Page 18 of Shadows and Stone

The minotaur doesn't back off. Instead, he laughs, reaching out a big meaty hand to grab Teagan’s wrist. He tugs him closer.

I see red.

I don't remember moving or stepping past Ethan to shove my way through the packed dance floor. All I know is that one second, I was standing by the kitchen, and the next, I’m towering over the hallway entrance, as a few students gasp and point.

"Let go of him," I demand.

The minotaur freezes, blinking up at me. The asshole is maybe six-foot-four, with two hundred and fifty pounds of solid muscle. But compared to me, he looks tiny. I flex my wings.

His grip on Teagan’s wrist tightens in defiance. "Who the hell are you?" the guy slurs. "We’re just having a conversation, big guy. Mind your own business."

He opens his mouth to say something else, but I don't let him finish. With a single, lightning-fast sweep of my arm, I spread my wings wide. The wind from the move knocks a couple of red cups off a nearby table, sending plastic and alcohol clattering across the floor.

I step into the minotaur’s space, bringing my face inches from his. My cerulean eyes burn with an unholy flare, and I can tell by a nearby shout, they’re glowing. My pointed ears pin back against my head. "I said. Let. Go. Asshole.”

The minotaur’s face pales . Whatever alcohol-fueled confidence he had evaporates under the realization that he’s standing face-to-face with a large gargoyle whose body might as well be made of moving granite. He drops Teagan’s wrist, raising his hands in surrender.

"Whoa, calm down, buddy! I was just talking! Sheesh, I'm leaving!" The guy stumbles backward, nearly tripping over his own feet as he bolts down the hallway.

Silence follows. Partygoers in the hallway are staring. Luckily there aren’t a lot of witnesses on this side, but everyone that is staring is wide-eyed and breathless. Fuck. Some are even backed up against the walls to get as far away from my wings. Or maybe from me.

I ignore every single one of them.

I snap my wings back into a tight, protective curve around Teagan, pulling him out of the crowd’s line of sight. Thank the monster gods none of them seem to have their phones out. I look down at him, my heart slamming against my ribs.

My hands reach out, hovering over his wrist where the monster had grabbed him.

"Did he hurt you?" I growl.

He shakes his head.

"Teagan, look at me. Please tell me you’re okay?"

I thought he’d be shaken or trembling. Instead, his eyes dark with lust as he looks up at me. A slow, sassy smirk spreads across his stunning face. He raises his wrist for me to see. Then he places the small, delicate thing directly over my fingers and squeezes tightly. It sends a jolt straight to my cock.

"I'm fine, Ryker." His voice is smooth. It drops into that dangerously flirtatious register that makes me think dirty, filthy thoughts. "Though... if you keep flexing those large wings like that, I might just drop to my knees right here in front of everyone."

I swallow hard, my throat dry. Monster gods, he’s joking. Or at least he better be joking.

"I know, I know, " Teagan purrs, stepping closer until his chest presses against mine once again, clearly not giving a shit that half a dozen students are hovering just outside the boundary of my wings. " You’re trying to protect me. But gods help me, Ryker... watching you claim me in front of this entire frat house is the hottest thing I've ever experienced."

“I—I—That’s not what I was doing,” I growl, hearing the animalistic rumble in my own voice. His gaze drops down to my left hand where I’m gripping his hip in a primal, possessive manner.

Fuck me. That’s exactly what I was doing.

Chapter eight

Teagan

My heart is pounding with adrenaline and something else. If I’m being honest, it has almost nothing to do with that asshole minotaur, and everything to do with the protective creature currently towering over me.

Ryker’s wings are still slightly flared, casting dramatic shadows across the hallway of the Alpha Claw Omega house. A territorial growl vibrates up his chest, and I swear the sound makes my toes curl. Yeah, there’s something totally wrong with me. Every student within our vicinity is staring. The total dominance and power radiating from Ryker is intense.

His claws graze the exposed skin near my hipbone.

I bite back a moan. "We’re leaving. Now." Before he can answer, I reach down, wrap my fingers firmly around his wrist, and pull him toward the side entrance of the frat house. A strange needy energy buzzes through me.

Ryker blinks, but he follows instantly. Suddenly, his long strides easily match my hurried pace. His wings fold tight against his back. "Teagan, wait. Slow down. What about your brother? Ethan is still inside."