I picked up the pace almost running at him and still the wanker didn't drop the smug look from his face—well he wouldn't be wearing it for much longer.

The cloud of rage that fogged my brain darkened further. It sent an electrical surge of pure adrenalin through my entire body. The unification of thoughts, beating of hearts, sharing of breath and the thumping desire for release thrummed through every nerve and blood vessel—my wolf wanted out.

I snarled, canines emerging from under my lip, as my jaw cracked.

I was moments away from the change.

As Victor's face registered what was about to happen to him, my curled fist landed the first blow.

His slow response to block my impact showed how weak, and pathetic he was. The pretty boy who'd always had someone else to do his fighting for him.

Prick.

The sharp edge of his jaw connected with my knuckles, but I didn't feel any pain as I heard him yelp out like a newborn pup.

My wolf's perpetual thoughts were in tune with my own, the raw animal instinct unleashed, and my control was non-existent. Our sole purpose was to protect, claim what's ours and take him down.

He wanted him dead—I wanted him dead.

"She doesn't belong to you," was what I said before landing another blow. This time to his ribs as he doubled over, stepping backwards, coughing and spluttering. "You hear me, you piece of—" I was about to land another blow when something barrelled into me, knocking the wind from my assault.

The hardness of the earth beneath me didn't register as I rolled with whoever had taken me down. My vision obscured, my hands extended and my claws lengthened.

A howl escaped me and I couldn't hold him back. My bones splintered and even with the additional weight holding me down, my back still arched. The jacket I wore tore, and the muscles beneath them burned as they protracted, stretching, aching fuelled by the pumping of blood.

'Hunter.'

Forced deeper into the dirt beneath me, the heavy weight was unrelenting, pressing me down, and forcing the air from my lungs.

'Hunter.' I heard my brother's voice in my head through the haze of anger.

'Hunter,' he repeated through our shared link as my blurred vision cleared.

I looked up to see Zander's face staring at me. It took a second or two to pull my wolf back allowing my canines and claws to retract, taking my control back.

'Hunter. Snap the fuck out of it. I need you to stop. Control it.'

My wolf howled, ringing in my head as the cage closed in on him.

A semblance of rational thought bubbled as I pushed my wolf snarls from my head. I was in control again—for now. "I'm okay," I said out loud. Zander stared at me hard, his brow creased, his eyes a mix of worry and anger.

My chest rose and fell capturing as much air in my lungs, my heart strummed nonstop against my chest and my head throbbed like a bitch. I'll no doubt have a migraine from hell later, courtesy of him indoors.

Zander studied me for a moment, his grip still firm. "I'm gonna get off you now, are you calmer? Can we deal with this discreetly as in private not in front of every fucking Alpha south of Birmingham, yeah? I need you to remember who the fuck you are and where we are." His voice was low, growling out each word.

"Get off me," I said, not needing a lecture from my brother.

He pushed back, releasing his grip before standing and holding his hand out for me to take. I reached up, letting him pull me from the ground. Running my hand through my hair, the anger still there, only partially abated by the fact I wiped the smug look off that cunts face.

My wolf though, wasn't happy. Pissed off with me and my brother—I didn't blame him.

"You good, got a handle on it?" Zander asked, his anger replaced by concern.

I had to think for a minute as I took in the faces of the crowd that had built up, obviously here for the entertainment I'd just provided.

"Hunter?"

"Yeah, I'm good." I turned my attention to Victor. He had got himself up and was rubbing his jaw. It looked like I'd messed up pretty boy's face as he spat out a mouth full of blood. His eyes looking up, they glared at me, bulging out of his tiny head as his small girl-like hands curled into a fist.

I returned his scowl with a harder look of my own. Try it sunshine, c'mon I fucking dare you.

He'd be dead by now if Zander hadn't stopped us.

He lowered his eyes, brushing the grass from his trousers before standing straight, pushing his shoulders back. His next move caught me by surprise. Narrowing eyes, he marched towards me and Zander, apparently having grown some balls.

"What the fuck was that?" he asked.

There was a definite wobble to his voice. I didn't answer as I removed what was left of my jacket. I examined it before handing it to my brother who gave me the look of 'I'm not your fucking servant,' but took it anyway.

I unclipped my shirt cuffs and rolled up the sleeves—fucking lucky that it didn't tear at the same time.

Victor stood about two feet away from me. And I couldn't resist a smirk kicking up at the corner of my mouth before I scraped my teeth over my lower lip.

My eyebrows raised. "I'm gonna say this once, so listen up real good, yeah." I paused to give him a second to catch up. "If you have any thoughts in that fucking thick head of yours, that you can have her. Then you're fucking crazy. You ain't marrying Sage, you're not even good enough to be the shit on her shoe, pal."

He looked a little taken aback but straightened himself and ran his hand through his blond hair. There was only a two-year age difference between us, but he looked like a kid, it wouldn't take much to snap him in half, I'd eaten tougher breadsticks.

"You have no say in this Hunter, you don't get to decide who I marry or mate," he said emphasising the 'mate.'

Wanker.

His American accent grated on my eardrum. I tilted my head towards my shoulders, cracking my neck. Pausing, I let him sweat for a minute. "You need to take that pretty face along with your brothers." I stopped to look over at Hugo, who looked away pretty sharpish. "And leave the UK today and this is not up for negotiation, yeah?"

"And what if I don't?" he asked.

Was he stupid? "You want to go there sunshine?"

"Are you threatening me?" His eyes flicked to Zander.

Fucking hell, did I need to spell it out?

"Look over here sunshine." I pointed to myself. "Yeah, that's right. Now listen here you dumb shit, you either walk away still breathing or leave in a box—does that spell it out for you—Are we on the same page?"

He glowered at me, jaw twitching. I knew which option I preferred.

"I'll leave after the wedding." His eyes challenged mine and I could feel my anger rising as Zander put his hand on my shoulder to reign me back in. I shook it off, taking a step towards him.

Give him his due. He didn't move back, but his eyes flared as he swallowed. "Hunter, Sage will be my wife and I'm sorry if you don't agree, or like it. But nothing you say will change it."

Bastard. Over my dead body.

My wolf kicked off again, his hatred clawed at my throat. "Listen up pretty boy. I think it's you who isn't understanding me, if you assume for one fucking second, I'll let you lay one finger on her. She's not yours, she's—"

"What—she's yours Hunter? Well, how about we let her decide?" He stood defiantly.

I curled my fingers, digging my nails into the skin. But he was right. I needed to speak with Sage.

"Hunter." I heard Zander speak. "A word."

I held Victor's glare for a second before I turned to Zander.

"Over here." He gestured with a flick of his head for me to follow.

I turned to stare at Victor for another second. "Don't think this is finished, yeah? Not even close." I gestured my hand between him and me before turning and followed my brother.

"What's going on here, Hunter?" he asked.

"She doesn't want him. I know she doesn't want him?"

"What and she wants you? Because I can now see you want her, and you fucking lied to me earlier when I asked about her."

"I didn't fucking lie." I did.

"Maybe not an outright, but you didn't tell me the truth either. What is she to you, Hunter?"

I knew where he was going with this. He wanted me to say it, but I didn't. "You know what she is," was what I said.

He shook his head. "No Hunter I don't—how about you cut the shit and tell me straight. You're ready to kill Victor. I want you... No, I need you to say it."

Fuck. I swallowed. First time I'd ever said the words out loud. "Mate, I think she's my mate."

Zander's forehead creased, and the pulse in his temple throbbed as his jaw tensed. "You think Hunter? I need more than just fucking 'think' if you gonna go to war with family. Risk our positions at Wolfe Industries."

Sighing, it was time to be honest with him. "Every part of me tells me she is."

"Since when? You've always said you don't believe in any of that shit—Mates!"

I couldn't deny that. "Yeah, well, that was before I met her."

Zander stared at me hard, but I knew his brain would work overtime, running through what could happen, and formulating plans. "And has she said the same... are you her mate?"

Fuck.

She hadn't. But surely, she felt the same? "Not in so many words."

"Fuck Hunter." He ran his hand over his beard. "I'll tell you this, there's no fucking way her grandfather will let you two be together."

"What —but he'll marry her off to our cousin?"

Zander sighed. "Hunter, something else is going on here. And now with Hugo and Victor here and the shit they've been trying to stir up in the US. I think he has his sights on the UK operations."

"What Victor head up Wolfe UK?"

"No, Charles Du-Ponte, I think Victor is just a pawn. I mean, look at him—he couldn't manage shit. And I had my feelers—contacts out all day, looking into Du-Ponte, and let's just say some shady shit is coming up."

"Like what?"

"Dark shit, experiments, I can't go into it here, we'll talk about it back at home."

"I'm not leaving without her Zander." I twisted my head around to see both Victor and Hugo heading towards the marquee. In fact, the rest of the crowd that had gathered to watch the show had dispersed, heading back inside.

My ear pricked when I heard a voice I didn't recognise making an announcement.

"You hear that?" I turned back to Zander.

"We need to head back in. Do you think you can control yourself?" he asked.

I nodded but wasn't sure.

>>>

As we headed back inside the marquee, something inside me shifted. I felt her before I caught sight of her. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to take a deeper intake of breath.

She was there, standing to the right of her grandfather on the small stage.

Briefly looking at her grandfather, he was nothing like I'd pictured, but I wasn't interested in him.

Only her.

Soaking in her appearance, the dress she wore emphasized every bend and curve. She looked beautiful, more beautiful than I thought possible. Something else weird happened to my body. My chest tightened, and my breathing stopped. Even from this distance I could see her sadness, feel it as it reached out, brushing over me like a breeze weaving through trees. Her eyes were dull and off somewhere else, and her face was pale.

I watched as that slimy bastard saddled up beside her...Victor. And to piss me off, he took hold of her hand and whispered into her ear. Body stiffening, it triggered the anger from moments ago.

Sage didn't look at him, but she didn't pull her hand away either. Still, that sadness radiated around her.

I knew in that second that she was 'it' for me, and there was no way in heaven or hell I would let her be with him. She was under my skin, seeping through to my bones. I would leave here tonight with her and never let her go. She was mine.

Ours. My wolf said.

Yeah, ours.

I made my way to the front. Time to put an end to this shit show and claim what was ours.