Real Alphas Bite (The Alpha-Hole Duet 1)

I steeled myself and climbed to my feet, turning back to Brayden. My boots thumped against the floorboards, announcing my approach toward the bar.

Brayden’s friends spotted me first, and they scrambled out of there fast, but not Brayden. He was too busy with the little blonde he’d trapped.

I nudged the girl aside with a hand, and she stumbled over Brayden’s feet and right into a nearby table. Only then did I notice the bruise under her eye, the puffy lip from where someone had hit her.

“Get out of here,” I told her over my shoulder, my Alpha voice out in full force.

The bastard in front of me snarled, his head jerking up to me.

I caught him around the throat and picked him up, holding him in the air before he could even respond. It didn’t take long for his face to go pasty white from fright.

My fingers constricted, and he wheezed, clawing at my arm, kicking the stool onto its side. A silent scream painted his mouth. Panic swirled behind his eyes, and I grinned at his alarm. I might not know this man well, but in this world, everyone was guilty of sin. I doubted anyone would miss him.

Deep in his stare, the darkness in his soul stirred, filled with the heinous things he was capable of. He gave off that vibe.

“Y-you got your eyes on that trashy, blonde bitch? She’s yours.” He gasped around my squeezing fist. “She always needs a good beating first, though.”

I shoved him into a backbend over the counter. “That was just for fun. No, I’m here because your father is overdue with his payment, so you’ll do.”

I should have sent one of my men to deal with this, but as my brother River reminded me, nothing gets the sheep to pay up like the big warlord himself paying a personal visit.

Fine by me to be made out as the villain.

Brayden choked, clawing at my hand, while I let my stare roam the room for his father. Still not here. What a shame… guess he’d find out later what crossing the Khan pack had cost him.

Brayden’s idiotic friends were in my line of sight on either side of me. They’d seal their fate if they attacked me.

I leaned over Brayden. “Let’s go outside and settle the payment, shall we? Unless you prefer I paint your father’s bar in your blood?” Pulling back up, I wrenched him by his neck and hauled him to his feet.

I loosened my hold slightly, enough for him to hungrily gulp air. “Any last words? Want to ask for forgiveness for the shit I’m sure you’ve done?”

His eyes were frantic and huge, flicking to his friends for help, then back to me. “Fuck you! I’ve heard stories about you. You’re a psychopath,” he snarled.

“I like to think of it as being creative.”

He threw a punch at my face. Brave idiot.

Swiftly, I snatched his fist with my free hand and bent his wrist backward, the snap of bone resonating. His face twisted as he howled, and behind me, the rapid footfalls told me patrons were running out of there. For good measure, I let go of Brayden and slammed my fist into his face hard. Fuckhead.

His friends winced, and I snarled in their direction, to which they made a speedy escape.

Blood spurted from Brayden’s busted-up nose, but I had barely even started with him.

He tumbled to the floor, holding his bleeding nose. His eyes bulged as he glanced up at me.

I shook myself. “Looks like we’re doing it in the bar then.”

Kneeling down, I snatched a handful of his shirt and hammered two more punches into his face, just in case he thought I was joking. He didn’t seem like the sharpest tool in the shed.

“It’s nothing personal to you,” I stated as he slumped on his back, gurgling blood. I pulled out a blade from the sheath on my belt and slashed it across his face.

He cried out, rearing back and throwing his arms out to block me, but blood pebbled over his nose and cheeks.

Someone behind me shrieked.

I twisted to look around at an older woman watching us with horror on her face. Then she ran out of the bar with everyone else. Better this way. Decorating was hard when people got in the way.

Back to Brayden, he shook, wiping the blood with the back of his hand, the other hand lying twisted on his chest. “You’re a fucking lunatic, man. I’ve done nothing to you.”

“Now, I’ve been pondering a question the entire trip here. Do I skin you or slice you up? Do you have a preference?”

A terrified cry spilled past his lips as he became aware of the guillotine of my words hanging over him. With it, the putrid stink of piss hit my nostrils. A dark, wet stain spread across his brown pants from his groin.

“No happy endings for you, I’m afraid.” I grabbed his neck, needing him to stay down.

“Don’t kill me,” he begged, attempting to drag himself backward and away from me.

“Hendrix,” a panicked male’s voice called from across the room, and I recognized him instantly.

Ah, about damn time the Alpha of Madfur showed up. Paybacks were more effective when the man who crossed my brothers and me was present.

I got up and pressed a boot down on Brayden’s chest to keep him in place as I twisted my attention to Anton.

The white-haired man rushed over to me, grief-stricken at the sight of his son beneath my heel. The fear on his face was palpable. He knew exactly why I was here. I remember the first time we entered the Howler Bar to offer him our protection, it took some convincing to get his agreement. I’d always known he was a wild card, and perhaps I’d been too lenient by letting it go this long before he paid us our quarterly dues.

“You ignored our reminders,” I sneered, not giving him the chance to bore me with his bullshit lies. “Do you think my protection comes free of charge?”

He swallowed loudly, and I could smell his perspiration. “Hendrix, please, I have the money. I just needed a bit more time to gather it. I’ve got it locked up in the back, I can get it now. I’ve even put an additional ten percent for paying late.”

“Am I supposed to be flattered?” I snarled. “You’re still late and disrespected our agreement.”

He shivered violently, his attention darting to his son on the floor. He lifted his calculating gaze my way, knowing he’d come to the end of the road. One way or another, someone was losing their life today.

He fell to his knees before me, grasping my shirt. “Not my son, please. Anything you want, it’s yours, just not him.” A whimper rolled over his throat.

I shoved his hand to brush him off me. “Get up,” I growled. “I’ll ask you only once. Someone has to pay. So, will it be you or your son?”

Anton stumbled to his feet, while Brayden squirmed beneath my boot.

The Alpha nervously licked his lips and kept staring at his son like he might start crying.

“I-I’m s-sorry…” Anton stuttered.

Footsteps drew my attention to the back door where the gorgeous red-haired beauty burst into the room, completely unaware of us. When she spotted us, she paused mid-step, staring at Anton. A quick scan of the empty bar made her cheeks turn ashen. She couldn’t see Brayden or she would have reacted to him being all bloodied.

Instead, she stood there all doe-eyed. All vulnerable.