Page 94 of A Blackened Bond

Spending the night with Micai and my brothers…My beast rolls under me, a sense of contentment spreading throughout us both.

Nothing could make either of us happier than all of us being together.

‘Pack,’my beast growls.And I nod.

Our pack.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

MICAI’S POV

Annex, Ezra, and I followed Mallyn, hopping into Ezra’s car and heading a few towns over to this Erving guy’s place.

It was in a city that was the complete opposite of the small quaint town we frequented—one bustling with flashing lights and towering dark buildings reaching toward the night sky. It was filled with sounds falling from all directions: voices chattering and laughing in the distance, the low thrum of music flowing in and out of nightclubs, and the hum of cars moving back and forth on the roads near us.

We get out of Ezra’s car and make our way down a dark street abandoned by the bustle from moments ago. The sound of sirens ringing in the distance as orange lights flicker on and off above us.

A group of three large men, covered from head to toe in black clothes, passes us by. They have a shady look to them as they move down the street and into a nearby alleyway.

I glance back at them as Annex wraps an arm around my shoulder.

“They’re just the types that frequent the area, Red. Their business is unsavoury but not ours to dabble in…fortonight.”A deranged grin stretches his cheeks as he looks back at the alleyway. “We can play another night.”

I shake my head as we continue toward a large building that looks like an old electronics warehouse. Its large sign on the front was ripped and peeling, and all the colours on the posters lining its walls had faded to a murky yellow shade. It looked about three stories tall and as derelict outside as the abattoir did back in town.

A metal door creaks open as we near the building, leading up to a thick cemented stairway.

We make our way in, with the boys huddling around me as we move together up the stairs before reaching another large metal door at the top.

“Password?” A deep male voice calls from a tiny metal speaker and camera beside the door.

“Open up, Erving,” Annex shouts, a deranged smile aimed at the speaker as he continues. “Or I’ll break each of your precious tip-tapping fingers before taking them as souvenirs.”

The speaker quickly falls silent, and only a second passes before the door unlatches. On the other side of the door, a voice sounds out some sort of light chant as the sound of magically-weaved locks undo themselves, and the door finally creaks open.

Annex heads in first, Ezra’s hand falling to my waist as he leads us inside.

Mallyn closes the door behind us, the spells zapping back in place as he closes it shut.

The space opens up into a huge room, almost a third the size of the abattoir's fighting ring space. Crates are stacked in front of the furthest wall from us to our left, towering higher than even Annex. Bright-coloured posters, strange weapons, and sculptors cover the wall behind us, and a small retro kitchenette and dining space sit to our right.

Rows of screens and monitors are arranged in the centre of the room and on the wall space in front of us, with a large black chair right in the centre of them all.

The chair spins around, and a pink-haired boy taps his hands on the armrest. He glances around at each of us before his gaze falls on me.

“Who’s the chick?” His sea-green eyes narrow, his baby face scrunching up as he leans forward. He trails his eyes down my front before leaning back in his seat and rolling his eyes. “She’s not one of your fly-bys, is she? ‘Cause this isn’t show-and-tell for—”

“Our wife,” Annex barks, cutting him off as a dark scowl slides across his face. He takes a step toward the pink-haired teen, whose hands instantly raise in a pacifying manner.

“I-I didn’t know—”

“Show some damn respect, Erving.” Annex pulls out his Bowie as a tremor works its way into the boy’s hands. “Red’s our fucking Queen. And not you or anyone else will treat her like anything below that.” He twists the blade back and forth as his glare darkens further. “Where the fuck do you get off making assumptions about our woman?”

Erving flinches back, pushing further into his chair's headrest as Annex takes another step closer, but Ezra reaches out and blocks Annex from nearing him.

“I-I didn’t mean any harm, Annex. I didn’t know she was yours.” He glances back at me. “My apologies.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.” I give him a small smile before letting it fall into a grin I’ve adapted from Annex’s signature smile. Whatever line of business the boys were in, I couldn’t be looked down on by their contacts or subordinates. I wasn’t someone they should fuck with either. It’s best he learned that quickly. “Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.” My tone is low and dark and allows for no argument or exception. I was no‘fly-by’ either, and there would be no other woman with the guys from now on. The thought alone pisses me off instantly.

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