Page 53 of The Alpha King's Fate

The lighting was dim outside his spotlight, but he could see the assassins and witches lined up along the walls. The witches were there to reinforce the magic and keep the wards in place.

“I’m afraid we can’t do that yet, Your Majesty. You’ll have to wait.”

His eyes snapped to the man who’d spoken. Alpha Cole. The asshole who thought he ruled the world. He’d removed his sunglasses, revealing one green eye and the other blue, and he was looking directly into his, challenging the beast only because he thought he was safe.

His fur grew along his arms as the beast continued to shift. His face stretched, his jaws extending to accommodate his teeth. Cain had gone beyond his controlled rage. No one was coming out of this alive.

“Do you really want to do things this way?” Cain asked. “You know you can’t touch what is mine. That’s how it has always been.”

“But you are not above the law!”

He snapped his head around to Lincoln, who had the good sense to lower his gaze.

“I don’t care what you think I can and can’t do. I’m giving you one chance to bring Layla to me.”

“She’s fine. She’s alone, waiting for her turn,” Hugo said quickly.

Hugo didn’t lift his head a single time. Out of all the members of the Circle, Hugo and Lincoln knew Cain better. He didn’t make empty threats.

But Hugo was right. He could sense Layla somewhere close, and she was alone. For now. If the Circle wanted to send an assassin to her, they’d get to her in seconds. He tried to reach her through their mindlink, but something was blocking him, probably the magic around the room. His fists balled at his sides as he fell deeper into his rage. Into the whirlpool of Cain’s urges and thoughts. Nothing would pull him out again until Layla was back in his arms.

“Maybe we can begin the initial statements and get that out of the way?” Hugo continued. “We can take a break for you to see Her Majesty—”

“Don’t bargain with him! And she’s not our queen.”

And this came from Cole again. He returned his focus to the arrogant Alpha as he undid his trousers. They had already burst at the seams and were no good to him. He rolled his neck and shoulders before slowly crossing the circle to stand directly in front of Alpha Cole.

He didn’t take his eyes off Cole for a second, yet the Alpha still didn’t look away. The challenge was so blatant, but that disrespect wasn’t the reason he would rip that fucker apart. Colehad walked into the hotel with his eyes on Layla, unable to hide his distaste.

Before Cole had so openly shown his feelings towards Layla, he would have allowed them to put whatever shackles they wanted on both of them so that they could return to the pack.

But now? Never. Over his fucking dead body.

His gaze was still locked with Cole’s when he brought his hand up towards the barrier. It was invisible to the eye but he could sense the dark magic all over it, so thick he could almost touch it. It was enough to seriously injure or kill someone.

But he didn’t need to be out of his cage to show them who had the bigger balls. Perhaps it was time he reminded them why they wanted him under their thumb in the first place.

“You did this, didn’t you?” he asked.

He ran the tip of one nail down the invisible barrier and felt the jolt through his body. The dark magic stuck to him, looking for a way in like Hailey’s magic had when she’d infected him.

The corner of Cole’s lips lifted in a smirk that made him want to punch that face in. But still, Cain remained in complete control of their rage.

“If you’re asking if that’s my magic keeping you there, then yes,” Cole answered.

“Oh, nothing’s keeping me here. I’m only in here because the second I step out, you’d have lost your chance to bring Layla to me,” he growled.

Cole dared to laugh. He cocked his head to the side and watched the Alpha throw his head back even though the rest of the Circle had tensed at his words.

“You’re the one changing things,” he said as the realisation dawned on him. “You’re the one pushing your weight around, trying to prove to everyone that you’re stronger. That you can cage a king and queen.”

He stepped back from the protective ward and looked down at the silver beneath his feet.

“She’s not a queen,” Cole snarled before he shuffled some papers. “Trial procedures have always been at the Circle’s discretion. We don’t owe you anything, Mr King. Now, shall we get on with this?”

Dropping his title was another blatant act of disrespect. There was a red haze over his vision when he looked back up at Cole. He took a deep breath, cataloguing every scent in the room in seconds until he settled on the one he wanted. The one he would hunt first.

“I promise you, she’s safe, Your Majesty,” Hugo said, rising from his chair. “There’s no need...”

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