I love that he doesn’t doubt me. “Not as wolves, just an old-fashioned ass whoopin’.”

His smile is electric. “IN!” He chuckles. Masen is conflicted. I can feel his worry, but I know if the roles were reversed, we’d be dealing with a dead body.

I stand slowly, wishing I went with jeans instead of my favorite dress. Well, there’s nothing I can do, now. I’m sure with how quiet it is she heard most of what I said, but she hasn’t responded. When I do turn to see her, she actually looks a little smug.

Before I can speak, Masen does. “Roxanne, you’ve brought this on yourself. For you disrespecting my Luna, my Mate, you are challenged to fight as humans. If you shift, I will end it.” His deadly tone leaves no question as to how he will end it.

Her face falls. “Mase? You’re going to let her challenge me?” She sneers like I’m beneath her, but I can still hear the pain in her voice. This isn’t what she expected. She thought I turn tail and run, or that Masen would protect her. Boy, was she wrong.

Masen obviously doesn’t like her tone any more than I do. He shakes his head and says brutally, “If she kills you, your family may not seek revenge. When this is over, if it happens again, she will kill you, and your family will be expelled from my pack.”

Complete and utter astonishment covers her face before it hardens to fury. “And, if I kill her?”

I laugh darkly, and she looks at me for the first time since this started. Something she sees must scare her because she recoils. No one answers her question.

“I think I will take this outside,” I say, smiling, looking directly at her. She looks down and swallows. The women she is with have all shifted away from her ever so slightly.

“Masen,” I say.

“Yeah, baby,” comes quickly.

“A kiss. I need it. This bitch has pissed me off.”

He chuckles, and my belly drops before he leans down to oblige. “I love you, Little One. Don’t let her hurt you,” he whispers. I know by the way he says it he’s not talking physically. She’s going to use words in her arsenal. “None of it matters. Just you and me, yeah?”

“Come on, blondie. You’re due an ass kickin’!”

CHAPTER 22

I walk outside and Masen follows. The entire bar empties out behind him. I’m not worried about her coming out. If she didn’t, the entire pack would know she’s a coward and she’ll be out.

I feel a little silly, since I’m about to throw down in a dress. I don’t think she’ll make it more than one minute without a wardrobe malfunction, her dress looks like it’s barely held up. I will not let all these people see me in my panties. I’ll just have to drop her quick. I have a lot of experience fighting to defend, but I’ve never been the aggressor. Good thing I’ll get more and more pissed off every time I look at her or she looks at Masen.