Chapter : 791
Judy’s POV
The plane went very still for a moment, like the air forgot how to breathe.
Erik had a mate? How was this the first time I had heard about this? Erik was the kind of guy who believed he would never find a mate. He mentioned in the past that he didn’t even want a mate. He was too busy taking care of his mother and sister after his father passed away years ago. He works and lives for his family, and having a mate would complicate things.
Gavin’s Lycan power rolled through the cabin; it didn’t roar… it settled. It was heavy and absolute, pressing on my skin until the hair on my arms lifted. His voice came low and lethal.
“Taylor, restrain him.”
Taylor was already up. Erik wasn’t fighting so much as shaking–gold burning through his iris, jaw clenched against the snarl he couldn’t swallow. Claws half–formed at his fingertips, chest heaving, not a threat so much as a wolf trapped inside a man.
“I can’t…” Erik tried to say as he struggled against his wolf. But his words dissolved into a guttural sound, and my heart lurched.
Taylor came closer to Erik as if he were approaching a wild animal; I suppose in some ways, he was.
“Just wait a minute,” I said, putting my hand up to stop Taylor from grabbing Erik. I turned to look at Erik, who was still gripping the armrests as if his life depended on it. “Erik, look at me.”
His gaze snapped to mine. For a heartbeat, the gold dimmed, and the brown surface, the man shouldering the beast back a fraction. He looked… lost. Maybe even a little bit broken. I hated that my friend was going through something, and I wasn’t sure how to help him.
When had he met his mate, and who was she?
I wanted to ask these questions, but not while his wolf is on the edge and not in front of all these people… even if these people were my best friends.
“I can’t control him…” Erik finally whispered, his voice sounding so sad and worried.
“I know,” I kept my tone even, steady. “But you have to breathe.”
Taylor was right next to us now.
“Erik, how about I sit with you for a while?” Taylor suggested. “That way, if you do try anything, I’ll be there to stop it.”
Erik didn’t reply; instead, the gold and black returned his eyes, and he let out a snarl. His wolf didn’t like that idea; he only wanted one thing, and nothing else mattered until he got that one thing. I could see that a shift was on the horizon, and before I knew what was happening, Taylor was grabbing me and pulling me out of the seat. Suddenly, everybody was awake and alert, their eyes wide when they caught wind of Erik, struggling against his wolf and practically mid shift.
Gavin was out of his seat in second, wrapping his arms around me, blocking my view of Erik. I struggled against him, not wanting to leave my friend behind, I knew Erik would never hurt me… he just wasn’t in his right mind right now.
I finally was able to get a look at Erik just in time to watch him stick him with a needle. The snarling grew quieter until Erik slumped against his seat, his eyes closed, and his head rested on the window. Taylor let out a sigh and
leaned back in the seat
“What the hell just happened?” Nan asked, her eyes wide, when she spotted what was happening
“Erik went crazy,” Matt said with a laugh. “Taylor was badass though.”
Taylor smirked at Matt’s words.
My eyes wouldn’t leave Erik’s. He was so upset… so broken. He had a mate.
My eyes immiedalty went to Irene at that thought, and I noticed her watching Erik with a frown, but she made no movements towards him. A small frown between her brows, and I wondered for a moment what was going through her mind.
“You shouldn’t have gotten that close to him,” Gavin said as he guided me back to our seats. “It was dangerous while he was struggling like that.”
“You wouldn’t have let him hurt me.”
“That’s not the point,” he said, his mouth tightening.
I knew he was right, and it was probably stupid to approach a wild wolf while pregnant. I not only put myself in danger, but I also put my baby in danger. However, I still believed that Erik would never hurt either of us… I couldn’t take chances like that anymore.
“I’m okay,” I assured him. “I’m sorry I worried you.”
He stroked his thumb once along my cheekbone and kept his arm around me like he could keep the entire world away with his body alone.
Sara is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.