CHAPTER FORTY THREE - FAMILY COMES FIRST

WILLIAMS’ POV

The air crackled with tension, the warmth of the café replaced by a suffocating chill. My grandmother reacted first, a feral growl ripping from her throat. She lunged across the table, knocking over sugar packets and scattering cutlery in her haste.

She quickly swept through the room as she was trying to launch an attack at the young man.

Her hand, gnarled but surprisingly strong, wrapped around the intruder's throat. His eyes bulged in surprise, a strangled gurgle escaping his lips. But he was younger, quicker. With a brutal twist of his arm, he sent her crashing to the floor with a sickening thud.

Rage and anger flooded through me. I lunged at him, a snarling mess of limbs and fury. He met me head-on, the impact sending us both staggering back. Pain shot through my shoulder, but it was quickly eclipsed by the burning need to protect my newfound family.

We grappled, a whirlwind of fists and flying fur. He was clearly more experienced, his blows landing with a sickenin