill him, even though Frank is worthless. But please promise me that we will put him behind us. I don’t want him coming between us.”
Turning her so they were facing each other, he stared into her eyes. “February Felina, I would never let anything hurt you. Ever.” He took her hand and placed it over his heart. “Do you feel that?” At her nod, he continued. “My heart beat before you came along, but it was for the sole purpose of living. Then you walked into my life, as unconventional as our meeting was, and it beat for a totally different reason. You are why it pumps blood through my body, and you are what makes it keep going.” Tears started to fall down her cheeks, and he leaned down and kissed away the salty remnants of her emotions. “I love you to the end of the earth and back.”