hapter 29
Skye’s POV
“Stay behind me. It could be dangerous. Don’t wander off,” Adrian said, gripping my hand
firmly.
He maintained his hold on my hand as we hurried back toward the celebration, his touch both protective and reassuring. The warmth of his palm against mine felt oddly right, like an anchor in the sudden chaos. But as we neared the gathered crowd, he released his grip, his fingers slowly slipping away from mine.
A small, unexpected pang of disappointment fluttered in my chest at the loss of contact. Perhaps I was overthinking things. After all, as Nadia had pointed out, Adrian was kind to everyone in his pack. I wasn’t special–just another wolf he was protecting, as any good Alpha would.
When we reached the celebration area, the atmosphere had shifted dramatically. The joyful revelry had given way to tense vigilance. Marcus, Nadia, and several wolf warriors formed a tight circle around three strangers. The rest of the pack maintained their distance, watching cautiously but civilly.
I studied the intruders with wary interest. The leader stood out immediately–a tall, broad–shouldered man with a shock of rust–colored hair and cold, calculating emerald eyes that seemed to evaluate everything as potential prey.
His sharp jawline was accentuated by a thin, well–trimmed beard, and a jagged scar ran from his right temple to his cheekbone, giving his predatory smile a menacing quality.
Unlike Adrian’s clean, tailored appearance, Kane wore a worn leather jacket adorned with what looked disturbingly like claw marks, jeans that had seen better days, and heavy boots caked with desert dust. He radiated the unmistakable aura of an Alpha, but his power felt distinctly different from Adrian’s- raw, less controlled, more volatile, like a storm perpetually on the edge of breaking.
Before we could approach further, the strange Alpha spotted Adrian and called out with false cheer.
“Adrian! Finally! I told your underlings I came for the celebration. Is this how you treat your guests?” His voice carried across the clearing, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear.
*Kane? How did you get in? I don’t recall inviting you,” Adrian replied, his brow furrowing with obvious displeasure. His expression made it clear they were far from friends.
“Alpha Kane and his subordinates breached our territory without permission,” Marcus explained, anger tightening his sightless eyes. “They injured our warriors when we tried to stop them and forced their way to the celebration.”
‘As your neighbor, am I not welcome at your little party?” Kane shrugged, stepping toward Adrian with casual arrogance. Nadia moved to block his path, only to be roughly shoved aside by one of Kane’s wolves.
“What do you really want, Kane?” Adrian demanded, his voice hardening.
Kane’s smile widened. “I came in good faith to celebrate with you. Look, I even brought gifts.” He gestured to one of his companions, who stepped forward with a wrapped package. Adrian made no move to accept it, so Nadia intercepted, taking it with obvious reluctance.
‘I’m also here to negotiate,” Kane continued. “Oasisborn keeps expanding, taking more than its share. We want the lake back.”
Venus stepped forward, her one–armed silhouette sharp against the lantern light. “That ‘share‘ was barren wasteland that you abandoned transforming it into what it is now. You come back demanding it? How are you any different from common thieves?”
pent two years
Kane’s smile never faltered. “Don’t forget who the real masters of the Texas desert are. I was here long before you. I only let you settle out of pity.”
“Are you trying to start a war?” Nadia hissed, anger flashing in her eyes. “Remember where you are. This is our territory.”
‘You don’t really think we came with just three wolves, do you?” Kane replied, his tone deceptively light.
“Enough,” Adrian’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Alpha Kane, this land belonged to no pack when we arrived. Today is our two–year anniversary. If you want to stay for a drink, my friend can prepare one for you.” He nodded toward me. “But if you’ve come to take what isn’t yours, you’ll have to prove you’re capable. No matter how many wolves you’ve brought, we’ll meet your challenge.”
Something flickered across Kane’s face–surprise, perhaps, at Adrian’s directness. But his arrogant smirk quickly returned. “Of course I’m here to celebrate, As
1/2
Chapter 29
for resource allocation, we can discuss that… another time.”
Catching Adrian’s subtle glance, I hurried to the bar and prepared a drink, then brought it over. Kane accepted the glass, his eyes reaming over me with undisguised curiosity before he drained it in one swallow.
As he prepared to leave, Kane suddenly moved with supernatural speed, appearing beside me before I could react. His hand shot out, gripping my throat an he buried his nose against my neck, inhaling deeply.
I froze in shock as I felt his hot, wet tongue slide across my skin in a single, deliberate lick.
Chapter Comments
1
