Chapter 15 Territory
POV: Eric
She’s sprawled across my sheets like an offering the sky dropped into my bed. The phone vibrates. Cael. His name on the screen drags a growl out of me. He doesn’t call at this hour unless blood’s about to spill.
“I hope you’ve got a damn good reason for calling me at this hour, Cael.”
“I’m at the Black Moon and, man, you’ll never guess who’s here.”
“It’s not the time for guessing games. Spit it out.”
Catherine stirs. A shiver. Moonlight traces the curve of her lower back, slides down her hip. Human. Soft. Lethally fragile. It drives me insane.
For a second I lose myself imagining my teeth at the top of her thigh, just to taste, just to hear that little sound she makes when she gives in. My wolf howls. I miss whatever Cael says.
Catherine sighs and stretches, oblivious to the chaos she sets off in me. On her stomach, one breast pressed into the sheet, the other half bare. Nipple hard. An invitation. I close my eyes. Control. Always.
“I didn’t catch the end of that.”
“...You can handle it!”
Silence. “Shit, is she there?”
“Cael.” One word. Low. A promise of violence if he pushes. “Talk.”
“Alright. Not my business. What I was saying is Alexandre’s here. I overheard he’s in town for a while to talk with your uncle Viktor.”
My blood runs cold, then boils. The phone cracks in my grip. Glass shards dig into my palm. I don’t feel it. “In my club?”
“Yeah. Talked to Vincent. Apparently they’ve been coming in for drinks a lot lately.”
“Is he causing trouble?”
“No. Him and his crew took a VIP booth. Looks innocent enough for now.”
I laugh. The sound isn’t human. “Nothing’s innocent with that bastard. Did he see you?”
“I doubt it.”
“Good. Keep an eye on him. I’ll be there in ten minutes.” I hang up, toss the wreckage.
When I turn around, Catherine’s eyes are closed. Half smile on lips swollen and red from my beard, from my teeth. Satisfied. Sated. By me. I told her to make herself comfortable. But this, she’s open. Vulnerable.
I gather her clothes. Set them on the bed near her hand. “Get dressed.”
Her eyes open. Hazy. Lost. “Huh? What? Now?”
“Do I need to remind you of the rules of our contract?” My voice is ice.
She winces and grabs her clothes. “You and your contract,” she mutters, sliding her underwear up her hips. The movement is slow, innocent, and it wrecks me.
My body reacts. Again. Always. The Alpha is never done with her. Never full.
“My driver will take you home.”
The post sex haze fades, replaced by sharp, murderous clarity. Who would’ve thought a human would make me more Alpha? More dangerous? That owning her would turn me into a sharper weapon.
I walk her to the door. My driver went to get the car.
I don’t even tell her to text me when she gets in.
I know she’ll be safe with my driver. He’s an omega. Loyal.
I slide into my Bugatti Chiron and in under fifteen minutes I’m parked outside the Black Moon. I can already scent Alexandre.
I toss the keys to Marco at valet and walk in. The entry tunnel swallows me. When I step out, walls lined with portraits of New Orleans stare back. My territory. My kingdom.
Cael approaches. He’s got a bourbon in hand but takes a step back when he meets my eyes. He senses it. “Is it Viktor?” I growl. My voice isn’t human anymore.
Cael swallows. “He got here ten minutes before you. Went straight for Alexandre. Confirms what Vincent said... the old man...”
“Except they look way too friendly.”
Cael nods. Betrayal has a smell. Rancid. I breathe it in. Uncle Viktor. Family. Pack. He’ll pay.
“You want me to go in or are you handling it?” Cael asks.
I set a hand on his shoulder. My claws slide out a fraction. Enough for him to feel. “I’ll handle it.”
The two men don’t see me coming. Don’t scent me. Rookie mistake. Deadly mistake.
“Ah, Eric!” Alexandre greets me like we’re sharing a drink.
I look at my uncle. His smile freezes. He knows. “Uncle.” Then Alexandre. My voice is a rumble that makes the glasses on the table vibrate. “You’re in the wrong club.”
He smiles, shrugs. “Must’ve confused it with mine.”
“The day your club is half as full will be the best damn day of your life.” I step into his space. He flinches back on instinct. Good dog. “The day you’re half the Alpha I am, you’ll already be ash.”
He runs a hand through his blond hair. “Mine’s just bigger. Makes it look empty.”
“Explains your obsession with size. Compensating for something, Alexandre? Your courage?”
Viktor clears his throat. “Maybe Alexandre’s just here to learn from the best.”
Alexandre’s eyes narrow. “I didn’t come to get double teamed, that’s for sure.”
“Why are you here, Alexandre?” I tilt my head. “Scenting my territory? Marking? Want to piss in a corner, is that it? Show everyone you’ve got balls?”
Alexandre’s jaw clenches. “You have no fucking idea—”
“Careful, Alexandre.” Viktor cuts in. His voice shakes. “A wise man knows when to submit to his superiors.”
I turn to Viktor. Slowly. Lethally. “Why don’t you set an example and go take care of my other VIPs, Uncle? Or would you rather I take care of you? Here. Now. In front of him.”
Viktor’s jaw locks. He nods and leaves. Coward. Traitor. He’ll live. For now.
Alexandre’s nostrils flare. “You might have the lion’s share now, but I’ve beaten you before and I can do it again.”
I smile. Alpha. Death incarnate. “You mean the French Quarter expansion you stole from me four years ago? Remind me. Wasn’t that the same district where I rallied three packs to my side in a week? You got fucked, Alexandre. By me. And you liked it, since you’re back.”
His jaw loosens, then tightens. “I’ll keep that in mind while I drink your liquor and enjoy your women.”
The world goes red.
I’m on him before he blinks. My hand at his throat. I lift him. His feet kick air. His eyes bulge. There’s the fear. There’s the truth.
“My women?” My voice isn’t a voice anymore. It’s a growl from deep in the earth. “You talking about Catherine?”
He gurgles. Claws at my hand. His nails break on my skin. Pathetic.
“Listen to me,” I breathe, low enough that only he hears. Loud enough to make him piss himself. “You say her name again. You think about her for one second. You breathe the same air as her. I swear on my pack, on my territory, on every drop of Alpha blood in my veins that I’ll rip your throat out with my teeth and eat it. While you watch. Understood?”
I drop him. He collapses on the couch, coughing, clutching his throat marked by my fingers.
“Let’s call it a truce for tonight,” he rasps, voice wrecked. “Right now, we’re just old friends. Come, drink.”
I look at him. Like you look at shit on your shoe. “You leave my club. Now. Don’t let me see you here again.”
I turn on my heel. Find Cael at the bar.
“So?” he asks, voice rough.
I lean on the counter. The wood splinters under my claws. “I don’t know what’s going on yet, but...”
“Trouble brewing?”
My wolf doesn’t like it.