Page 46 of Pleasure and Mane
He pushed through the heavy wooden door, his Alpha presence immediately commanding attention from every wolfin the room. Conversations died mid-sentence as heads turned, nostrils flaring as they scented the lion in their midst. The bartender's hand moved toward something beneath the bar, but Caius ignored him entirely.
Vincent Keale sat at a corner table, a tumbler of whiskey in his manicured hands and that insufferable smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. He'd been expecting this.
"Caius Haider," Vincent drawled, not bothering to stand. "What an unexpected pleasure. Come to discuss those business opportunities after all?"
Caius's vision flashed red as his lion surged forward. "Stand up."
"Now, now," Vincent chuckled, finally rising with deliberate slowness. "No need for dramatics. Though I suppose congratulations are in order—your sister's pregnancy is progressing beautifully."
The casual mention of Lavinia snapped Caius's last thread of control. He crossed the short distance in two powerful strides, his hand shooting out to grab Vincent by the throat. The wolf shifter was ready for him, catching his wrist and twisting with surprising strength.
"Careful, lion." Vincent's ice-blue eyes glittered with malicious amusement. "You wouldn't want to start something you can't finish."
Around them, chairs scraped against the floor as other wolves rose, sensing the violence crackling through the air. But Vincent held up a hand, stopping them.
"This is between the Alpha and me," he announced, his voice carrying that fake charm that had fooled so many pregnant women in Leon. "Why don't we take this outside? Settle it properly."
Caius's lip curled back in a snarl. "Lead the way."
The cool mountain air hit them as they stepped into the gravel parking lot behind the bar. Sodium lights cast harsh shadows across the ground, and the distant sound of music and laughter from inside seemed obscenely cheerful given what was about to happen.
"You murdered children," Caius growled, circling Vincent like the predator he was. "Innocent babies who never had a chance to breathe."
Vincent shrugged, his expensive suit jacket straining across his shoulders. "Collateral damage. You lions have been squatting on prime real estate for far too long. A little population control was necessary."
The casual dismissal of those tiny lives ignited an inferno in Caius's chest. His human form dissolved in a rush of heat and power, bones lengthening and muscles expanding as his lion claimed dominance. Golden fur rippled across his massive frame as he landed on four powerful paws, his mane flowing like liquid fire in the harsh light.
Vincent's transformation was equally swift but vastly different. Where Caius was golden majesty, Vincent became shadow and menace—a wolf so black he seemed to absorb light itself. His ice-blue eyes remained unchanged, glowing with predatory intelligence as he bared fangs longer than Caius's claws.
They collided in the center of the lot with the force of a thunderclap, four hundred pounds of lion meeting two hundred pounds of wolf in a tangle of fur and fury. Caius's superior size should have given him an immediate advantage, but Vincent fought dirty from the first moment.
The wolf went low, targeting tendons and soft spots with surgical precision while Caius relied on brute strength and righteous rage. When Caius pinned him with massive paws, Vincent twisted and raked his claws across his lion's eyes. WhenCaius roared and shook his great head, clearing his vision, Vincent was already moving, using his smaller size to stay mobile.
Fifteen years of leadership,Caius thought grimly as he landed a crushing blow that sent Vincent tumbling across the gravel.But when did I last fight for my life?
Vincent rolled to his feet with fluid grace, blood matting his dark fur but his eyes still bright with cunning. The wolf circled just out of reach, waiting for an opening that Caius's fury might provide.
"Getting tired, old man?" Vincent's voice carried clearly even in wolf form, a trick that made Caius's skin crawl. "Leadership makes you soft."
Caius lunged again, his massive form covering the distance in a heartbeat, but Vincent was ready. The wolf dropped low and swept Caius's front legs, sending the lion crashing to the gravel. Before Caius could recover, Vincent's claws raked across his ribs, opening parallel furrows that leaked crimson onto the ground.
Focus,Caius commanded himself, rolling away from Vincent's follow-up attack.He's counting on your rage making you sloppy.
The next exchange was more calculated. Caius feinted left, then spun right with surprising speed for his size, catching Vincent across the shoulder with claws that could shred steel. The wolf's yelp of pain was music to his ears, but Vincent's retaliation came immediately.
The bastard had something in his mouth—a small vial that he crushed between his teeth. Acrid smoke billowed out, and Caius's enhanced senses betrayed him as the chemical cloud seared his nostrils and eyes. Temporarily blinded, he swung wildly, but Vincent was already gone.
When Caius's vision cleared thirty seconds later, he was alone in the parking lot, blood trickling from his wounds andVincent's scent trail leading into the dense forest beyond. The wolf had escaped, but not unscathed—drops of dark blood marked his path.
Caius shifted back to human form, his chest heaving as adrenaline slowly faded into frustration. He'd drawn blood and sent a message, but Vincent was still out there. Still a threat to his family and his pride.
Next time,he promised the darkness where Vincent had vanished.Next time you won't get away.
NINETEEN
QUINN
Quinn's hand swept across the cold expanse of Egyptian cotton sheets as she searched for the familiar warmth of Caius. Nothing. Her eyes snapped open, immediately alert despite the late hour. The digital clock on his nightstand glowed an accusatory 12:47 AM.
