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I stepped closer.
“Kane, Mikhail.” The two males in question broke off from formation and came to stand in front of me. “I want you two in the house and on the upper level.” They were smart not to ask questions. “James, you stay on the lower level. The three of you don’t do anything else but make sure nothing comes or goes from there, you understand?” I stared James in the eye, then looked at Mikhail and Kane. The males nodded but said nothing.
I stepped aside to let them in, keeping my eyes on the boys in front who were ready to go on a rampage.
I made my way toward the line of my soldiers, and without them having to look behind to see where I was, they parted for me. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my slacks, my feet bare, the stone beneath my soles cold as fuck. I’d haphazardly only thrown on a pair of slacks and a shirt before I left the bedroom.
But it didn’t matter what the hell I had on when I confronted Banner and the Guard. Hell, I could’ve been buck fucking naked and still took on these wolves.
And front and center was my motherfucking brother-in-law. The big bastard looked like someone had pissed in his Cheerios as he glared at me. His short dark hair was a mess around his head, as if he’d been running his fingers through it while he barked orders and tried to figure out what the hell was going on.
He was dressed in black fatigues from head to toe, his legs parted slightly, his hands clasped behind his back like he was the damn general of his squad.
And the scowl he directed my way had me smiling.
Flanking his sides were his sons Tavish and Lennox. Although my nephews were just as big as their father, they didn’t have the age and experience that created a chip on their shoulders yet.
But I had no doubt the longer they spent time with their father, the more they’d see the world through his point of view, and that was over two and a half centuries of being a stubborn, over-the-top alpha bastard.
“Well shit,” I said after looking back at Banner. “I didn’t know we were having a family reunion so soon after we spent quality time together in the Highlands.” When Banner scowled harder, my grin widened. “Admit it, you missed me.”
“Fook ye.”
I laughed hard. “Even after all these years of you mated to my sister and hearing that thick-as-fuck brogue, I still find it cute as hell.”
Banner growled and took a menacing step closer. My soldiers tensed, but I held up my hand, stopping them from doing anything.
“Calm down, boys. My surly brother-in-law knows his place when he’s on my territory. He’s just flexing.” I saw Banner clench his hands at his sides and heard his growl rise from his annoyance.
“Ye know why we’re here,” Banner gritted out.
I glanced at where Cian and Odhran stood behind him, both of them looking like they were ready to kill me. I couldn’t blame them. I had been a massive pain in their ass from the beginning. Even though it had only been a few days since we discussed heading to Vermont, they were antsy, and playing by my rules when shit was real personal for them didn’t sit well with the wolves.
Hell, I couldn't blame them.
“Yeah, I know.” I looked at Banner. “But coming to my home is a no-go. Yeah?” I didn’t want to war with the wolves and sure as hell didn’t need any more beef with my brother-in-law. The Lycans and vampires had a fragile relationship as it was, and when you factored in this was also a family matter… well shit, things could get ugly real quick.
“I figured the only way tae make my point was tae come and tell ye personally. Since ye seem tae be dragging yer feet on this, and that’s no’ how things work, especially when it’s personal.” Banner’s nostrils flared slightly as he glanced at Odhran and Cian. “I wanted tae let ye know face-tae-face that we’re going with or without ye.” Banner crossed his arms over his chest and kept that stubborn expression on his face. “I didn’t come here tae ask for permission or yer help. I came here tae pay the respect ye deserve as being family.” He gritted his teeth, and I chuckled.
“I bet it hurt saying that out loud.”
“Ye’re Luna’s brother, family by default. So respect, yeah, ye get that because of her. But as King of the Scottish Clan, I’m here to take over. Ye can join us or fook off… respectfully.” Banner gestured behind them toward Odhran. “He’s been patient enough. We all have. This is yer territory, but we’re no’ playing by yer rules anymore, Adryan.”
I said nothing, didn’t show any emotion. Of course I’d expected this would be the eventual outcome—a confrontation between the wolves. And although I wasn’t a male who got easily taken off guard, Banner showing up was a surprise.
Although maybe I should have predicted this. He was an alpha—their head alpha—and if the roles had been reversed, I would’ve done the same thing. Hell, look at the off-the-rails shit I had done when my niece, Ainslee—Banner’s daughter—had been taken by her over-four-hundred-year-old, crazy-as-shit Lycan mate.
Banner had every right to kill me for going against his direct orders. But he didn't, and truth be told, I would do it all over again, just because that’s who and what I was.
A rule follower I was not, and neither was Banner.
“Yeah,” I said, looking at all the wolves, sensing my soldiers waiting for my orders.
“Ye risked a fooking all-out species war… again, Adryan,” Banner said low, no hint of aggression or emotion, which was surprising seeing as he was just as volatile as I could be and didn’t give two shits about hiding how he felt. “If ye weren’t Luna’s kin, if ending ye wouldn’t break her heart, I’d kill ye myself, right here and now.”
I sobered and straightened, taking a step closer to Banner. I stared into his glowing blue eyes, letting mine flare red. “You could try.” I flashed them one cocky grin, which I knew would piss them off. “But you and I both know I’m not easy to take out. I bite, motherfucker.” The heavy silence that followed only lasted a few seconds before I nodded. “We’ll do this tonight.”
“Do what tonight?” Odhran interjected and stepped forward. “Ye’ve been pulling us all around by the dicks this entire time, no’ understanding the urgency, knowing full well why I,” he shouted and slammed his fist against his chest over and over again, “needed tae do this. And still ye were fooking us over with the ‘my territory, my time and rules’ bullshite?—”
