Chapter 894: Commotion at the market
'Who is this?' Zina asked Dawn. It was obvious that the three females didn't approach them with good intentions, and Zina wondered if Dawn had some history with them. It seemed like it.
'The one in the middle is the leader. Her name is Ana. All three are Omegas who work in the packhouse, so they consider themselves above others. The word is that Ana is sleeping with Alpha Edward, so no one will dare to offend her.'
Zina couldn't believe this. 'An Omega is spreading her legs for a mated Alpha and thinks…'
'Zina, please,' Dawn interrupted her. 'Let us handle this.'
Zina released a long breath. 'Fine.'
Dawn had difficulty controlling her wolf. After George's marking, Dawn's spunky attitude morphed into one of an Alpha. Dawn was now an Alpha female with an Alpha wolf, and her wolf couldn't stand anyone talking to them in a demeaning way, especially not an Omega.
Dawn feared that if she lost focus, her wolf would jump on Ana, and her aura would leak, which would put George in danger. Dawn would never say she was an Alpha because of his mark, but she also knew that George wouldn't allow anyone to interrogate her, so it would be obvious they were mates.
"Who is the new face?" Ana asked while eyeing Zina.
"She is…" Estelle stopped talking when Ana raised her hand.
Ana pointed at Dawn. "I want her to respond."
Among so many people who walked with their heads lowered, for Anna, Zina stood out as a sore thumb. Zina was not submissive, and there was also a matter of Zina's clothes. Zina didn't have makeup or excessive jewelry, but those were definitely good-quality blouse and jeans. Ana also noticed Zina's red hair, sharp grey eyes, flawless skin, and curvaceous figure… and it was only a matter of time before Zina caught the eye of someone important. How could Ana allow some no-name nobody (aka Zina) to get such a chance? What if she ends up working in the packhouse and takes over Ana's position?
"She is my friend," Dawn responded to Ana while pushing Zina behind her.
Ana cocked an eyebrow at Zina. "A friend? Do you have the right to accept friends?"
"The right channels approved," Dawn responded ambiguously.
"Did they?" Ana asked with a sneer. "Somehow, I doubt it. Give me names I will check."
Dawn's jaw ticked in annoyance as her wolf started emerging to the surface. "I thought your duties are to take care of the packhouse. Unless I see in writing that you are in charge of protocols for visitors, I won't give you anything."
Ana's eyebrows shot up at Dawn's lack of cooperation, and she folded her arms over her chest.
"Disobedience is punished in this pack. I thought we already established that last time when I hit you. Should I give you another lesson?"
Zina's temper flared. "She hit you?"
"Zi…" Dawn pleaded. Ana wanted to slap Dawn, but Estelle got in the way and received it instead.
"No, no," Zina was shaking her head. "I don't care about rules and keeping a low profile. No one…" She turned to Ana. "NO ONE gets to hit my friend, especially not bitches with an overinflated ego."
By now, most of the market was silent, and they watched the showdown.
Dawn cursed under her breath. She feared something like this might happen. This was not good, and her wolf was scratching to come out.
"Zi," Dawn held Zina's arm. "Let's just go about our business. Forget about this. Ana is not important."
Ana's expression flared in outrage. "Not important!?"
Ana reached to grab Zina, but Dawn got in the way, Estelle and Adele stood rooted in place, and then…
"STAY AWAY FROM MY WOMAN!"
A roar shook the market, and everyone froze at the scene of a guy clutching Ana's neck and lifting her off the ground.
Ana's eyes bulged in shock, and it took her a moment to start clawing at his wrist, but it was like trying to pry open a metal lock with a feather.
Dawn's brows came together in confusion. Who is this guy, exactly?
Before Dawn could recover, the familiar scent of clover reached her, and she saw George rushing toward her like his life depended on him.
George's furious gaze moved over the people, paused slightly at Dawn, and then locked on Ana.
George wanted to get his hands on Ana, but the male holding her was in the way.
The male growled when George came close. "She is mine to…"
Before he could finish, George's fist landed on his face violently, and the guy blacked out.
George grabbed Ana before she could fall to the ground.
Ana was coughing, and she was glad that George had rescued her from the brute, but her fear was back when she realized that George's grip on her shoulders was increasing. Was he about to shatter her bones?
Dawn panicked. Will George expose himself?
Estelle was first to react, and she stood next to Ana to be in George's visual range.
Estelle bowed her head. "Commander George, Ana was curious about our guest, and Owen reacted."
George blinked at Estelle's words. Owen?
He didn't pay attention to the male, but he saw him close to Dawn and shouting how that was his woman, and George lost it.
George looked down to see that Owen was out cold, and his face was bloodied.
"I'm sorry…" Ana squeaked. "I didn't know that Dawn was Owen's woman."
Another wave of rage rippled through George.
"Say that again!" George squeezed through his teeth angrily. How dares this Omega nobody claim that his mate belongs to someone else?
'Didn't you want to conceal that Dawn is your mate?' Estelle's voice sounded in George's head. 'Like this, they will think she is Owen's mate.'
George couldn't believe this. 'Who thinks that Dawn is Owen's mate? Why would they think that?'
'Let's talk about this later. Ana was annoying, but she didn't step over the line,' Estelle responded.
…
Owen's vision was blurry, and his nose hurt like hell. What happened? And where was he?
Before he could see, he heard voices…
"Are you sure he is your mate?" A female voice asked.
"I think so." Owen was confident that an angel responded.
"You think so, or you know so? This is not something to guess."
"I would be confident if you brute didn't knock him out."
"George is not a brute!"
"Really? Does he say hello with his fists every time? My mate was defending us, and your mate caused a mess."
Owen remembered some things. After lunch in the cafeteria, he wanted something sweet, so he headed to the market, and then his wolf urged him to take a left, and there he saw the most beautiful woman in the world. She had a head full of red hair, and he knew that was his fiery Goddess. But she was bullied, and his wolf took over, and… then Owen blacked out. Wait! Did they say that George hit him!?
Owen decided to stay still until he got a grasp on the situation.
Was that his fiery Goddess talking? Why did she sound angry? Was it because he was hurt?