“She told me there was no way you would apologize, that you’re too envious and bitter,” continued Rachelle. “But I didn’t want to believe that.”

“What a coincidence, I don’t believe it either.”

Ignoring that, Rachelle went on. “I was hoping Mia was wrong. But everyone here can see the truth, Ally. They can see how sour, offensive, hateful, unforgiving, and remorseless you really are.”

“Coming from a demented, poisonous, mind-numbing, substandard intelligence . . . that means absolutely jack shit.” Ally shrugged. “But, hey, if believing all that crap about me makes you feel good about yourself . . . well, all the power to you, I guess.”

Rachelle’s upper lip curled. “You’re jealous.”

“Here we go again.” Ally rolled her eyes. “Get a life, Rachelle. I’m too busy to deal with your insecurities.”

“You’re jealous, just say it!”

“Yes, I want to slide into your skin and become you,” said Ally dryly.

“You can’t stand that I have Zeke! You can’t stand that he wants me, not you!”

Ally could see that Rachelle either truly believed that or wanted to believe it—like it boosted her teensy-weensy ego or something. “Don’t you see you’re so deluded and crazy that it goes totally beyond crazy and enters a completely new dimension of crazy?”

Rachelle pounded her fist on the table. “Admit it. You’re jealous!”

“Go home, Rachelle. I’m sick and tired of riding your crackbrained roller coaster.”

That was when the dumb heifer lunged. Before Ally could do anything more than jump to her feet, Roni’s hand snapped around Rachelle’s throat and dragged the skank to stand in front of her.

Then several things happened at once.

Zeke flew across the table, ready to defend his mate, but had his path blocked by Derren and Marcus.

As Matt stood, Nick dived over the table and planted himself in front of the Alpha before he could move to help either Rachelle or Zeke.

Growling and snarling, the other Mercury males placed Ally and Shaya behind them and formed a protective wall.

“Don’t fucking move,” Roni growled into Rachelle’s face. “You might be a Beta, but I’m more dominant than you are. You can sense it, can’t you?” When Rachelle struggled and clawed at Roni’s hands, the female enforcer just tightened her hold. “Fighting me would be stupid and pointless. Trust me when I say I’ve taken down tougher shifters than you.”

“Let her go,” growled Zeke, pointlessly attempting to get to the females.

Roni spared him a brief, uninterested glance. “Nah, I don’t think I’m going to do that.”

Again Zeke tried to shoulder his way past Derren and Marcus, so Derren shoved him back hard enough to make him almost lose his footing. “Your mate started this,” growled Derren, “and now the other females will finish it.”

Until then, Derren hadn’t interfered—despite his protective instincts going crazy—because it wouldn’t have been good for Ally. When a dominant wolf had their enemy right in front of them, they didn’t ask someone else to defend them. They faced that enemy down or they submitted. Derren had had no intention whatsoever of making Ally seem weak.

“Nick . . .” Matt’s voice was calming. “There doesn’t need to be any violence here.”

Nick bared his teeth at the other Alpha. “Tell that to your wolves.”

Rachelle’s voice was unsteady as she addressed the female collaring her. “This is between Ally and me.”

“Then challenge me,” dared Ally tauntingly, skirting around the wall of protective males. Shaya followed her, ignoring Nick’s disapproving growl.

Instead of reacting to Ally’s dare, Rachelle spoke again to Roni. “Ally’s not even your pack mate.”

Roni raised a brow. “Do I look affected by this?”

“Let her go,” Zeke ordered.

“Ooh, will you stamp your feet if I don’t?” Roni quipped.

When Zeke tried to reach his mate yet again, Derren spoke through his teeth, “Get back.” Since Zeke was obviously a fucking idiot, he took a swing at Derren. Without so much as flinching, Derren caught Zeke’s fist in his hand. “Wrong thing to do.” Derren crushed the Beta’s fist so hard bones cracked—forcing the wolf to understand who was more dominant. Only when Zeke’s body lost some of its tension did Derren release him. “This is for the females to deal with.”

“You expect me to watch them harm my mate?” demanded Zeke, cradling his injured fist with the other hand.

Marcus snorted. “Roni’s not harming her; she’s restraining her. My mate’s version of ‘harming’ goes something like hanging her opponent by their own intestines.”

Shaya sidled up next to Roni, glaring at Rachelle through eyes flashing wolf. “You don’t come into my home and attack my friend. We gave you permission to step onto our territory provided there would be no violence. Yet, you dared to violate that promise—not to mention the rules of hospitality.”

“Ally provoked me,” accused Rachelle.

Shaya smiled. “No, she hit you with reality while you persisted in entertaining us with your bullshit story. You’re good, but we know Ally. We know she’s not the person you described.”

Ally’s entire being warmed at Shaya’s faith and trust. Her wolf too basked in it.