Protecting What's His (To Love and Defend Book 1) Read online

  Protecting What’s His

  To Love and Defend Book One

  Daniella Starre

  Protecting What’s His

  Daniella Starre

  Protecting What’s His © 2018 Daniella Starre

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  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  Contents

  Protecting What’s His

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Other Books By Daniella Starre

  About the Author

  Protecting What’s His

  No matter the stakes, he’ll protect what’s his.

  Werewolf Jasper Romero spends a magical night with fellow werewolf Alexis Luna. To his disappointment, when he wakes up in the morning, she’s gone. Soon enough, she returns with the news that she’s pregnant with his baby.

  Jasper is more than willing to prove to her that a lasting relationship can blossom from a one-night stand. Alexis isn’t quite so sure, but she does not want to go back to her pack. Her alpha is nothing more than an ass, one she’s desperate to get away from.

  Will the two be able to forge a future together? Will that alpha cause problems for them? One thing’s for sure. Jasper will protect what’s his.

  1

  The stench of smoke nearly drowned out the mouth-watering aroma from the overly crowded bar. Jasper Romero had no choice but to push his way through. His broad shoulders and muscular build meant he couldn't squeeze by at all. Once people noticed him, they moved aside. Werewolves weren't commonly known to humans, but most felt a flight or fight response when they saw one. Mostly flight. Sometimes wonder. Humans could recognize that something was off, that something was different, but they would never have the nerve to ask what.

  Not that I would tell them.

  A few minutes later, Jasper pushed his way to the front of the bar. Immediately, a beleaguered waitress stopped in her tracks and made a beeline for him, no longer looking quite so forlorn and anxious. Her smile was now wide as she zeroed in on him.

  Maybe he should rephrase. Men tended toward flight unless they were foolish and opted for a fight. Some were that stupid. Women, on the other hand, preferred to seek out werewolves. Perhaps they instinctively recognized that werewolves could provide and protect them, falling back on ancient, primal gender lines.

  Whatever the reason, Jasper tended to get free drinks at each and every bar he went too, and he certainly wasn't going to complain. Still, human women weren’t really his thing. He liked his women strong, fierce, and beautiful.

  The waitress flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and threw him a wink. Smiling even broader now, she leaned over the counter slightly to give him an ample view of her cleavage.

  "What can I get you?" she asked.

  Even with his enhanced hearing, the din of the bar roared too great for him to hear her, but he could read her lips just fine. A little thin, her lips. Overall, she was too skinny for him. He preferred a woman with some curves, some muscles. Something to grab.

  "Whatever's on special," he said, not bothering to yell.

  She nodded, winked again, and expertly poured him a brew. The glass hadn't been chilled, but the first few sips went down smoothly enough.

  Jasper reached for his wallet in his back pocket, but she held up her hand.

  "On the house," she said, pointing to the roof. She wiggled her fingers and smiled seductively before moving onto another client. Jasper noticed that she did flirt with this male, but she didn't smile. Instead, she saved those for Jasper, who she glanced at every few seconds.

  Sorry. Not interested.

  Actually, even if Jasper did find a woman who turned him on, he wasn't certain he'd pursue her. The last few he'd dated had turned out to be crazies. Although he had the itch, he wasn't certain that women weren't more trouble than they were worth. Then again, damn, did he have the itch. It'd been too long since he'd last had a nice, long, hard fuck.

  By the time he half-finished his beer, the waitress had plopped another down. She hesitated, smiling widely, leaning forward, clearly wanting to talk, but he handed her a ten. The waitress stared at it and pouted, but even that couldn't make her lips look attractive.

  He did hold up the beer in salute before leaving his perch at the bar. None of the crew ever came this far north. He was just about as far north as you could get in Detroit. A cold front had rolled in, and the others werewolves in the pack were having a party. Every so often, Jasper just needed some time away, a little space. None of the others understood that desire, but he didn't care.

  Well, he often didn’t end up spending all of that time alone. Normally, he'd always bring a woman to a hotel room. Maybe he would tonight after all. The night was young, and it wouldn't take him much to get horny as hell.

  Couples, obvious hookups, clearly awkward first dates, groups, a bachelor party eyeing a bachelorette party… There was so much going on. For a werewolf, it was almost stimulation overload. The music was blaring. A few people danced, only one of them any good. Most were already drunk, and one girl stumbled, falling to the ground. She was laughing too hard to stand. Jasper stepped forward, but when her friends helped her up, he halted. Maybe the whole protecting bit really was hardwired into males.

  Correction. Into some men.

  His gaze zeroed in on a particular guy. Weak chin, somewhat broad shoulders, laughing his ass off and clearly making fun of a slightly overweight girl standing uncomfortably near his table. She was with a bunch of girlfriends, but she kept looking away from the jerk, her cheeks stained with embarrassment and humiliation. Whatever the asshole was saying, she didn't appreciate it. It shouldn’t fall on her to have to move away from the dick, but she shouldn’t have to tolerate his abuse either.

  Jasper drained his beer, placed the glass on a random table, and altered his course to head that way. The tables were too crammed together for him to reach them quickly. Suddenly, the asshole stood, possibly egged on by his friends, and he approached the girl.

  The hairs on the back of Jasper's neck stood, and he bared his teeth. He didn't like this asshole, and he would love to kick his ass if the opportunity arose. It certainly seemed like that would be the case.

  Asshole never once looked in Jasper's direction and grabbed the girl's arm. Her friends were heading to the bar. Instead of being the one to lead them and get as far away from the asshole as possible, she was at the back. The asshole grabbed her drink and drained the
last swallow before pushing her toward the door. Her body language suggested she was protesting, but any cries for help weren't heard. Or worse, they were ignored.

  Ignored by all but Jasper.

  With purpose now, he pushed through the crowd. He bumped into people and tables, mumbled half-hearted apologies, and continued onward. A wall of fresh air blasted him the moment he stepped outside. The cool, crisp air pleased his lungs, but that was all that pleased him.

  Where had they—there. Up the street, the asshole was yanking on the girl’s arm, trying to force her into his car.

  Oh, hell no.

  Jasper marched over to them. The girl was putting up some fight. The tears streaming down her face, making her mascara run, didn't help any. She could hardly keep her eyes open, and her swings weren't landing.

  The asshole was so focused on his prize that he didn't glance over as Jasper stalked him. Jasper's hand clasped the asshole's shoulder. As soon as the jerk turned toward him, Jasper's fist kissed his mouth. Blood spurted, and Jasper twisted the guy around and jabbed his gut before uppercutting his chin. The dickhead staggered a few steps, swinging wildly. Like the girl, none of his blows landed. Moving as if he were a boxer, Jasper jumped back and forth, side to side, always shuffling his feet, throwing more punches, some fast, some slow. Then he planted his feet and tightened his abs.

  So predictably, the asshole threw all of his weight into a single punch to Jasper's gut. Jasper easily handled the blow, yanked the asshole's fist, pulled him off balance, and swept his feet out from under him.

  The human fool went down hard. A sickening crack rang out, piercing the nighttime silence. The asshole was dazed, though, not unconscious as Jasper kneed his chest, pinning him to the sidewalk.

  "She said no, didn't she?" Jasper growled out.

  It was so fucking hard to keep his inner wolf at bay right now. He just wanted to snap the guy's head off. Lowlifes like him didn't deserve to live.

  The asshole was mumbling incoherently. Hell, were those tears or sweat pouring down his cheeks? Both.

  "I can't understand you." Jasper applied more weight and pressure behind his knee.

  "Y-Yes!"

  "Yes, she said no?" Jasper asked to clarify.

  "Yes," the asshole sobbed.

  "Do you want me to punch you?" Jasper asked.

  "No!"

  Jasper punched him hard, right beneath the ribs. The soft flesh of the guy's gut hardly cushioned the blow.

  "I'm sorry," Jasper said sarcastically. "You meant yes, right?"

  "No," the asshole mumbled.

  "Do you want me to punch you?" Jasper repeated.

  The asshole flinched. "No, man. I'm sorry! No! Please!"

  Jasper punched the asshole right in the ribs again. If they weren't at least severely bruised tomorrow, he'd be surprised. Most likely, one or two were broken.

  "No means no, right?" Jasper asked.

  The asshole nodded miserably. "No means no."

  "Do you want me to punch you?" Jasper asked a final time.

  "No," the asshole burst out.

  Jasper nodded, straightened, and stepped back.

  "No means no," the asshole said. His one eye was swollen shut, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. He staggered to his feet.

  "Drive your ass home and don't forget this lesson," Jasper growled. “If I find out, I’ll tattoo my name into your ass. A whole line. ‘Jasper reminds you that no means no.’”

  The slimeball slammed the passenger door shut, raced around to the driver's seat, and tore out of there, tires squealing.

  The sound of slow clapping had Jasper's vision clearing. He'd seen red. He'd been that furious and frustrated.

  The girl in question had long ago run away, maybe either to her friends or to go home. The clapper was another woman. Her tight leather jacket and even tighter jeans hugged her curves like a second skin. Her white shirt stretched over glorious tits, but it was the twinkle in her brown eyes that had him adjusting his jeans. In one fell swoop, he was frustrated for a whole other reason.

  Oh, yes, he had an itch, and he hoped like fuck she'd scratch it. From the scent of her own arousal and that wonderful teasing smile twisting her full lips, he knew this werewolf was ready and willing. Still, he'd ask first, but he knew she'd be screaming yes over and over tonight. Hell, he might even tell her his name for her to scream that too.

  2

  Alexis Luna needed a break more than anything else. A few beers, time away from the pack, just what the doctor ordered. Not that she went to her doctor anymore. He'd been hot but an ass, and she dumped his ass a long time ago.

  Hazel Park wasn't far from Detroit at all. Honestly, she'd wanted to go even farther south. Out of Michigan south. Hell, maybe all the way to Mexico south.

  It wasn't often that a werewolf wanted to leave their pack, but Alexis sure as hell did. At the very least, she wanted a fresh start.

  She hadn't stopped for long. Stopping at all had been an impulsive decision. She had her two beers and was contemplating how long she had to wait to hit the road again when an asshole dragged a clearly unwilling girl outside. Before Alexis could blink, a hunk of a werewolf burst out of the bar, ready to kill. His sharp jaw, blazing beautiful, jade green eyes, fierce angles, those broad shoulders… Dayum.

  Extreme satisfaction rolled over her as he tapped the asshole on the shoulder and then landed a huge punch. Alexis rushed over to the girl and pulled her aside. The poor thing was trembling so badly that she could hardly stand. Alexis had to call one of her friends from inside to get her. Alexis' glowered when the friend went to take the girl back inside the bar. The friend blanched, and the two left in a cab.

  By that point, the werewolf had the asshole flat on the ground, pinning him in place. Then he was teaching the asshole a lesson about the meaning of the word ‘no,’ and Alexis' grin grew and grew. Now, this was a man. A real man.

  Alexis had met far more than her fair share of assholes, her alpha included in that terrible category. Why else would she contemplate running away?

  Oh, yeah. Biggest reason? That asshole of an alpha wanted to make her his, and he had issues with the word “no” too. If he ever dared to lay a hand on her, she would fight back. It might cost Alexis her life, but she had her pride. She'd never roll over and just accept that his will was law. Not even if he was alpha.

  Asshole Alpha is more apt.

  "No means no," the asshole was saying.

  "Drive your ass home and don't forget this lesson."

  The werewolf's growl turned her on. Violence was part of life for werewolves. It was necessary, but it was also something most reigned in where humans were concerned. Rifts between packs were inevitable. Blood would be shed. Others would rise up and kill the alpha to take over, which was something Alexis would most certainly be behind in her pack's case.

  That the werewolf was willing to cross that line with humans, against one human to protect another, made him that much hotter in her eyes.

  The asshole scampered away like a frightened, wounded animal. As his tires screeched, Alexis slowly applauded the werewolf.

  His gaze fell on her, and she sucked in a breath. His heaving chest, soaked with sweat despite the cool temperature, revealed the lines of his muscles. Damn, did she want those huge arms around her.

  "No means no, huh?" she asked, her boots clacking on the sidewalk as she sauntered over to him.

  "It does indeed."

  She could so get lost in his green eyes, but she wasn't about to succumb that easily. He could work for it if he wanted her. From that impressive bulge, he sure as hell did want her.

  "You aren't from around here," he said, holding out his hand.

  His grip was firm, strong, powerful. His knuckles were bloodied, and she traced her fingers over them, sorry he’d gotten hurt. Long fingers, large hand. She shivered, and so did he. He liked her soft touch, but she wasn't always gentle.

  Alexis grinned. "Not from around here, no."

  "Care t
o see the sights?" he asked, gesturing toward the street, the city. He’d released her hand, and she was sorry for that, missing his warmth already.

  "If by sights you mean your bed, no. Or maybe not yet."

  His smile grew, and dimples appeared. Hot damn. Dimples were one of her weaknesses. It should be a crime to be so hot. A crime that required handcuffs…

  "Are you hungry?" he asked. "I could go for some pizza."

  "Pizza sounds good," she said, falling into step beside him. His legs were long, his stride long too, but she could keep up with him easily despite her thigh-high boots.

  "Good?" he scoffed, shaking his head as if offended. "Have you ever had Detroit pizza before?"

  "No. I had pizza in Chicago once though."

  "Chicago. Bah." He waved her words away. "Just you wait. You're in for a treat."

  She faked a yawn. "I haven't heard about Detroit pizza before. I'm not sure it's even a thing," she teased.

  "Keep it up. You'll be eating crow."

  Even though the hour was getting late, the werewolf led her through a maze of streets to a small little place that frankly looked like a dump. The people behind the counter greeted him like an old friend, and she trailed the werewolf to a table for two in the back corner. A few people trickled in and out to take home pizzas, but they were the only two seated customers.

  “Jasper, huh?” she noted.

  "Yes."

  Something about the wicked glint in his eyes sent a tingle of anticipation down her spine. She squeezed her legs together.

  "And you are…" he added.

  "Alexis," she murmured.