An hour later.

I was livid seated in the study with my arms crossed refusing meet Maverick’s eyes as he studied me angrily from his stance on the other side of the large desk.

“What did you do Victoria?” he asked,

Despite my resistance I couldn’t ignore how hot he looked in that moment. Even if he was less than pleased with me. He was asking me a question he already knew the answer to. My stubbornness was in full force and I refused to answer.

“Why Victoria?”

My lack of response made him straighten.

“You’re not going to explain your actions?” His voice stern. My rebellious nature reared at the disapproval in his voice.

I ground my teeth. My reaction had been justified. The thing was I didn’t have to explain it to anyone, not even Maverick.

He moved slowly around the desk and to lean against it in front of me, holding the edge of the table tight, his knuckles white. The anger was coming off him in waves but I refused to allow it to intimidate me. I refused to allow him to treat me like I was the one in the wrong, Jackson had deserved it.

The door to the study opened and Sebastian entered.

“How’s Jackson?”

Sebastian suppressed slight smile. “Nothing an ice pack can’t handle.”

“Are you going to tell me what happened or should I just take Jackson’s version?” Maverick asked and I lifted my gaze to glare daggers at him.

I knew what he was trying to do and I wasn’t falling for it.

“Victoria.”

I hated how he said my name laced with disapproval. It reinforced the feeling that I would never belong, anywhere. Even here, despite the connection I had with Maverick.

His gaze held mine. “Answer me.”

I refused. No matter what I said, I would be in the wrong. He never saw things from my side.

“Get up.” He commanded but I didn’t budge.

“Either you do as I say or I carry you. Your choice.” His eyes held mine.

He wouldn’t man handle me, would he?

In one movement I was over his shoulder, squirming as I tried to get him to put me down. I yelled every curse under the sun as he carried me from the house to the gym where my incident with Jackson had taken place.

No matter what I said or did, it did nothing to stop him.

Only inside the large room did he set me down and I backed away. I was breathing hard, my throat sore from yelling. My adrenaline pumping.

Sebastian stood in the doorway watching us with some amusement.

“I can handle this,” Maverick dismissed him and he left.

My blood was boiling. I had never felt so angry as I did right then. I breathed heavily through clenched teeth glaring at my mate but keeping my distance.

My instinct was to lash out at him in a physical way but I was very aware I was no match for him. He wouldn’t hurt me, not physically. But he would scare the insecure little girl in me who had built up a tough exterior to protect herself from the harsh world.

I growled at him.

His growled back so loud I faltered.

It was a show of dominance, his message clear. He was the alpha, the strongest but even with that knowledge I refused to back down.

“You have to learn to control your temper.” His voice deep, between human and wild animal.

I frowned. “He shouldn’t have said what he did.”

“It’s part of the training Victoria.”

I didn’t care, Jackson had gone too far.

“You shouldn’t have attacked him.” Maverick crossed his arms.

Nothing could excused the things Jackson had said to me, I didn’t care if it was part of training.

“Then maybe I don’t belong here.”

I stood tall, refusing to show how much that statement affected me.

“You belong with me.” He stated it like it was a fact and not based on emotion.

“But I don’t fit in here Maverick. Can’t you see that?” Emotion bubbled to the surface, making me feel vulnerable. It was a feeling I hated. My instinct was to leave, to get far away.

“The incident should never escalated the way it did but Jackson was only doing his job.”

Remembering the things he had said made my bottom lip tremble and I bit it, refusing to show my emotions.

“How can that…type of thing…be training?” I shook my head. Nothing would excuse the things Jackson had said.

He studied me for several seconds.

“I’ve seen your run ins with the law. What is the one thing that has caused all those incidents?” he asked. His handsome features thoughtful.

I frowned and crossed my arms.

“Your temper.”

I gave a one armed shrug, refusing to confirm his assumption.

“And that was before you were able to shift. Can you imagine what you’re capable of now if you lose your temper?”

The side of my mouth curled into a smile. “Yeah, Jackson.”

Maverick gave me a disapproving look.

“You need to learn restraint and control, without it you could kill someone Victoria.” He paused. “Do you want to be responsible for someone’s death?”

I rolled my eyes. He was being so dramatic.

“I wasn’t going to kill Jackson.” I felt compelled to make clear.

“Jackson can protect himself. The only reason you got away with what you did is because you’re my mate. If you were anyone else he would have retaliated.”

I swallowed slowly.

“What would have happened if it had been a human instead of Jackson?”

His point was made. But it still didn’t ease the response Jackson’s words had caused.

“If you do not learn to control your temper then you will be ticking time bomb Victoria.”

I crossed my arms. “What? I might put the pack in danger?”

I was the problem, it was always me.

“This is not just about the pack. This is about you.” His voice softened at the last sentence, pulling an array of emotion from me.

Emotion I didn’t want to feel. I wanted to hold onto the anger Jackson had sparked in me so I could justify my actions.

Without the anger, I was vulnerable.

“You are mine to protect Victoria.”

His words gave me a warm feeling in my chest.

“You haven’t grown up in this world and I get that you’re still learning but I have to make sure you can protect yourself, even if it has to be from yourself at times.”

My animosity faltered at his words.

“The whole exercise is to rile you up so you learn to control your fiery temper. If you can’t then you will end up putting yourself in more danger. We have enough to deal with right now.”

I was causing so much trouble, the easiest thing would be to do what I always did and that was leave.

My throat burned. “I can leave.”

His eyes narrowed as his jaw tightened.

“Can you?” He moved closer.

A few shuffled steps backward and my back hit the wall. There was no were else to go as Maverick loomed closer.

I swallowed. Our bodies so close but not touching.

I tilted my head up as his mouth neared me. There was nothing else I wanted more in that moment but for his lips to touch mine but he stopped. I could feel his breath against my mouth.

“Do you really think you can leave?” he asked softly, searching my features.

I stared deep into his eyes.

“Your heart is racing,” he whispered close to my ear. I closed my eyes briefly feeling my body come alive to his proximity.

“Your body craves me.”

His words rippled through me, heating the blood in my veins. I ached for him.

“You want me deep inside of you.” The whisper of his breath against my skin amplified through me.

I wanted to reach out and grab his shirt before pulling his mouth to mine. I wanted all the things he was saying.

“And you know why?”

My eyes opened slowly.

“You are mine Victoria. You can try fight it but you can feel the truth. It’s always there, in every beat of your heart.”

I ran my tongue across my bottom lip. His eyes followed the erotic movement.

For a moment I thought he would seal our lips in a kiss but he didn’t.

“That is something you can’t outrun.”

I couldn’t look away.

“Your place is here with me.”