He straightened and frowned.
The guys apparently said something that had Haley shaking her head and trying to walk around the group. One guy grabbed her arm.
All Jayden could see was red, his anger pouring through his body like a storm. He leapt and cleared the pool table and landed next to Haley. He shoved the guy, pushing him back a few feet.
“Don’t touch her.” Jayden growled.
The college dude bowed up. “It’s a free country and she ain’t wearing a ring. So that means she’s free.”
Rage filtered through every cell of his body. For a brief second he considered shifting into wolf form and ripping the prick’s throat out. As much as he wanted to kill the human, he knew he couldn’t shift. So he did the next best thing.
Jayden plowed his fist into the guy’s face. The guy stumbled backwards and shook his head. He delivered a blow to Jayden’s stomach. Jayden didn’t feel any pain but remembered to double over so the humans wouldn’t suspect anything. The other two college guys grabbed each of Jayden’s arms, holding him while the guy punched him in the face.
Jayden looked up and grinned as blood dripped down his mouth. Anger and rage melded into his veins as he ached to break some bones. “Quit fucking around and hit me, you *.”
The guy sputtered, looking stunned.
Braxton pulled one guy off Jayden and began to punch him until he was down on the floor. The other guy immediately let go of his arm and held his hands up as he backed away.
Jayden faced the guy who had dared put his hands on Haley and growled.
#
Everything happened so fast.
One minute some college guys were trying to hit on her and Kate and the next thing she knew Jayden was leaping over the pool table and slugging one of them in face. She didn’t even have time to scream.
Kate pulled her back as Braxton jumped in the fray, pulling one guy off Jayden and proceeding to pound the guy into the ground, his tattooed arms flying.
A crowd was quickly gathering and she knew it wouldn’t be long before the cops arrived.
“They’re going to kill them.” Haley finally found her voice and tried to stop Jayden.
“Wait, don’t get in the middle of it.” Kate grabbed her arm.
“I’m not letting Jayden go to jail for me.” Haley shot the woman a glare and snatched her arm free.
Haley ran to Jayden and threw her arms around his waist. “Jayden, stop!”
His muscles bunched and tensed under her palms as he viciously hit the guy in the face. His nose was obviously broken and both eyes were already bruising. She had to stop Jayden before he killed the guy.
“Jayden, please.” She jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping to get through his haze of fury. She’d never seen him so mad, so out of control.
Haley pressed her mouth to his neck and bit down.
Jayden froze his fist in midair and let go of the guy’s shirt. The bloodied college guy slumped to the floor in a heap.
Haley slid off his back as the crowd grew silent.
Jayden turned and faced her.
She gasped. She couldn’t help it. His lip was split and his cheek was starting to turn blue. But that’s not what scared her.
It was his eyes.
They were turning colors, shifting to a yellow hue, icy with rage and anger and lethal intent.
Blood lust.
She stepped closer, his ragged breath brushing her face. She met his gaze.
“Are you okay?” She reached up and touched his bruised cheek with her fingertips.
He growled, and his angry mouth crashed down on hers as he thrust his tongue inside her mouth, claiming her.
She moaned, fisting her hands in his shirt, tasting his blood from his lip. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t want to.
“I hear the sirens, guys. We need to be leaving.” Braxton nudged Jayden’s shoulder. “You guys can make out at home.”
He pulled away, his gaze on hers steady and unflinching as if he were silently communicating.
“Let’s go.” He tugged her hand, but she dug her heels in.
“What?”
“My purse.” She pulled out of his grip and swiped her purse off the table and swung it over her shoulder before taking his hand.
He hurried out of the bar, the crowd parting for them. Haley didn’t miss the appreciative way all the college girls were eyeing both Jayden and Braxton with a mixture of fear and want.
They stepped out onto the sidewalk. The crisp spring air leapt into their lungs. The tension between them seemed to ease a little.
Haley just hoped this wouldn’t ruin the rest of their night.
#
Jayden could already feel his split lip mending itself. That was one good thing about being a werewolf; he had a quick recovery time.
He cast a quick glance at Haley as she fought to keep up with him in those strappy high heels.
He immediately slowed his gait. They were a few blocks away from the bar and getting caught now was probably not an issue.