Page 9 of Reign

He cocked his head, listening to a reply from his boss, who I knew would hear my words. “Fine.”

I turned to the others. "Go have some fun, but not too much—" I grinned and looked at Reed and then Lance. Reed was from London and knew this place as well as my ex-SBI partner and me. "—yet. Go and educate the others. When I'm done, we find every shifter in here. They submit, or they bleed."

Lance grinned and cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders. “Gods, I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Too fucking right,” agreed Reed, whose eyes were shining, his wolf sensing a place to release his wild side. Myles didn't take his eyes off Reed, clearly turned on by his mate's excitement and not in the least bit bothered about it showing. The others were all reacting to the noise and electric atmosphere too. Stone's eyes glowed, and even B'nar seemed tense and rolled his shoulders, his canines more pronounced. We were inherently wild, all of us, and a place like this was like drugs were to humans. A total rush. "Have at it, brothers. Fucking and fighting only, until I'm back, then we kick-arse. Watch each other's backs."

“Sure thing, Prime,” growled Kawan.

Lance grinned at me. “Glad I left my woman at home. I wanna get bloodied tonight.” And he cracked his knuckles, setting off after the others. Yeah, Shannon and Ava were at the compound. Whether that was their choice or not, I had no idea.

I stepped into Balthazar's office, followed closely by Owen. Cigar smoke hit my nostrils, but it wasn't the acrid smoke I'd normally associate with a cigar. It was different, smoother, almost soothing.

Balthazar sat with his feet up on his antique desk, the cigar between his teeth. His ridiculously long black hair fell to his waist, and his oddly pale blue eyes were fixed on my movements. He flicked the fingers of his right hand, and the door slammed shut behind us. Silence settled. I observed him, and he studied me. We'd met before. Many times. I'd been a pain in his arse in the past when I'd been hunting down a mark, but we had an agreement, he stayed out of my way and let me hunt in his club, and I didn't bring any of the SBI down on his head.

Things were different now.

“Connor Rawson.”

“Count Balthazar Rossi.”

In one lithe move, he pulled his feet off the desk and sat upright. His cold eyes had my beast growling and ready to burst from my skin. I heard a low pitched snarl from Owen. Balthazar was, without a doubt, the most powerful vampire in Britain, maybe even Europe, bar the King of the Vampires. I wasn't just talking about his personal power, but his political power, too. He was born of original vampires and had been the vampire king's protege until about two hundred years ago when the king had sent him to rule the vampires in Britain. Europe was now plagued with a vampire war between the original bloodlines and the new 'made' bloodlines. Balthazar could make or break that war by taking a side; especially now the vampire king was dying. As far as I knew, he was loyal to his king despite the threats and bribes of the European sects who wanted him with them.

“Please.” He gestured at the two chairs in front of his desk. “Take a seat and tell me who you seek.”

I grinned, though it didn’t reach my eyes. “You know me well.”

He returned a smile, but, like mine, his eyes remained cold and calculating. "Not as much as I used to, it seems." He cocked his head. "You are...different. I'm not sure how; your scent is giving me mixed signals."

I just smiled and remained quiet. Balthazar knew I was a Prime, but he had no idea what else lurked under my skin. It paid to keep one's enemies and friends—and whatever Balthazar might be, guessing about that extra power he could feel. For now.

He shrugged and turned his attention to Owen. "But your second is as he has always been, albeit more powerful." His eyes narrowed. "Interesting indeed. How does a shifter increase his strength and power…?"

Owen just looked at the vampire and remained quiet.

“I’ll cut to the chase, Count. I’m looking for a woman. A fighter. She frequents your club and earns you a lot of money.”

The Count smiled tightly and steepled his fingers in front of him, his manicured fingernails sharp and dangerous. "I have many females of many different races fighting for me. You'll need to be more specific."

“Fine. I need the woman who works for Rex Manivera.”

SIlence fell. “I see.”

“I don’t think you do.” I let Prime show himself in my eyes, and my voice deepened, my power filling the room.

Balthazar just watched with curiosity, no fear apparent anywhere in his scent or his features. No, he was too old and too powerful himself to be intimidated by my shifter spirit.

“And what makes you think I know details like that about any of the women who fight or fuck in my club?"

“Let’s cut the bullshit. You know more than anyone in this club wants you to. That's why you have sex slaves chained to the poles out there. You are more than willing to use any information you have to bribe, manipulate or force people to work for you."

He smiled and gave an elegant shrug. "They all know what they are risking when they try to harm me or mine. Do not feel sorry for any of them, Shifter King; you will soon see making an example out of the worst of your subjects is a necessity. Order and loyalty, whether by fear, or respect, is a must, or you will lose control, and that's when things become tediously messy." He released a long slow breath and studied me steadily. "I also believe a good working relationship between those in power helps to keep the status quo, and if our supernatural world is settled, so too is the human world. Unfortunately, we are symbiont with the weakest species on this planet. It is for that reason I am willing to give you my time. What do you want with Rex Manivera?"

“He has taken something that belongs to me. Two things, in fact. I want them back.”

Balthazar held my gaze to the point that I was ready to accept his challenge, then he calmly stood and went to a liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of Jonnie Walker blue. “Whisky?”

“Sure.” He was thinking. I’d give him that time by drinking with him. Perhaps he was considering how many of his men would die tonight if he didn’t help me.

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