Page 19 of Red Moon Secrets
"You're not touching her without me ripping your claws from their sockets," Drackus blares, making me cringe when a gory visual creeps into my mind.
"He's going to give your relationship to him away," Kane whispers just before barging in unannounced.
"A dredger won't hurt her, Drackus, and you know it. What is it aboutthis girlthat has your panties in such a fucking wad," the crude man spews, his aged accent both dark and deep.
Kane's hand tugs at mine as he leads me to the room that is hosting the dispute. Then we hear Gage at the end of the long hallway as he takes his turn in the feud.
"Reese, be reasonable. A dredger could put a mortal in a coma, should they fuck up and take a wrong turn inside her mind. Alyssa hasn't gained her immortality yet."
"He'll just comb through. He won't ignite anything, and he won't force his way through any blocks."
"And I'm supposed to trust you?" Drackus growls.
"Trust me? You have no choice, Drackus. Meeting here was a stupid idea Zallus should never have agreed to. I'll speak with the light council about this girl, and then I'll head to the night stalker's council next."
Kane doesn't wait any longer. He pushes through the doors to the library and joins the mafia-looking setup. Several guys in dark shade glasses, black leather coats, and black shirts stand with their arms crossed. It's so cliché it's almost laughable.
Gage's hair is tousled, as though he's been rubbing his hands through it over and over. He looks up to meet my eyes, his exhaustion weighing in on his face. He looks broken right now, and I know that's my fault.
Drackus is dressed in his black pants, black shirt, and long leather duster. His jaw is so tense that I'm worried it's about to snap off.
Then there's the alpha in the middle of the room. Just as one would expect, he looks the part—hair slightly longer, just grazing his neck, his eyes dark, hiding the autumn that would stir if his werewolf was provoked. His black button-up shirt has long sleeves that have been rolled up to his elbows.
With Kane's black tee tightly fitted to his body, he fits right in. It's as though midnight threw up in here and decorated all the men—or creatures, rather.
"Dredge my mind, but I won't let you touch Alyssa," Kane asserts, fearlessly taking on the alpha in a stare down.
The alpha turns the rest of his body to face us, an eerie smile playing over his immortally sexy lips. I really hate immortals.
"Oh, don't worry, night stalker, you'll get dredged. As will she."
"You have no idea who you're fucking with," Kane growls, tucking me behind him as he steps toward the alpha.
"Castine's lapdog. Yeah, I've heard of you. You forget we've grown stronger these past few centuries. I'm not afraid of you, just like I'm not afraid of your sire or your new friends," he rolls out, tossing a pointed glare toward Gage and Drackus.
I thought Gage was supposed to be friends with the Were. Apparently, he overestimated himself.
Kane cracks his neck, doing his best to keep his temper from flaring, as his warning blues rise to the surface. His stance stays protective, which seems to pique Drackus's curiosity as he regards him with a studious gaze.
"Let's find out how muchstrongeryou are then, because I'll be damned if I let your dredger touch one hair on her head."
The alpha moves toward us, ferocity seeping from his now turned eyes. It looks like autumn is sparking to life and taking over with its red and gold medley—nature stirring.
"Love to," he growls.
Kane smirks, relishing the challenge and not looking concerned at all. I'm almost worried he's overestimating himself. His arrogance could hurt us more than help us if this goes wrong.
"When I win, you don't touch her," Kane says while motioning toward the door.
"When I win, my dredger finds her fucking memories without any further interruption."
"I don't think so, night stalker," Drackus says while coming to halt their exit to the hallway. "You don't get to make such calls."
"I just did. No one here is more determined to keep that dredger away from her than I am. I can assure you of that."
Drackus seems dumbfounded by Kane's fearless persona. I know for a fact if Drackus can take down Castine, Kane won't prove to be a challenge. Kane knows that as well, but he doesn't seem to acknowledge such a fact.
He keeps his dominant stance, and Drackus tightens his lips. Is Drackus really ceding? Did I miss hell freezing over?
