The gang of wolves barred their teeth in anger and began to advance. Maddie scowled at her mysterious savior's ballsy quip. She hoped he knew his real odds were like 20 to 1.

Was he insane?

Maddie looked for an exit, but she was cornered between the counter and the wall. The nearest exit was about 15 feet away—with well over a dozen raging men between her and it.

Great, I'm gonna die!

Aidan slinked back to give himself ample room to go to work. This was gonna be a long...

A blast of a shotgun interrupted his thinking and suddenly everyone was frozen in their stance, including Aidan.

"Now just what the hell is going on in here? I turn my back for one minute and you shitheads are tearing my place up?!" Riko still had his sawed-off shotgun aimed at the ceiling, his large hands still bracing it up for firing. His dark eyes stared out at the now quiet troop of brawlers.

The Blond wiped the blood from his lips and turned to Riko. "We were protecting your place, Reeks—"

Aidan frowned. "Like hell you were."

The Blond curled his lips. "You son of a..." His voice trailed off as he saw Riko shift the gun down to aim at him.

Aidan stifled a laugh as the Blond noticeably flinched. Funny how a wolf rearing a gun can keep most of them in check.

Unless you were a gambling man.

Had it been any other bar or bar-owner, the gun blast would have triggered a brawl instead of stopping it. Gunshots were a pain in the ass to take, but unless it is a fatal hit to the head, Aristans and Thesians alike would regenerate and live. Regular blasts would do nothing put piss a wolf off.

With that being said, wolves know better than to carry a gun with ordinary rounds. With everyone being ramrod stiff, Aidan was positive that Riko' "bartender's special" held nightshade rounds—bullets laced with concentrated nectar of the poisonous Nightshade plant. It was devastating for Nightshade, even in its smallest quantities to mix with wolf blood. It was the only natural thing known to kill them without uncertainty. Its poison was swift and wreaked havoc on their kind's nervous system and bleeding them internally. Out of all the history of their kind, even the strongest wolves had succumbed to the poison. It was certain death.

As Aidan slowly turned his head to look Riko in the eyes, Riko hissed a curse. "Who the fuck let him in here?"

"I let myself in."

Maddie flinched as she saw Riko aim the gun at Aidan. And cocked it.

"Stop! Please!" Maddie ran up to the counter, facing Riko. "He didn't do anything wrong! He was trying to help—"

Maddie's heart leapt into her throat as Riko cut his dark eyes at her, his handsome face now crinkled into a sneer. All of the kindness he showed her when she first arrived was gone. He looked more of a feral animal than the nice bar-owner who tried to hit on her. Everyone here proved to be nothing as they seemed. "I should have figured you'd bring trouble here." His voice was raw, accusing. It stung her...and she wasn't one to be stung.

"How dare you accuse me! You don't know what–"

Riko turned back to look at ahead, no longer at her. "I don't care what happened." He glared at Aidan, whose expression was stoic. "I want you out of here. You and your kind have no place here, so you are not to enter my establishment ever again. Are we clear?"

Aidan raised a brow. "My kind has been in here recently hasn't he?"

He immediately sensed a moment of uneasiness with the wolf at the mention of Kieran's faint, but unmistakable scent in his supposedly Aristan-free haven. No doubt he knew exactly what Aidan was talking about. Kieran was here. Of all places. Why?

Riko mimicked the same stoicism Aidan bestowed him. "Are. We. Clear?"

"I'm gone." Aidan never approved of the submissive "yes" that the wolf was asking for. He rather be gelded than to go that far down the food chain. It was enough he yielded to Riko, who was desperate to reestablish dominance in his place anyway. Despite it, he did respect the wolf. He maintained his haven, and sought to keep peace. Part of him suspected the incident wouldn't have escalated had Riko been at his post. Aidan cast a look at the flustered brunette, whose full angelic face was disturbed by her scowl. She was in one piece at least. A surge of relief went through him that he didn't quite understand.

She met his eyes, her frown softening for only a moment, until it resurfaced so fast he figured she was possessed.

He sighed to himself. It appeared he overstayed his welcome. He started for the door, when he heard a feminine voice mutter a curse.

Maddie flung her purse over her shoulder and stormed out the corner to the exit. Her face hot, her movements brisk. Bastards!

Riko lowered his weapon. "And take your courtesha with you!"

Aidan whipped his head back in annoyance. "She isn't mine."

"You damn right I'm not!" Maddie hissed as she stopped at the threshold. She glared at all of them. She had enough of them treating her like she was some toy that didn't needed to be addressed. Like some bobble-headed bimbo who enjoyed being tossed around. "Or anyone else's!" She jerked the door open and marched out. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. How could she be so dense to go there in the first place?

Aidan walked out, stunned at her snappy remark. For some reason he could fathom, it stung him that the thought of her being his was unimaginable to her. That's what he gets for helping, no doubt. As she walked through the darkness of the street, Aidan tensed. The air wasn't right.

Tension was still rampant even in the open outdoors. "Hey, are you alright?" Aidan caught up to her, all the while looking through the patches of darkness where the street lamps and moonlight missed.

Maddie stopped dead in her tracks and whipped around so fast, Aidan was sure she was going to hit him. Her face still held that contemptuous scowl at him, but somehow made her no less beguiling as the shadows of the night played across the planes of her face. She looked up at him, holding her purse tightly.

"Gee, I'm just dandy! One moment I was minding my own business, then the next I have two jerks trying to kill each other! Then to top it off, I get blamed for it all?" She took a deep breath. "Oh, yeah I'm fine. Thanks for asking!"

Aidan frowned back at her sarcasm. Sense had told him this all was a mistake. Perhaps he did cause more harm than good. She was free from the love-hungry alphas, but what if he made it more dangerous for her being linked to an Aristan?

"Hey look, I was only trying to help you. I didn't put you in that bar!"

Maddie reared back as if he slapped her. "Oh, so I was asking for it?"

"That came out wrong."

"Yeah, well I wasn't smacking people around looking to egg on a dozen men!" She pressed her finger to her chest.

Aidan couldn't believe this woman. Now she was blaming him for protecting her?

"Listen, I'm sorry, but sometimes a punch across the face gets the point across a lot more clearly and efficiently than pleasant babble and poetry. I don't know what planet you're from!"

Maddie's mouth gaped open at his comment. She wanted to kick him then. Just because she didn't approve of barbaric behavior didn't make her naïve. If she did want to exercise some violence, it would've been now. She bit it back as his green eyes captivated her. Were there ever eyes I've seen that were that breathtaking? She shook the thought away, realizing they belonged to a man she was busy chastising.

"I'm from earth! And with about several million years of evolution under my belt, I might add! What about you and your friends, huh? Neanderthal Nation? Maddie crossed her arms in addition to the snide remark.

Aidan raked his fingers through his hair as he oddly took her scolding. In truth he found her contempt strangely amusing to him now, but he dared not laugh. She was still eyeing him. If looks could kill—Aidan would be in Éoncé by now. To hell with this. Just leave her be.

He moved a step closer to her, feeling her tense ever so slightly. She stared up at him silent now, her scowl softening. Aidan felt her body heat, and with him staring down at the soft fullness of her lips—it was hard for him to think of not pulling her in to possess her mouth, tasting all the fire that was hers right now. Or pressing those amazing curves of her hips and rise of her breasts flush with his body. His groin jerked that the fantasy in his head.

His body froze as he heard a car coming. He muttered a curse as he instantly saw it was a police car. Sinking back between the shadows of the brick building they were next to, he pulled Maddie with him. He looped his arm across her waist, pressing her back against him.

"What the—" Maddie breathed.

"Shhh. The cops were called in."

"Good." She started to wiggle from him. "I have a bone to pick with that owner."

He pulled her back into the shadows against him. "No you don't. Chances are we're the bad guys, not him."

"I didn't do anything!" Maddie lowered her voice.

"Shh—" Aidan warned as they watched the lone cop ease out of his cruiser and paused to look around suspiciously, spotting his light in different patches of darkness. When he shined his light inches from Maddie, she scooted a step back in haste. Aidan quietly hissed as her heel dug into his shoe. Instantly, she raised her foot, sucking in a breath as if it pained her more than it pained him.

He picked a hell of a time not to wear his Doc Marten's.

Maddie looked up and mouthed "sorry" as the cop continued to walk into the bar. Embarrassed, she glanced down at Aidan's well toned arm encircled her like the most exquisite belt. He was holding her so close, his grip loose, but firm enough to feel the fierce, sinewy body he possessed. His heart beating against her back. The steady pace reflected the calm and patience that seem to resonate from her unorthodox rescuer. How could he be so reserved hiding from police, or taking on a bunch of muscle-bound Neanderthals? Maddie could barely take it, and she didn't participate in any of it.

So this is how is felt to break rules and get into trouble. For as long as she could remember, Maddie was a very self-disciplined girl. When her friends were out partying and flirting with all the hot guys, she stayed home and studied for her next assignment. She was too scared to sneak out of the house as a teenager and sneak alcohol with her girlfriends. Even in college where everyone was free from their parent's wrath, Maddie rarely went out. Of course she wasn't without a few mild youthful transgressions, but mostly she lived vicariously through her reckless friends. Her philosophy of bad luck also kept her out of a lot: she firmly believed was that if anyone's luck would run out doing something bad, it would be her. It even seemed to be the case now: Any other girl could've walked into that bar and been okay...

She, on the other hand, triggered a fight and got herself kicked out.

Maddie briefly looked up at the man holding her in the darkness, his eyes fixed on the bar across the street.

Well, at least I'm not alone in this crazy luck.

She didn't know why she didn't pay attention before, but his face was an oddly enchanting blend of boyish features and rugged good looks.

As if there were two men at war with each other in his body. He was so compelling she lightly smacked her hand to keep herself for reaching out and caressing that gorgeous face of his. And when he inadvertently locked eyes with her, she suddenly couldn't remember why she hated him so much.

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