Bite Marks (The Lycans 5)

“They want to scope out the farmhouse themselves, even though we told them we’ve done that and couldn’t find anything deeper than what’s at face value.”

“Yeah.” I looked down at Bear, still running my hand over his head. He was a big bastard, frightening just from his size alone, his bark a rough tenor that had my human employees steering clear. But he was a gentle giant to those he deemed worthy… or who posed no threat to me.

“Adryan, are you even listening?”

I drew my attention away from Bear and pinned Kane with a hard glare. “I believe by responding verbally, it let you know I heard what you said, yeah?” Sebastian stayed ever silent, but Kane crossed his arms over his chest and snorted, giving his brother a look before his gaze landed back on me.

“What’s up with you lately?” Kane took a step toward me, which had the hair on Bear’s back rising and a low growl of warning leaving him. “The past couple of days, you’ve been acting differently. More on edge, if that is even a thing,” he mumbled the last part. Kane started chuckling, but it was humorless. “Like, yeah, the wolf finished off Matteo, but you were all for letting that traitor live—”

I was up and out of my seat and across the room in a matter of seconds, my hand curling tightly around Kane’s throat, his big body lifting off the ground as I slammed him against the wall. We were nose to nose, my teeth bared, my fangs elongated in threat.

“Do you want me to remind you of the sociopath I am?” I leaned in another fraction as everything else faded around me. “Do I need to remind you how merciless I am? How I don’t have a conscience?” I grinned—well, a visage display of what a grin was. “How about I remind you how I kill without a second thought? Family or not, Kane.” There was a knock on the door that broke up the tense moment, but no one moved. “Do you want me to show you why they call me a ruthless killer?”

I didn't expect an answer, not when Kane couldn't speak, couldn't move. His face was becoming red from the lack of oxygen, but he didn’t try to stop me or pull my hand from his throat. He stared at me right in the eye and took what I gave.

“I don’t need a demonstration,” Kane wheezed out. “I got it. I’ll keep my mouth shut from now on.”

I tightened my hand on his throat another fraction, because I could, a superficial flex that I probably didn’t need to do, but it made me feel good because I was a sadistic fuck.

I let go of him, and he stumbled to his feet, righting himself before he lifted his hand and rubbed it over his neck. There was another knock at my office door, and I gestured for Sebastian to let whoever it was in.

The door was opened, and James stepped inside, his nostrils flaring, because he no doubt smelled the testosterone and aggression filling the room. But he knew better than to say shit and kept his mouth shut, clasping his hands behind his back and looking down at the ground in an act of submission as he addressed me.

“The wolves are on their way. They refused to wait for a specific time, telling you to meet them at the warehouse in an hour.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle and shake my head at the audacity of the Lycans. “Cocky motherfuckers.” But this was good. I did want to get this done and over with. “Tell them we’ll be there.” James nodded once and then left, shutting the door behind him and sealing me in with my cousins once more.

The sooner this part was over with, the sooner I could do what I really wanted to.

And that was take Kayla away until she was mine irrevocably and didn’t fight me.

Then again… thinking of her fighting me had a slow grin forming on my face and anticipation thrumming through my veins.

8

Adryan

I fucking loved when the air went frigid upon my arrival, when the sound of throats clearing could be heard, that unease that rippled through the room. Then there was the heady rush of the scent of apprehension every time I entered a room.

The warehouse was currently filled with Lycans and vampires, both species separated, with the wolves keeping to themselves on one side and the vampires on the other. Our kinds weren’t exactly buddies, but we could play nice when the time called for it. We could be allies when the need arose. Like right now.

I took a second to look around the warehouse, a newer building I’d acquired in the past few months to store shipments for my import and export business… one of my many legitimate entrepreneur avenues I had a hand in.