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They just wouldn't believe he actually was one of those creatures. He wouldn't seduce them like they’d want. No, he’d rip out their throats and bathe in their blood.
He didn’t wait for us to respond as he turned and made his way toward the wall behind his desk, which was nothing but glass. I could tell it was tinted, probably one of those two-way mirrors to allow creepy-ass Adryan to spy on his customers like the psycho he was.
Cian looked down at me for a second before squeezing my waist and ushering me forward. He kept his body between mine and Adryan’s as we stood in front of that massive glass wall and stared down at the club below. Neon flashes of lights and lasers arced through the huge room.
The space looked industrial with the open metal beams crisscrossing the ceiling, the place one open area as if the interior of a warehouse had been gutted to accommodate the hundreds of bodies that writhed and danced sexually against each other.
“I haven’t spoken tae Odhran,” Cian finally said, breaking up the cold, fragile silence that surrounded us.
It was the kind of silence that was like a sheet of ice, cracking with the barest pressure, those standing on it too afraid they’d fall right through.
“And I’m staying stateside with my mate until Odhran finds his female.” I could tell how hard it was for Cian to say those words and knew it was because he was worried about my safety. “As much as me and my wolf hate risking our female and possibly having her in harm's way with these fookers, my Evie is strong and determined and wants tae stand by my side. And I canna deny her anything.”
Adryan hummed. “Females… mates… such a weakness.”
I looked over at Adryan to see he was still focused on his club below. I, too, looked back at the club, staring at the massive bar that encompassed one entire wall.
The glowing neon lights behind the mirror made it seem as if you could walk right through, the illusion of a bigger space, a less claustrophobic atmosphere, I presumed. I wondered what the humans would do if they realized the people they danced with, the bouncers, staff, the bartenders, and so many others were actually creatures they thought were from myth and lore, from movies and Hollywood.
And as I looked around the interior, I realized I could spot these Otherworld creatures. They were more ethereal, bigger, with this air of violence and danger that was just below the surface. I was shocked that I hadn’t ever noticed them before, that I hadn’t seen what was right in front of my eyes.
“She’s a force to be reckoned with, your female,” Adryan said, low and deep. “I can appreciate that quality in someone, especially a human female.” He was silent for a long moment after that before saying, “Odhran’s been AWOL for the past few days. But he did reach out the other night, anxious to have a go at Matteo and the Shepherd bastards.” Adryan turned around then, and although I could sense that Cian did as well so the two men were facing each other, I stayed facing forward.
I looked over the vampire leader, his hands clasped behind his back, his face that ever-present steely mask.
“Have ye found anything more out about the Assembly, the interior details of their whereabouts, any new information about the property yer soldiers located?” Cian asked.
Adryan didn’t speak for a long second, and I felt this weird, heavy presence come from him. He always had this strange, powerful energy that seemed to surround him, a sickness that made you uncomfortable and feel contaminated by it just by being in the same room with him.
“My men are looking at every possible point of reference. We’re not only looking at the property we found, but we’re going beyond that and seeing what turns up years, decades before that. In fact, we’ve located Assembly presence in Europe more than a century before, and I'm sure with more digging, we can find even more.” He smirked. “Technology… it’s a great fucking thing, even if I hate the shit.” He faced the club again. “But I think it’s safe to say these fuckers have been operating for a long time, and it’s due time we put a stop to that, yeah?” His voice was low, menacing.
“Dinna we assume as much?”
I could picture Cian’s face after he said that, an arrogant point that didn’t go unnoticed by Adryan, as the vampire turned and faced him once more and chuckled low.
“Yeah, we assumed as much.”
Cian nodded once and reached out to curl his hand around my waist, as if he needed my presence to ground him, or maybe to keep him in control. I could tell he didn’t like Adryan, and vice versa, and I knew it wouldn't take much for the two oversize Otherworld males to come to fists.
So I took Cian’s hand in mine and curled my fingers through his, giving him a gentle squeeze and hoping it delivered a little bit of calm in a raging storm of emotion and alpha supremacy.
“Ye know how tae contact me,” Cian said. “I’m calling in some of the Guard tae fly in tae help with this. I’ll take care of setting them up and ensure they have the gear and weapons needed, but we are working together on this.” There was no hesitance in Cian’s voice, no room for disagreement. “We need tae work together so let me kno’ what the next step is.”
Adryan tipped his chin down in a subtle nod, his gaze sliding over to me, but he didn’t wink, didn’t give me his trademark arrogant smirk. The smile he gave me… was empty. Frightening.
I could look at the vampire leader and know he was made up of many layers, ones he probably never allowed anyone to see, ones he probably didn’t even know existed.
And once again I questioned myself on if those layers had good or bad intentions, on if Adryan was the type of male who could think of others before himself without having an ulterior motive.
Because if he ever revealed those layers, I knew they’d either change him for the better, or it would literally be like opening Pandora’s box.
And God help whoever was in his path.
31
Adryan
Ilet the smile slip off my face as my office door closed and the wolf and his human mate left. Keeping up the facade that I gave a fuck was taxing, exhausting. There was a single knock on the door, and I knew it was Kane and Sebastian. I grunted for my cousins and righthand enforcers to enter before I turned away and walked back to the window that overlooked my domain.
