Page 54 of The Alpha King's Fate

“I said don’t bargain with him.” Cole snarled at Hugo as if he had no idea what had just happened. Cain had that fucker’s scent; he could hunt him down anywhere. He was on Cain’s shit list now. No one got off it alive. A member of the Circle, or a Hunter, it didn’t matter to Cain. And it didn’t matter to him now, either. Every second Layla was alone sealed the Circle’s fate.

“Now for the first matter we’re here to discuss—the murder of Circle Member Alpha Finn Gideon,” Alpha Cole stated.

He looked back at the shoes that had tightened on his feet. His nails had ripped through the front of his dress shoes. He’d liked those shoes, but he supposed they would have been ruined anyway. Slowly, he kicked one shoe off and put his bare foot directly on the cold, silver floor. He sensed the spike of fear in the air without having to look up.

He did the same with the other shoe before tearing his useless trousers off his body. When he stood in front of them in nothing but his boxers, he lifted his head and met Cole's gaze again.

The Circle leader was no longer amused.

“Do you even know why I’m your King, Cole?”

He dropped the title the same way the arrogant Alpha had done, and the slight frown that appeared on Cole’s face revealed he was unhappy about that.

There was no sizzling beneath his feet as he stepped back to the ward. Cole’s gaze lowered to his feet and then back to his eyes.

“Regardless, your family is bound to the same laws as all of us,” Cole said. “You have to answer for what you did.”

“I didn’t want to kill Finn, but he threatened my mate just as you’re doing right now,” he growled. “Now, I’ll ask you one last time. Where is my mate?”

Cole chuckled, but not as confidently as he had done before.

“What will you do, Mr King? You're in a room full of the strongest Alphas, vampires and witches on this side of the world,” Cole said. “The moment you kill anyone, we’ll automatically rule in favour of your death.”

True. The odds were stacked against him even though the fear in the room was starting to grow. He closed his eyes and breathed in, allowing that fear to push him deeper into Cain’s mind—where even demons feared to tread.

And when he opened them again, he put his whole hand through the ward and tensed as the magic gripped him. Fire and ice combined as it started to seep into him. The last time he’d been infected, he had healed at rocket speed, and that was before he had officially marked Layla. He hoped to the Goddess that whatever had caused it had been enhanced like everything else. He’d be no good to Layla if he collapsed before he could save her.

Several chairs scraped backwards as Circle members rose to their feet. He wasn't sure whether they were ready to attack him or leave the room. But Cole remained seated. Though he had looked worried for a brief moment, he showed no fear.

“Are you choosing to die, then?” Cole asked.

And then Layla would die, too. That always held him back, but Cain had more confidence in their bond than he did. He was about to step through when he sensed Layla’s fear.

Her terror.

“Layla’s in trouble,” he said out loud.

“You’re still linked to her?” Lincoln asked.

He stepped through without responding and was about to run towards the door when the vampires that had been along the wall zoomed up and surrounded him, forming a barrier between him and the Circle.

“I’m glad we’re doing it this way. Honestly, I was dreading all the paperwork I was going to have to do after going through a full trial,” Cole chuckled.

He could see Cole still in his seat behind the vampires, smirking as if he had won. He should have snapped that fucker’s neck first.

But Layla needed him. Nothing else mattered now.

“Sit down,” he growled.

A command from the king. It rippled through the room, forcing the wolves back into their seats. Cain launched into the first vampire, ripping his throat out before anyone could react. He was stronger since he’d marked Layla. Faster. Though not as fast as the vampires, he could tell he took them by surprise.

Cain revelled in the bloodshed. Fed on the screams and fear. By the time he ripped the spine out of the last vampire and turned to face Cole, he was bloody, injured and still hungry. Starving. It had been too long since he had fought like that, and Cain wanted nothing more than to rid the world of everything that threatened his mate.

“You’ll not leave this room alive,” Cole hissed.

But his tone was laced with fear.

“Kill him!” Cole snarled.

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