Chapter 237

Orion My wolf growled under my skin, tense and furious, ready to tear through anyone who tried to take her away from me. No way in hell was I letting that happen. "No." The word dropped like a challenge. The room went still. Everyone turned toward me. Mason's eyes locked onto mine, sharp and cold. "No ?" he repeated, voice full of smug disbelief. "You heard me," I said, standing tall. "What gives you the right to come in here and act like she's your property ? She is my girlfriend." Okay, maybe we hadn't exactly defined it. But it felt real. "She's not a child. She doesn't need your permission to choose who she wants. And yeah...she's a vampire. So what ?" My fists clenched, heart pounding, but I didn't flinch. "Orion ?" My mom's voice broke through the tension. She stepped closer, grabbing my wrist. "Sweetheart, what are you saying ?"She looked stunned, like she couldn't believe I'd just said it out loud. "I said I love her," I told them, my voice steady even as my chest heaved. The w