Hunter folded his arms.“Newly turned?”
“Yeah.Still trying to figure it out.Balancing shifts, real shifts, and making sure none of us end up on the news.”Landon looked back at Brielle, his expression softening.“Didn’t mean to dump that on you.Just ...it’s been a lot.”
She nodded slowly.“I can imagine.That’s a big adjustment.”
“Understatement of the year,” he said, chuckling weakly.“Still, seeing you—it helps.Reminds me of what normal used to feel like.”
Hunter bristled, his protective instincts kicking in.“She’s fine, Walker.”
Landon’s gaze flicked to him, then back to Brielle.“I can see that.”His tone dropped, quiet but deliberate.“But I think I might have the right to see for myself.You sure she’s your mate?”
The question hit like a flash fire.
Lennox growled low in his chest.“What the fuck did you just say?”
Landon didn’t back down.“Just saying what I see or in this case what I don’t scent.You don’t smell bonded.I may be new to this shifter business, but that is instinctual.There is no bond between her and the two of you.”
“Landon, stop,” Brielle said sharply, tension snapping in her voice.
He met her eyes, regret flickering there.“Sorry.Habit.Cops ask questions—they don’t always think before they do.”
The back door opened then, and Willow, Saffie, and Ursula stepped in, their laughter cutting off when they saw the scene.The air crackled again, heavy with magic and male dominance.
Ursula’s sharp gaze landed on Landon, and Brielle saw a flash of something in her gaze but couldn’t place it.
Saffie asked, “What are you doing here, Officer Walker?”
“Just checking in,” he said evenly.“Didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
Something flickered between them, and when nothing but silence built between them, Ursula’s expression cooled.“You’ve checked.Now you should go, get some rest.You look like you need it.”
Landon didn’t move toward the door.Instead, his jaw clenched and his eyes darkened.“You can’t send me away like I’m a problem you can solve.I’m not leaving until Brielle hears me out.”
Hunter stepped forward, muscles tight under his shirt.“You’re already crossing a line, Walker.”
Landon turned toward him, voice rising.“And you’re acting like you own her.You don’t.”
Lennox moved beside Hunter, a low growl rumbling in his chest.“You need to shut your mouth before you find yourself on your ass.”
“Try me,” Landon said, taking a step closer.The air thickened, tension coiling like a wire ready to snap.
Brielle moved quickly between them, her voice sharp.“Enough!This isn’t happening in here.”
Ursula’s tone was calm but cutting.“If you push this further, Officer, I will personally hex your badge.”
Landon froze for half a heartbeat, jaw still tight, then glanced back at Brielle.“I just need you to listen.I can’t shake this—it’s pulling me to you.I know what that means.”
Hunter’s growl deepened, and Lennox’s hands balled into fists.The scent of dominance filled the room, hot and animal.Brielle could almost feel it vibrating in her teeth.
“Stop,” she ordered, power threading her voice, subtle but firm.“All of you.We are not doing this here.”
Landon’s breathing was harsh, the lion in him pushing closer to the surface, his eyes flickering gold.“Then tell them to stand down, Brielle, before someone gets hurt.”
Hunter’s tone was a growl when he answered.“You first.”
The tension held, the room crackling with barely restrained violence, until Ursula lifted one hand.A shimmer of warding magic rolled through the shop, dimming the lights and pressing down on the air until the heat of their tempers cooled.
“Sit,” she said simply.“All of you.”