Page 45 of Pleasure and Mane
"He better," Caius said firmly. "Because if Vincent hurts one hair on Lavinia's head, I'll tear his throat out today with my bare hands."
The drive back to Leon passed in a blur of mountain curves and grinding gears as Caius pushed his restored Chevy beyond its limits. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, and his jaw was clenched so tight that he knew Quinn could see the muscle jumping beneath his skin.
"Breathe," she murmured, her hand finding his thigh. The mate bond thrummed between them, her calm energy flowing into his fury like cool water on fire. "We'll handle this."
"I should have been there." Self-recrimination laced his voice. "What kind of Alpha abandons his pregnant sister to go play house in the woods?"
"The kind who deserves happiness too." Her voice carried steel beneath the softness. "And the kind whose uncle is clever enough to handle a manipulative wolf."
They screeched into the circular driveway just as Henry emerged from the mansion's front entrance, his usually immaculate appearance slightly disheveled. Lavinia stood beside him, one protective hand over her belly, while Bertram loomed behind them like a golden-haired sentinel.
Caius was out of the truck instantly, his Alpha presence radiating controlled violence as he rushed toward them. "Tell me."
"He brought cookies." Henry's voice carried dry amusement despite the gravity of the situation. "Chocolate chip, if you can believe the arrogance. Said he wanted to discuss 'business opportunities' with the family."
Bertram stepped forward, a small evidence bag in his massive hands. "I collected samples while Henry kept him distracted. Figured if our theory was right..."
"You figured correctly," Caius growled. "That manipulative son of a bitch actually had the balls to come to my home and try to poison my sister."
Lavinia shuddered, pressing closer to Bertram's protective bulk. "He was so charming and so convincing. If Henry hadn't reminded me beforehand not to touch anything..."
"But I did," Henry interrupted smoothly. "And our dear Vincent left empty-handed and none the wiser."
Quinn moved to Lavinia's side, her professional instincts taking over. "How are you feeling? Any nausea, cramping, dizziness?"
"No, nothing. I didn't eat or drink or touch anything he offered." Lavinia's voice was steady, but Caius could smell the lingering fear on her. "Henry made sure of that."
"Hospital. Now." Caius's command brooked no argument. "We test those samples and confirm what we already know."
The lab results arrived exactly one hour later, delivered by a white-faced technician whose hands trembled as she passed thereport to Caius. He scanned the clinical language, his expression growing darker with each line.
"Methylergonovine," he read aloud, his voice deadly quiet. "A synthetic compound that causes severe uterine contractions. In pregnant women, it would..."
"Cause immediate miscarriage," Quinn finished, her medical knowledge filling in the horrific blanks. "Guaranteed pregnancy loss within hours of ingestion."
Bertram's hands clenched into fists. "That bastard has been systematically murdering unborn children," Bertram roared. "And he almost got mine."
Caius's control finally snapped. His eyes flashed gold as his lion surged forward, demanding vengeance. "Emergency pride meeting. One hour. Every member of this pride needs to know exactly what and who we're dealing with."
The emergency pride meeting had drained every ounce of Caius's carefully maintained composure. Watching his pride members—families who'd suffered unimaginable losses—learn that their babies hadn't died from random tragedy but from systematic murder had nearly shattered his heart. That raw anguish in the town hall room would haunt him forever.
Margaret Collins had collapsed when she realized her twin boys hadn't died from complications but from Vincent's poison. Sarah Miller had screamed until her voice gave out, her mate holding her as she sobbed into his chest. Every tear, every broken cry, and every moment of fresh grief had carved itself into Caius's soul like acid.
Quinn had cried beside him, absorbing their pain as if it were her own, and that had been almost worse than witnessing his pride's anguish. His mate's empathy was one of the things he loved most about her, but seeing her beautiful face streaked with tears for children who would never draw breath had ignited something primal and violent in him.
Now, hours later, as moonlight streamed through his bedroom windows and Quinn slept peacefully in his arms, Caius felt that violence crystallizing into purpose. The mate bond pulsated between them, carrying her dreams of safety and warmth, but his lion prowled restlessly under his skin.
Enough waiting. Enough proper channels.
Vincent Keale had murdered several innocent unborn children this past year. Had tried to murder Lavinia's unborn child today. Had dared to set foot on Haider territory and threaten his family while wearing that smug, manipulative smile.
The beast inside him demanded blood tonight.
Caius slipped from the bed with predatory silence, his bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floors. Quinn stirred slightly, her hand reaching across the sheets for his warmth, but she didn't wake. Good. She would try to stop him and would appeal to his sense of justice and patience. But fifteen years of Alpha leadership had taught him that some threats required immediate, decisive action.
He dressed quickly in dark jeans and a black henley, then retrieved his truck keys from the dresser. The drive to the neighboring wolf territory took twenty minutes of winding mountain roads, but Caius's hands remained steady on the wheel despite the fury burning through his veins. His lion urged him to shift and to hunt on four legs through the forest, but he needed Vincent to see his human face when he delivered justice.
The Howling Moon bar sat on the outskirts of the wolf shifter community, a ramshackle building that reeked of stale beer and testosterone. Caius had been here exactly once before, years ago, for territorial negotiations that had ended peacefully. Tonight would be different.
