Page 5 of Wolf

A dark chuckle rumbles from my chest as I lean forward, bracing my elbows on the table. “You should have seen the fire in her eyes when I left her. She’s determined not to let me win...” I trail off, picturing the rage and humiliation warring on Kali’s face and how her chest heaved with each ragged breath.

Something primal unfurls within me at the memory, a possessive hunger clawing at my ribcage. I’ll enjoy breaking her and watching that defiance shatter until there’s nothing left but a desperate, needy creature begging for my touch.

Andre shakes his head. “You do like to win, don’t you, Matias’s.”

My eyes move to him, and I glare silently, wanting to unnerve him more. Violence simmers beneath my skin.

Carlos clears his throat and changes the subject swiftly.

I lean back in my chair, letting Carlos and Andre’s conversation wash over me. Their words are mere white noise, insignificant buzzing in the background. My focus narrows, and my gaze sharpens as I study the deep grooves etched into the tabletop.

Thiago’s presence is the only tether keeping me grounded in this moment. Without him, I’d be unbound from reality. A force of pure, primal instinct given human form.

Flexing my fingers, I almost feel Kali’s soft skin beneath my calloused hands. Can picture the way her body trembled and arched against that crappy mattress as I showed her the pleasure I was capable of giving her. Her gasps and whimpers echo through my mind like a siren’s call, beckoning me back to that delicious moment.

The sharp scent of fear hangs pungent in the air, and I realize Andre and Carlos have gone silent—trapped in the suffocating tension of my stillness. Good. Let them marinate in their unease. Let it build until the slightest movement from me sends their pulses skyrocketing.

Lazily, I raise my stare to meet Thiago’s impassive gaze. A fleeting quirk of his brow is the only acknowledgment he offers. Still, I can see the understanding there—the knowledge that he’s the only one capable of dragging me back from the edge of oblivion when the darkness becomes too consuming.

Inch by inch, I tear my focus from him, allowing it to drift over Carlos and Andre again. They’re predictable insects who scurry and cower beneath my glare. I commit every minuscule detail to memory—the way Carlos’s knuckles whiten from gripping the table’s edge, the sheen of sweat glistening on Andre’s brow, the frantic thudding of their pulses.

My lips peel back in a grin, and I bare my teeth in a feral display. Let them quake and whimper like the prey they are. While they cling to their fragile, civilized trappings, I’ve embraced the savage lurking beneath the skin.

I am the Apex predator.

The monster they fear lurks in every shadow.

The darkness they refuse to acknowledge... until it’s far too late.

Thiago’s voice cuts through the haze of my mind, dragging me back from the brink of oblivion.

“You’re in one of your moods again, little brother,” he remarks casually, But I can hear the subtle reminder to keep myself in check.

I blink, focusing on his face with a slow, predatory smile. “I’m thinking about my little rabbit,” I murmur. “The way she trembled beneath me, the defiance in her eyes...”

Carlos and Andre exchange uneasy glances, but Thiago merely leans back in his chair, studying me with an inscrutable expression.

“She’s getting under your skin,” he observes, his words more statement than a question.

A harsh laugh tears from my throat. “She’s a challenge,” I admit, my fingers drumming against the tabletop in a restless rhythm. “But that just makes the game more interesting.”

Thiago’s eyes narrow fractionally, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths. “Be careful, Matias,” he warns. “Don’t let her consume you.”

I scoff, my lips twisting into a mocking sneer. “Consume me?” I echo. “I’m the one who does the consuming, brother. I’ll devour her piece by piece until there’s nothing left but a broken shell.”

Carlos and Andre’s gazes dart between us like cornered animals.

But Thiago holds my stare, resolute. A silent battle of wills rages between us, the air crackling with unspoken tension.

Finally, he inclines his head, a slight dip of acknowledgment. “Just remember where your loyalties lie,” he murmurs, the words weighted with unspoken meaning. He means my loyalties are to lie with the cartel, but they never have. I’ve no loyalty to anyone but myself.

A grin pulls at my lips. “My loyalties are to the hunt, brother,” I drawl. “And right now, Kali is my prey. I won’t rest until I’ve broken her mind, body, and soul.”

Thiago’s jaw tightens, but he says nothing. He knows better than to challenge me when I’m in this state—a coiled serpent ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

“As always, the big bad wolf comes out to play,” Andre jokes.

A dark chuckle escapes Carlos’s lips as he leans back in his chair, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Watch out, boys,” he jokes. “He’s on the prowl again.”

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