Savage Bonds

My Girl

Luka stood there, blood dripping from his split lip, watching the door swing shut behind Juni. The entire bar was frozen, like someone had hit pause on the world's most humiliating movie.

She'd punched him. In front of everyone. And told him the alpha command didn't work on her.

What the f**k did that mean?

"I'm going after her," he snarled, taking a step toward the door.

" The hell you are." Jake grabbed his arm, and for the first time in their friendship, his grip was genuinely hostile. "You've done enough."

"Get your f*****g hand off me."

"Or what?" Jake's eyes flashed. "You'll try to alpha command me too?"

Derek stepped up on his other side, and his expression was even less friendly. "Dude, Luka, you just grabbed a woman in front of fifty witnesses. And not just any woman. Juni. After she told you to leave her alone. Multiple times."

"She hit me!"

"After she told you to f**k off," Derek said flatly. "Repeatedly."

"And put your hands on her." Jake added.

"You're lucky all she did was punch you," Marcus scoffed.

Luka's phone rang, the sharp sound cutting through the tension. He almost ignored it, but the ringtone made his blood run cold.

"Don't answer that," Jake advised. "Not while you're like this."

But Luka was already swiping to accept, bringing the phone to his ear with a hand that shook with rage.

"Get to the bluffs by the old logging road. Now." His father's voice was arctic.

"Dad, I—"

"I said NOW." The alpha command in his father's voice was different from Luka's—it was absolute, undeniable. "There's been another attack. Sarah Morrison is missing."

Sarah Morrison. Emma's younger sister.

"And before you go," his father continued, "you should know I've already received fifteen calls about your s**t with Juni. Fifteen, Luka. Including one from the bar owner threatening to ban all pack members if you step foot in there again."

"She—"

"I don't give a s**t what she did, Damnit! Get to the logging road now! Jake knows where."

The line went dead.

Luka stood there, phone still pressed to his ear, aware that everyone in the bar was staring at him. Recording him. Judging him.

Asher chose that moment to saunter past, heading for the door. He paused just long enough to pat Luka on the shoulder.

"Better luck next time, Brenner," he said cheerfully. "Oh wait, there won't be a next time, will there?" He headed for the door, pausing to add over his shoulder, "Don't worry though. I'll make sure my girl gets home safe."

He laughed as he pushed through the door, presumably to go after Juni.

"We need to go," Jake said, his voice still cold. "Sarah Morrison is more important than your bruised ego."

"She can't just—" Luka cut himself off, not even sure how to finish that sentence.

"Hit you? Ignore your alpha command? Publicly humiliate you?" Derek suggested. "She just did all three."

As they headed for the door, Luka heard the whispers starting:

"Did you see her punch him?"

"Alpha command doesn't work on her?"

"His dad's going to kill him..."

"Poor Lauren..."

"f**k Lauren! She isn't s**t to me!" Luka snarled, the words exploding out of him before he could stop them. Everyone in the crowd flinched from the power rolling off of him.

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Tell us how you really feel."

Outside, the cool night air did nothing to calm his rage. He could smell Juni's scent trail leading toward the parking lot, could hear voices in the distance.

"Don't even think about it," Jake warned, but Luka was already moving.

He rounded the corner just in time to see Juni by Asher's truck. Elora was with her, the two friends talking quietly.

"Text me when you get home," Elora was saying, her hand on Juni's arm. "I mean it, Juni. With everything that's been happening, I worry about you being out there alone."

"I will," Juni promised. "I'm fine, El."

"You just punched the future alpha in the face."

"Exactly. I can take care of a few rogues if I need to."

Asher was standing by his truck. When he spotted Luka approaching, his grin widened.

"Seriously?" Asher laughed, shaking his head. "Man, you really don't know when to quit, do you?"

Luka surged forward, grabbing the truck door before Juni could get in. "JUNI, LISTEN TO ME!"

"Get your f*****g hand off the door, Luka." Her voice was deadly calm, but he could see her hands clenching into fists.

"Luka, back the f**k off!" Elora stepped between them, fury radiating from her small frame. "Haven't you done enough?"

"Stay out of this, Elora."

"Like hell I will." She planted herself firmly in front of Juni. "You want to grab someone? Try me. See how fast my dad gets here."

"Two minutes. That's all I'm asking," Luka said desperately, trying to look past Elora to Juni.

"You want another broken nose to match your split lip?" Juni moved Elora aside gently, facing him fully. The fury in her eyes made him take an involuntary step back.

"You know what? f**k this." Jake threw his hands up, his patience finally snapping. "I'm done watching you self-destruct. You want to harass Marcus Sullivan's daughter? It's your funeral. I'm out."

"Jake—"

"No, Luka. I'm serious. I've had your back through a lot of s**t, but this?" He gestured at the whole scene. "This is pathetic."

Asher started his truck, the engine rumbling to life. Juni climbed in, but Elora lingered by the window.

"I'll follow you home," Elora said to Juni.

"I'm fine, El. Asher's got me."

"I don't trust him either," Elora said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Text me. I mean it."

"Last chance to walk away with some dignity," Derek said from behind Luka.

But Luka couldn't move. Could only watch as Asher put the truck in reverse, his smile never wavering.

"My girl's had a rough night," Asher called out the window. "I better get her home. Don't worry though, Brenner. I'll take real good care of her."

As the truck started to pull away, the passenger window rolled down. Juni leaned out, caught his eye, and blew him a kiss—the gesture dripping with mockery.

Elora shook her head in disgust. "You're pathetic, Luka. You know that?" She headed for her own car without waiting for a response.

The implication in Asher's tone combined with that dismissive kiss made Luka surge forward, but Jake and Derek were already there, physically holding him back as Asher's truck pulled away.

"Let me go!" Luka snarled, fighting against their grip.

"Not happening." Jake's voice was harder than Luka had ever heard it. "We've got a missing girl to find, remember? Or did you forget about Sarah Morrison while you were busy getting your ass handed to you?"

The reminder hit like cold water. Sarah. f**k.

"The alpha command thing—" Luka started, still staring after the disappearing taillights.

"Doesn't matter right now," Derek cut him off. "What matters is there's a teenage girl out there who needs help. Your dad's waiting.

You can obsess over Juni Sullivan later."

But even as they dragged him toward Jake's truck, Luka couldn't stop thinking about it. The way she'd laughed at his power. The casual certainty in her voice.

Like she knew something he didn't.

Like she was something he didn't understand.

His phone buzzed with a text from his father: Old logging road. Five minutes or I send the enforcers.

"Drive," he told Jake, climbing into the passenger seat. "The bluffs by the old logging road. And don't say a f*****g word."

"The logging road?" Jake's concern cut through his anger. "s**t, that's where they found Emma. Same hunting ground."

"Just drive."

"Fine. But just so we're clear? You brought this on yourself."

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Luka caught a glimpse of Asher's truck in the distance, Juni's silhouette visible in the passenger seat. Behind them, Elora's car was pulling out too, but heading in a different direction—probably going home since she couldn't follow Juni with Asher there.

His jaw throbbed where she'd hit him. His pride stung worse.

And somewhere out there, Sarah Morrison was missing, and he was about to face his father's wrath while still tasting his own blood.

This night had gone from bad to catastrophic, and something told him it was about to get worse.