with him.
Richards flailed around a bit, but there was no way he was ever going to do any harm. The crowd parted, scrambling to get out of Axel’s way.
In the car park, a push sent Richards stumbling in the direction of his car. Richards’ friends scurried out in his wake, probably more out of fear of staying rather than out of any sense of loyalty to Richards. There wasn’t a biker among them. Axel watched them all get into Richard’s car and drive away.
“Axel.”
Axel looked over his shoulder. Drac was at his post on the door. He nodded toward the line of parked motorcycles. Bayden was heading toward his bike.
Chapter Five
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Bayden looked over his shoulder. Axel was striding toward him. A wooden rail ran along the edge of the car park, just in front of the line of bikes. Bayden stopped next to the barrier. He moved his clothes and helmet to one arm so he could steady himself with his other hand on the rail.
His head was spinning. Someone had set fire to his back. And Axel was pissed off. The third fact worried him far more than the others.
Axel stopped in front of him. “I asked you a question.”
“I’m going home.” It was all he could do to keep his voice level, now that the adrenaline was draining away.
“No.”
Bayden blinked at him.
“You’re in no condition to ride.”
“I’m fine.” Bayden turned toward his bike.
Axel caught hold of his shoulder and dragged him back around. A wave of nausea rolled through Bayden.
“You might convince Richards he didn’t hurt you, but I’m not Richards. You can barely stand.”
“You don’t want me here.”
Axel pushed Bayden’s chin up, making Bayden look at him.
Bayden swallowed. “I’m not sticking around to be thrown out.”
“I had no intention of throwing you out.”
Bayden studied Axel, desperately trying to both remain on his feet, and follow the conversation well enough to understand what Axel was trying to tell him. “You’re angry with me.”
“Yes.”
Bayden met his gaze.
Axel let out a strange laugh. “Did you think I’d lie?”
“But I’m still allowed to come back sometime?” Bayden hazarded.
“Worry about that later,” Axel ordered. “Right now, the important point is that you’re not leaving here—not on that bike.”
Bayden automatically stepped between Axel and his bike. “I’m fine.” The fact the world was spinning, and the pain in his back was almost enough to bring him to his knees, was irrelevant.
Axel reached out. Most of Bayden’s attention was on keeping his balance now that he’d stepped away from the rail. He didn’t realise what Axel intended to do in time to stop him from snatching the keys out of his hand.
Bayden lurched forward and made a grab for them, dropping his belongings in the process. “Give them back!”
Axel held the keys out of his reach. “I take the keys off anyone who’s too drunk to ride, and I’ll take them off anyone who’s in too much pain to ride, too.” There wasn’t any hesitation in his voice. He had no doubt he had the right to take whatever he wanted.
Bayden’s instincts said that Axel was acting like an alpha, but experience screamed that he was just another human who thought he could ride roughshod over a wolf, who could take whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
Bayden stared at the keys dangling from Axel’s fingertips. He could take them back, but Axel might get hurt in the process. The idea of challenging Axel’s dominance was almost as off-putting as the idea of hurting him. Bayden curled his hands into fists at his sides. He shook his head, trying to clear it so he could think past the fog of pain.
He glanced across at the pub. There were a lot of humans in there—ones who were bound to take Axel’s side. Could he get the keys, get on his bike and get out of there before anyone else joined them?
He’d heal from a beating but if they went for his bike rather than him…
He glanced at his
Richards flailed around a bit, but there was no way he was ever going to do any harm. The crowd parted, scrambling to get out of Axel’s way.
In the car park, a push sent Richards stumbling in the direction of his car. Richards’ friends scurried out in his wake, probably more out of fear of staying rather than out of any sense of loyalty to Richards. There wasn’t a biker among them. Axel watched them all get into Richard’s car and drive away.
“Axel.”
Axel looked over his shoulder. Drac was at his post on the door. He nodded toward the line of parked motorcycles. Bayden was heading toward his bike.
Chapter Five
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Bayden looked over his shoulder. Axel was striding toward him. A wooden rail ran along the edge of the car park, just in front of the line of bikes. Bayden stopped next to the barrier. He moved his clothes and helmet to one arm so he could steady himself with his other hand on the rail.
His head was spinning. Someone had set fire to his back. And Axel was pissed off. The third fact worried him far more than the others.
Axel stopped in front of him. “I asked you a question.”
“I’m going home.” It was all he could do to keep his voice level, now that the adrenaline was draining away.
“No.”
Bayden blinked at him.
“You’re in no condition to ride.”
“I’m fine.” Bayden turned toward his bike.
Axel caught hold of his shoulder and dragged him back around. A wave of nausea rolled through Bayden.
“You might convince Richards he didn’t hurt you, but I’m not Richards. You can barely stand.”
“You don’t want me here.”
Axel pushed Bayden’s chin up, making Bayden look at him.
Bayden swallowed. “I’m not sticking around to be thrown out.”
“I had no intention of throwing you out.”
Bayden studied Axel, desperately trying to both remain on his feet, and follow the conversation well enough to understand what Axel was trying to tell him. “You’re angry with me.”
“Yes.”
Bayden met his gaze.
Axel let out a strange laugh. “Did you think I’d lie?”
“But I’m still allowed to come back sometime?” Bayden hazarded.
“Worry about that later,” Axel ordered. “Right now, the important point is that you’re not leaving here—not on that bike.”
Bayden automatically stepped between Axel and his bike. “I’m fine.” The fact the world was spinning, and the pain in his back was almost enough to bring him to his knees, was irrelevant.
Axel reached out. Most of Bayden’s attention was on keeping his balance now that he’d stepped away from the rail. He didn’t realise what Axel intended to do in time to stop him from snatching the keys out of his hand.
Bayden lurched forward and made a grab for them, dropping his belongings in the process. “Give them back!”
Axel held the keys out of his reach. “I take the keys off anyone who’s too drunk to ride, and I’ll take them off anyone who’s in too much pain to ride, too.” There wasn’t any hesitation in his voice. He had no doubt he had the right to take whatever he wanted.
Bayden’s instincts said that Axel was acting like an alpha, but experience screamed that he was just another human who thought he could ride roughshod over a wolf, who could take whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
Bayden stared at the keys dangling from Axel’s fingertips. He could take them back, but Axel might get hurt in the process. The idea of challenging Axel’s dominance was almost as off-putting as the idea of hurting him. Bayden curled his hands into fists at his sides. He shook his head, trying to clear it so he could think past the fog of pain.
He glanced across at the pub. There were a lot of humans in there—ones who were bound to take Axel’s side. Could he get the keys, get on his bike and get out of there before anyone else joined them?
He’d heal from a beating but if they went for his bike rather than him…
He glanced at his
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