Both were carrying swords and looked grimly determined to use them. Seeing that Royce had everything under control, John lowered his weapon, but Mouse kept hers on guard and sidled closer, ready if the two should attempt escape.
“I’m sorry, sir,” John said, frowning. “Henderson must not have been watching the security monitors closely enough. I’ll make sure he’s replaced immediately.”
Royce shook his head, voice thunderous with barely restrained wrath. “Worry about that later. Call Arnold Moore at The Circle and request his immediate presence. Then tell Analie to come up here.”
John hesitated for a second, long enough for Royce to shift that heavy glare from the Weres to his second. Rapidly backing up, John pulled out his cell with his free hand and dialed The Circle, retreating to make the call in the stairwell.
Royce turned his attention back on the pair, shaking Christoph again. “Answer me,” he snarled, “ now .”
Christoph couldn’t even give a proper cough of respect before mentioning his alpha. It came out as a stuttering gurgle through his compressed throat. “Alpha...doesn’t know...we’re here,” he choked. “Didn’t want...come here...Ashi ordered—” He needed to stop and breathe for a few moments. “…out-ranks me.”
Ashi snarled, baring his teeth. “Quiet...! That’s...an order!”
Christoph went back to breathing after gurgling respectfully to Ashi.
Analie texted with Freddy some more, though she didn’t mention Ashi. Freddy had only had one run-in with him before. He didn’t talk about it, except to tell his caretaker what had happened, and Analie was careful to never mention Ashi around him.
She ended the conversation and tucked the phone under the mattress. Maybe she should tell Royce about meeting with Ashi. On the other hand, orders were orders. On the other, other hand, this was the kind of thing you didn’t keep from Royce. She curled up with Mr. Bear and stared at the wall.
Royce, eyes narrowed to dangerous slivers, studied Christoph. He didn’t think the boy was dumb enough to lie to him under the current circumstances, but he doubted that the alpha was oblivious of his actions. Even if he was, their pack would still have to pay for this. Dearly.
“So. Ashi ordered this little coup, did he?”
The flat, disenchanted tone sent a surge of frightened adrenaline through the Weres, and they renewed their efforts to squirm free.
“Ashi,” Royce purred, his fingers slowly tightening on the Asian man’s throat as he pulled him closer, lifting him a few inches off the ground until they were practically nose-to-nose. “I am in charge, here. You no longer give orders—you take them.”
With that, he gave the two men a harsh shove until they were thrown back on their asses. Mouse stepped in before they could rise, a sharp, slender sword-tip pressed to each man’s throat. The silver content was high enough to redden their skin in reaction, even without piercing it.
“If you’d like to live without scars, stay right there.” Royce growled, turning away. “Mouse, if they so much as twitch, do as you like. But do keep them alive.”
The mute vampiress smiled genially at the two, her angelic features reflecting utter peace with being given the all-clear to carve them up.
Royce pulled out his cell phone, sending a few text messages as he walked back to the bank of computers against the far wall.
Analie padded into the hallway when John called to her from her apartment’s front door. He was busy talking on his phone but paused to tell her to go upstairs to Royce. She hopped up the stairs, apprehensive, then hesitated at the door before she opened it and stepped in.
It took her a moment to figure out what the hell she was seeing and, even once all the figures were in view, she still didn’t understand it. Mouse’s silhouette was holding two battered guys captive. One of the windows was smashed from the outside. Shadows she assumed were Royce
“I’m sorry, sir,” John said, frowning. “Henderson must not have been watching the security monitors closely enough. I’ll make sure he’s replaced immediately.”
Royce shook his head, voice thunderous with barely restrained wrath. “Worry about that later. Call Arnold Moore at The Circle and request his immediate presence. Then tell Analie to come up here.”
John hesitated for a second, long enough for Royce to shift that heavy glare from the Weres to his second. Rapidly backing up, John pulled out his cell with his free hand and dialed The Circle, retreating to make the call in the stairwell.
Royce turned his attention back on the pair, shaking Christoph again. “Answer me,” he snarled, “ now .”
Christoph couldn’t even give a proper cough of respect before mentioning his alpha. It came out as a stuttering gurgle through his compressed throat. “Alpha...doesn’t know...we’re here,” he choked. “Didn’t want...come here...Ashi ordered—” He needed to stop and breathe for a few moments. “…out-ranks me.”
Ashi snarled, baring his teeth. “Quiet...! That’s...an order!”
Christoph went back to breathing after gurgling respectfully to Ashi.
Analie texted with Freddy some more, though she didn’t mention Ashi. Freddy had only had one run-in with him before. He didn’t talk about it, except to tell his caretaker what had happened, and Analie was careful to never mention Ashi around him.
She ended the conversation and tucked the phone under the mattress. Maybe she should tell Royce about meeting with Ashi. On the other hand, orders were orders. On the other, other hand, this was the kind of thing you didn’t keep from Royce. She curled up with Mr. Bear and stared at the wall.
Royce, eyes narrowed to dangerous slivers, studied Christoph. He didn’t think the boy was dumb enough to lie to him under the current circumstances, but he doubted that the alpha was oblivious of his actions. Even if he was, their pack would still have to pay for this. Dearly.
“So. Ashi ordered this little coup, did he?”
The flat, disenchanted tone sent a surge of frightened adrenaline through the Weres, and they renewed their efforts to squirm free.
“Ashi,” Royce purred, his fingers slowly tightening on the Asian man’s throat as he pulled him closer, lifting him a few inches off the ground until they were practically nose-to-nose. “I am in charge, here. You no longer give orders—you take them.”
With that, he gave the two men a harsh shove until they were thrown back on their asses. Mouse stepped in before they could rise, a sharp, slender sword-tip pressed to each man’s throat. The silver content was high enough to redden their skin in reaction, even without piercing it.
“If you’d like to live without scars, stay right there.” Royce growled, turning away. “Mouse, if they so much as twitch, do as you like. But do keep them alive.”
The mute vampiress smiled genially at the two, her angelic features reflecting utter peace with being given the all-clear to carve them up.
Royce pulled out his cell phone, sending a few text messages as he walked back to the bank of computers against the far wall.
Analie padded into the hallway when John called to her from her apartment’s front door. He was busy talking on his phone but paused to tell her to go upstairs to Royce. She hopped up the stairs, apprehensive, then hesitated at the door before she opened it and stepped in.
It took her a moment to figure out what the hell she was seeing and, even once all the figures were in view, she still didn’t understand it. Mouse’s silhouette was holding two battered guys captive. One of the windows was smashed from the outside. Shadows she assumed were Royce
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