My jaw locked so hard it hurt, every muscle screaming with the effort it took to hold back the growl clawing its way up my throat. My arms tightened around her trembling frame, and for a second I wasn’t sure if the shaking belonged to her or to me.
“So do I, Angel,” I rasped, my voice rough, guttural, like it had been dragged across gravel. “With everything I am. But hear me—he can’t take you from me. He can’t take what we have. He can’t touch you again. Not while I breathe.”
But even as I said it, something darker writhed inside me. I needed to know who the hell “him” was. My blood demanded it. My wolf was already pacing, teeth bared, snarling at the mere thought of this faceless bastard who had dared to lay a hand on her. I needed a name. I needed a target.
“Tell me,” I pressed, my ch
