Ryder POV
I can't sleep.
It's three in the morning, and I'm standing guard outside the guest room where she's sleeping. This is insane. I haven't played protector for anyone since Aria died five years ago.
But every time I try to walk away, my wolf snarls and plants himself firmly in place.
"Mine," he keeps saying in the back of my mind. "Protect what's ours."
The problem is, I don't understand why he's so convinced. Jolie Rys is nothing like Aria. Where Aria was fierce and strong, Jolie is small and broken. Where Aria could hold her own in any fight, Jolie flinches at loud noises.
She's weak. Everyone can see it.
So why does my wolf go crazy every time someone looks at her wrong?
I run a hand through my hair and pace the narrow hallway. The compound is quiet now, most of the pack
