Alpha's Twins Chapter 22

Third POV

Adrian watched as the group of men closed in on Natalia.

She stepped to the side and shot them a quick look, shaking her head. They laughed, clearly thinking they had her cornered.

Adrian glanced down at Natalia and noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. She looked completely lost—nothing like the confident woman he'd met last night.

Her expression made his blood boil. He turned his attention to the men.

They were bent over, hands on their knees, catching their breath. One of them grinned and said, "Dude, she's totally ours."

"Yours?" Adrian muttered under his breath.

"She's just playing innocent. I bet she's out here looking for some rich Alpha to hook up with. We're not loaded, so she's putting on an act. But we've got something else to offer her, if you know what I mean."

The moment Adrian heard those words, he let out a deep, threatening growl.

The sound shook everyone to their core. Natalia fought hard not to submit to his dominance, but the men immediately bowed their heads and dropped to their knees.

"Did they touch you?" Adrian asked Natalia in a low, dangerous voice, his eyes still fixed on the men.

Natalia was too stunned to speak.

"I asked if they touched you!" Adrian's voice exploded with rage.

Natalia flinched at his outburst. "Y-Yes," she whispered as tears streamed down her face.

Adrian's jaw clenched tight. "Where?" he demanded.

Natalia stared at him, thinking he was just here to humiliate her too. He was no better than those creeps.

"Why are you even aski—"

Adrian whipped his head around to face her. "Where?"

"M-My hand..." she stammered.

"Oh, look at the hero," one of the men sneered, still on his knees. "Stop wasting time, man. If you want her, we can all share."

Even kneeling in submission, they assumed Adrian had the same sick intentions they did.

The second those words left his mouth, Adrian lunged forward and grabbed the man's arm.

The sharp crack of breaking bones echoed through the silent alley. When the other two realized Adrian had just shattered their friend's hand, they jumped at him.

Natalia watched in shock as Adrian fought them off.

She couldn't just run away—not like this. But before she could do anything, she witnessed something terrifying.

She gasped as Adrian's eyes blazed red. His claws extended as he slashed across their faces. The third man trembled in absolute terror.

"W-Who are you?" he stammered.

Adrian fixed him with a cold stare. "Your worst nightmare."

The man spun around and ran for his life.

But neither of the other two could escape Adrian's fury. He snapped their necks with brutal efficiency, killing them both.

He glared down at their bodies, frustrated that the last one had gotten away. He looked in the direction the man had fled, every instinct telling him to give chase. But he couldn't leave Natalia here alone.

He turned back to find her staring at the corpses, her face frozen in shock.

He rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you okay?"

To his own surprise, his voice came out gentle.

Holding her felt right somehow. When he'd heard those scumbags say they'd touched her, rage had consumed him completely. His blood had boiled with the need to protect her.

But when Natalia realized who was holding her, she shoved Adrian away and tried to leave.

"S-Stay away," she mumbled, turning around.

She started walking toward the hotel, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Why are you being so stubborn? I'm the only one who can really protect you," he called after her.

She ignored him and kept walking.

"Natalia, listen to me!" he shouted.

But she didn't turn around. She couldn't get away from him fast enough. She couldn't forget what he'd done to her before—how he'd caused that horrible incident with the rogues.

That day, she'd had to leave her pack because he would never accept her children. To him, she was nothing more than a convenient hookup.

And now here he was, saving her from other men who saw her the exact same way.

What was the difference?

She had no idea what Adrian actually wanted from her.

Just then, a car pulled up beside her.

Eric rolled down the window. "What are you doing out here this late?"

Natalia glanced back at Adrian, who was standing a short distance away, watching her.

She opened the passenger door. "Take me back to the hotel."

She got in and slammed the door shut. Eric didn't ask questions when he spotted Adrian. He just started the engine.

Natalia checked the side mirror. Adrian was still standing there, motionless. This time he wasn't following her. He just watched as the car drove away.

"Why were you with him again?" Eric asked, clearly annoyed.

"He saved me from some rogues."

"I saw two guys lying in the road back there. Are they dead?"

"I think so. He killed them both."

"Are you hurt?" Eric asked, his voice softer.

"I'm fine."

She leaned back in her seat. "Thanks, Eric."

He frowned. "For what?"

"For being there for me today. I saw your post," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"That's what friends do. But you need to stay away from Alpha Adrian. Completely."

"I know," Natalia murmured.

After that, they drove in silence.