The Biker Alpha Who Became My Second Chance Mate Chapter 87

Before he could answer, I heard someone behind me clear their throat. I turned to see three of the riders I'd beaten, all of them significantly larger than me and none of them looking particularly friendly.

"Nice race," the leader said, but his tone suggested he meant anything but congratulations.

"Thank you," I replied carefully, suddenly aware that we were standing in a more secluded part of the racing center. The main crowd was celebrating closer to the track, leaving this area relatively empty.

"Funny thing, though. We've been asking around about you. Nobody seems to know much about the mysterious female racer who showed up out of nowhere and started winning everything."

My mouth went dry. This was exactly the kind of attention I'd been hoping to avoid by keeping my identity hidden behind the mask.

"I'm just here to race," I said, trying to keep my voice steady while my heart began to pound.

"Are you?" The man stepped closer, and I could smell alcohol on his breath mixed with something else that made my skin crawl. "Because it seems like you might be here for something else entirely."

Derek moved before me, moving to position himself between me and the three men. His entire demeanor had changed from the casual, flirty guy I knew to something much more dangerous and protective.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, confused by his sudden transformation.

"I promised Tristan I'd look after you until he got back," Derek replied, his eyes never leaving the three men in front of us.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Look after me? Where is Tristan? And what's going on?"

The leader of the group continued as if Derek hadn't spoken. "See, we think maybe you're not just some amateur who got lucky. We think maybe you're a professional trying to hustle us small-timers."

"That's ridiculous," I said, but my heart was pounding so hard I was sure they could hear it.

"Is it? Because we've got serious money riding on these races. Real money. And when some nobody starts winning everything, it makes us look bad to the people we owe. People who don't like excuses."

The threat in his voice was unmistakable now. This wasn't about hurt pride or poor sportsmanship. These men were in deep trouble with dangerous people, and they thought I was somehow responsible for making their situation worse.

I could smell them, they weren't human. No, they were wolves. But, wolves or human, I already decided I was staying away from trouble.

Because I seem to attract it wherever I go to.

"I think you should back away before it's too late," Derek said quietly, but his voice carried a kind of authority I'd never heard from him before.

I paused, studying Derek's profile as he faced down these three men without a trace of fear. Who exactly was Derek?

I knew he was like us, a werewolf, but hearing him speak with such command, he sounded like something more than just another pack member.

"Derek Stallion," the leader said, and his tone became even more hostile. Like he was just seeing him. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here. So the rumors are true after all?"

Derek's entire body went rigid with warning. "If I were you, I wouldn't let whatever poison is on your tongue drop from your mouth. Don't say it."

The leader scoffed, clearly too blind or desperate to heed the warning in Derek's voice. "I heard you've been sleeping your way up the ladder, and now you're pimping out your little racing protégé to..."

He never got to finish his sentence. One moment he was standing there with a nasty grin on his face, and the next he was sprawled on the concrete floor, completely unconscious.

I jerked my head up in shock to see Tristan standing behind where the man had been, his eyes blazing red with pure fury.

When did he get here?

"You don't disrespect my woman in my presence," he said, his words coming out like fire and brimstone. Each syllable dripped with the kind of authority that made lesser beings submit or flee.

"I warned you, didn't I?" Derek asked no one in particular, though there was satisfaction in his voice. Then he turned toward Tristan, who was already reaching for me and pulling me protectively against his side.

"Have you taken care of it?" Derek asked Tristan, and I caught some kind of understanding passing between them that I wasn't privy to.

Tristan nodded grimly. "Done. No one will dare say such things again."

I looked between the two of them, completely lost. "Say what? What's going on?"

Derek made some kind of hand signal and walked away without explanation, leaving me alone with Tristan and three unconscious men on the ground.

"Let's go home," Tristan said, but I didn't move. I stood my ground because I needed answers about what had just happened.

Tristan looked at me with a slight smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You really want to know?" I nodded firmly.

"During the last part of your race, I heard people in the crowd whispering among themselves. They were saying you were sleeping with I and Derek, and that's why we are allowing you to race even though you were supposedly just starting out. They were spreading rumors that your wins weren't legitimate. But I've killed the source don't worry."

I stared at him, feeling mortified and angry at the same time. The accusation was both ridiculous and insulting, but I could see from the murderous look on Tristan's face that he was taking it much more seriously than I was.

"You don't have to let it get to you," I said reasonably. "You know it's not true, and I know it's not true. That's what matters."

"It gets to me, Ath. Anything that's said against you is said against me. Anyone who insults you insults me directly."

"I understand that, but you can't always react with violence. We're among humans here. What would you do if you overheard regular people saying something like this about me?"

Tristan's smile turned predatory. "Don't underestimate me, Ath. I have influence and power in both worlds." I knew, I never doubted him once.

I looked down at the man lying motionless on the concrete. "He's not dead, is he?"

"His saving grace was that you were here to witness it," Tristan replied darkly. "Otherwise, this conversation would have had a very different ending."

"What are you going to do with him?"

"He'll be joining his friends somewhere they can think about the consequences of running their mouths."

I didn't ask for details, and he didn't offer any. I could read between the lines well enough.

"Not just him," Tristan continued. "His two followers will be escorting him to the same destination."

I didn't say anything, and surprisingly, I didn't feel any pity for them either. Every action had consequences, and they were about to learn that lesson the hard way.

I trusted Tristan to handle the situation appropriately. There were times to be strong and independent, and there were times to let the man you cared about take charge and protect you.

This was definitely one of the latter times.

"Can we go now?" I asked.

Instead of answering with words, Tristan scooped me up into his arms like I weighed nothing at all.

I yelped in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Taking my woman home, of course. You won your race tonight, and you deserve special treatment."

If this was the reward for winning races, I made a mental note to keep winning every single one.

Tristan carried me bridal style away from the unconscious men, leaving them lying there like discarded trash. I was grateful that this section of the racing center was deserted, because I would have died of embarrassment if anyone had seen us.

I made another mental note to ask Tristan about Derek later. There were clearly things about him that I feel was hidden, and his sudden shift from pursuing me romantically to protecting me for Tristan's sake raised a lot of questions.

When we reached Tristan's motorcycle, he managed to maintain his hold on me while retrieving our helmets with one hand. The man had impressive coordination when he wanted to show off.

The ride to my apartment was surreal. Being carried like a princess, then riding behind the man who had just defended my honor with swift and decisive violence. It felt like something out of a fairy tale, if fairy tales included werewolves and underground motorcycle racing.

When we arrived at my building, Tristan carried me the same way up to my apartment. He even managed to unlock my door with one hand while keeping me securely held with the other, a feat of dexterity that shouldn't have been as attractive as I found it.

I didn't protest or ask to be put down. When would I ever have another opportunity to be treated like this? Most people never found someone who respected them enough to treat them like they were precious, someone who used their strength to protect rather than control.

Tristan carried me directly to my bedroom and gently laid me down on my bed. But instead of stepping back immediately, he stayed there, hovering over me with an expression I could read clearly read.

He was staring at me like he wanted to kiss me, and God help me, I wanted him to. Badly.

His eyes dropped to my lips, and I felt my stomach flip with anticipation. The air between us was charged with want, heavy with unspoken desire and the kind of tension that made it hard to breathe.