“Gwenie? Maybe you should—”

At the sound of Mitch’s worried voice, her big brother still trying to protect her, Lock’s head snapped around, his gaze latching on to the crowd of concerned shifters blocking the doorway. He roared and Mitch shoved Bren forward. “Take him!”

“You

bastard!” Bren shouted at his brother.

Lock roared again and everyone took off running, bolting up the hallway and back to the club. Once they were gone, Lock’s arms went tight around Gwen and he lifted her up, lumbering out after the retreating shifters and carrying her home.

CHAPTER 26

Lock snapped awake and found himself naked in bed. Normally nothing to get worried over except he had no idea how he got there.

“You’re awake. Good.”

He looked over at the doorway and Gwen stood there wearing one of his Tshirts, her arms crossed over her chest.

Sitting up slowly, he studied her close until he nearly begged, “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you.”

“Of course you didn’t.”

“But I scared you?”

“No.”

“Not even a little?”

Gwen shook her head. “No.”

“Oh.”

“You did terrify everyone else, though.”

Lock’s shoulders dropped a bit but he couldn’t help it. “Oh.”

“Do you even remember what happened?”

Sort of. Or maybe not. It was all a jumble right now, which only meant he’d really lost it. Boar-rage lost it.

“I don’t—” Lock shrugged. “Bits and pieces.”

“Well, no one’s dead. If that’s got you worried.”

It did, and he let out a relieved breath.

“Although at least one will need massive reconstructive surgery.”

Shit.

“Lock—”

“It’s all right.” He stretched his shoulders out, the flesh between his blades sore, which meant his grizzly hump had grown while he was still human. Rare and

not good. “Really. It’s all right. And I can understand if you’re not comfortable staying here tonight.” He looked up at her. “Or if you want some space or…if you…if you…why are you getting naked?”

Not that he minded, but still. Shouldn’t she be trying to ease her way out the door or keeping a healthy distance between them instead of pulling off the T-shirt and crawling onto the bed?

“Why am I getting naked? Did you really just ask me that?”

“I did, but only because—” Lock closed his eyes, his entire body trembling as Gwen’s skin brushed against his own. So much soft skin on such a lethal feline was making him crazy. He swallowed and tried again.

“I’d understand if youfeel…uh…”

Oh, God. She’s purring. “A little scared about what happened earlier.”

“I don’t feel scared. I’m actually kind of turned on.” She licked his ear with the tip of her tongue. “Does that make me a kinky girl?”

“No, no. Of course not. It’s just—” His eyes crossed as she dragged her nails across the mass of sore and ultrasensitive muscles between his shoulder blades.

“It’s just what, Lock?” she purred into his ear. “Because if there’s one thing we both know, baby, is that the one person who was safe in that room was me. I know you’ll never hurt me. I know you’ll always protect me. And I know I’ll never stop loving you.”

Did she know that was all he needed to hear? All he needed to

know?

Wanting to show her, he turned fast, his hands digging into Gwen’s hair and tilting her head back before he ruthlessly took her mouth with his own.

No one’s hands had ever felt so good on her before. The way Lock stroked her, petted her, his hands gentle but firm.

She hadn’t been lying when she told him she knew she’d never been safer. Everyone else was at risk from Lock’s vicious boar-rage, but not Gwen, not his friends, not his family. He’d, in fact, been protecting her more than himself. It was the danger she was in that had sent him into battle mode.

Her grizzly had felt the need to protect its mate.

Not smother her,

protect her. There was a difference between those two things that a lot of guys never understood. Mitch sure didn’t, which was why he had to find a female who fought him every step of the way. But Gwen had found Lock, who was there when she needed him to be, and backed off when she didn’t.

At the moment, though, he needed

her. The mighty bear might be comfortable with his power, but he wasn’t comfortable losing control. Unlike most shifters, he got no enjoyment out of hurting others, and she could tell he’d never dismiss anyone or anything as merely “collateral damage.”

How Gwen O’Neill found a man of integrity, she’d never know, but she would be eternally grateful.

Gwen pulled out of their kiss, her hands brushing Lock’s shoulders, his chest. She made sure to involve her nails because, as much as he may complain about them, she could tell they drove him crazy in other ways.

“Lay back,” she said, her hands flat against his shoulders. He did and Gwen slowly ran her nails down his chest, across his stomach, lingering over the tight abdominal muscles. He moaned and moved restlessly on the bed. She smiled at his reaction, enjoying his response to her touch.

She dragged her hands down his thighs, always amazed not merely at the size of them, but at the strength.