Bitten (Once Bitten, Twice Shy #1)(73)

Katherine was completely gobsmacked.

She suspected she was doing a rather remarkable impression of a fish, her eyes large in their disbelief as her lips forming a surprised “o”, her jawing having dropped halfway through the man’s unbelievably erroneous account of what had happened between she and Rip.

After a beat of silence, she recovered from her shock, sputtering as she tried to discredit Briggs’s completely fictional story.

Before she could manage to force a single word out, however, Bastian was leaning over the table, swatting the man’s accusing finger out of her face as he erupted. “Your mongrel of a son deserved everything he got. He’s the one who doesn’t understand the word no. It was within my rights to kill him if I so chose!”

Briggs’s face purpled. Before he could rebuff Bastian or Bastian could throw a fist – Katherine wouldn’t put it passed him at this point, both his hands were balled up where they lay on the table – Cain interjected. “Where is your boy, Briggs? Surely he should be here to tell his version of events – so we can better divulge the truth?”

The woman whose eyes were still glaring daggers at Katherine, finally spoke up. “Rip can barely walk! Both his hands are broken, the fingers on his right hand totally crushed!”

Bastian snarled at her, the sound originating from somewhere deep in his chest. “His hands wouldn’t be broken right now if he would’ve just kept them to himself in the first place. You should be thankful that they’re the worst of his injuries.”

Briggs glared at the woman standing behind him. Katherine was certain now that she was the man’s wife – Rip’s mother. She reluctantly bowed her head. Briggs turned back around to face Bastian. “Rip’s injuries will put him out of commission for weeks. It’s recruiting season. That’s a devastating amount of time to be out of the game! Furthermore, we’ve been told by my pack’s healer that the damage done to his hands was so extensive that there’s a chance they won’t heal correctly.”

“I, for one, can’t say that I’m surprised at this turn of events.”

Katherine recognized the owner of the patronizing voice immediately. Rogue.

How could she have missed him when she’d entered the room?

The scruffy-looking man’s eyes were drilling into Bastian’s form. “I mean, what do you expect? Giving such a young and inexperienced alpha so many charges to care for? He was foolish to think he could bring yet another person into his pack. Bastian attacking that boy just proves that he has no control over himself, let alone that little girl by his side.”

“Shut your mouth, you prick.”

It was the first time Katherine had spoken since the meeting had started and the words flew out of her mouth before she’d even thought them. When the eyes of everyone in the room turned toward her and she felt Bastian’s weighty gaze on the back of her neck, , she immediately wished she could take them back.

Rogue grinned at Katherine, seemingly amused by her brief outburst, before turning his attention back to Bastian. “Tell you what, I’ll take her off your hands for you.”

For a brief moment, time stood still. Then, with an almighty roar, Bastian dove across the table.

Katherine immediately leaped from her chair. Others, too, moved out of the man’s way. Bastian ended up sprawled halfway across the table, one of his hands with an unyielding grip around the collar of Rogue’s shirt.

Not knowing what else to do, and more than a little aware that Bastian’s sudden exhibition of violence was not helping their case, Katherine quickly snatched up Bastian’s free hand, squeezing it as hard as she could and attempting – though mostly failing – to pull him away from Rogue.

“Order!” Cain demanded over the ruckus that had erupted in the meeting room.

Katherine’s grip on Bastian’s hand remained unwavering. Even as her fingers tugged on his calloused palm, however, she knew that she’d never be able to move him – not unless he allowed himself to be moved.

“Let him go,” Katherine begged in a near whisper. “You’ll only get us into more trouble if you don’t.”

Bastian glanced at her, his blue eyes dark with anger. After a moment, however, he seemed to regain control of himself, letting go of Rogue’s collar with reluctance and straightening up so that the table no longer had to hold his weight.

Katherine let out a sigh of relief, but didn’t let go of his hand.

Just in case he decided to take another dive across the table, of course.

Neither sat in the now empty chair between them.

After allowing everyone in the room a moment to compose themselves, Cain surprised Katherine by once again addressing her directly. “And what do you have to say about Rogue’s suggestion, girl? Do you find Bastian to be an acceptable alpha?”

His question hung in the air – everyone once again turning to face Katherine as they waited for her response. She could feel Bastian as he tensed beside her, the grip his fingers had on hers becoming almost painful, but she didn’t withdraw her hand. She took a deep breath and answered Cain with complete honesty.

“Without Bastian, I’d be dead.”

Cain nodded once, in acceptance of her answer, but kept his eyes intent on her face as he continued to question her. “And what’s all this about Bastian attacking one of your classmates? Were his actions justified?”