Alpha King by Sara Fields

Chapter 4

Lawson

The next day…

I couldn’t get her off my mind. No one had ever stood up to me like her before. Her constant defiance made me curious, and I hadn’t stopped thinking about her since I’d left her safe and sound and sleeping in her bed that morning.

I’d used every resource at my disposal to learn more about her. I scanned over every public record available from her birth certificate to her credit report and to her rather impressive grades at the ritzy private college she’d attended. She was highly intelligent, daughter to a famous professor of mechanical engineering, at least until he’d lost it and shot up the French Quarter last year.

I remembered that day like it was yesterday. The city had gone wild with fear until he’d been put down by a group of men brave enough to stand up against him.

I’d thought nothing of it. It had been simply a human matter that had gotten out of hand. One that had nothing to do with me, my pack, or the vampires that dared to walk my streets.

Looking at it now though, I wasn’t convinced that I’d been right.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I’d overlooked something that day, that maybe it wasn’t just the simple massacre that I’d thought it to be. Curious now, I pulled open every news article that I could find. I read about her father’s history, the psychologist’s diagnosis, and finally, I clicked through to a news article that focused on the men who had stopped the whole thing from becoming worse than it already was.

I scrolled down to a picture of the group of five men. I paused and at first, I was unsure why, but then I studied the men even more closely.

I enlarged the picture, narrowing in on one man in particular. There was something about him that looked familiar, and I couldn’t quite place it.

He was wearing contacts, dark ones. I could see the outline of them around his irises. I sat back and imagined him with red eyes, and it finally clicked.

He was the lead security guard that had charged into the Venuti prison. He was a vampire.

I’d bet good money that the rest of the men with him were vampires too. When I zoomed in on the other men, I realized they were all wearing contacts, all of them wearing a dark enough color to hide the bright red that gave away their true identities.

Last night, the mistrust in Ava’s eyes had been blatant and perhaps this was a part of the reason for that. She wouldn’t have talked no matter what I’d done to her last night, but that didn’t mean I was giving up on her. There were other ways I could break her, and I would keep trying until she gave me exactly what I wanted. I wanted to learn everything about her, and I wouldn’t give up until I did.

I wouldn’t give up until I made her mine completely.

Last night, I’d had the forethought to slip a tiny tracking device inside her without her knowing. I’d done it when I’d forced my finger into her virgin little bottom. I moved my mouse and opened the tracking software, and I swore out loud as soon as the indicator flared to life on my screen.

I’d known she probably wouldn’t be in her own bed when I came for her tonight, but I certainly hadn’t expected her to be back inside the Venuti tower either.

Crafty girl. Fucking reckless too.

The little spitfire of a human had somehow made it back into the hornets’ nest of vampires and I didn’t know how she’d managed it. To be honest, it was so impressive that it was making my cock very, very hard as I thought about what I would to do her to make her tell me why she was so dead set on putting herself in one deadly situation after the next.

Hard enough to give her the hard bottom fucking she not only needed, but sorely deserved.

I’d been preparing myself for another fight when I went to her tonight. I had expected her to hide out somewhere to avoid what she had coming, but I wasn’t prepared for this. I’d had my men watching her home since I’d left in the early morning hours, and she’d somehow given them the slip. I hadn’t wanted to leave her without protection. I feared for her safety, especially when she had access to knowledge that would undoubtedly get her killed by any number of vampires or shifters should anyone else find out about it.

Before I’d left, I’d watched her sleep for hours, enamored by the angelically peaceful look on her face. Her cheeks never lost the beautifully pink hue from the orgasms I’d forced on her. Her body shivered for quite a bit of time after she fell asleep, her breathing even and soft and truly musical to hear. I’d kept her warm with my elevated body temperature and when I was finally convinced that she was in a deep enough slumber for me to leave, I’d slipped out of her bedroom without a sound.

She hadn’t even stirred.

The vampire clan hadn’t come for her there. I was sure of it. My men would have seen something if they tried. Instead, she probably snuck by my men somehow and made it back into the vampire fortress all on her own.

The part I was terribly unsure of was whether she went there willingly or not.

I chewed my lip and tried to figure out what to do next. I didn’t know whether I wanted to fuck her or spank her. Probably both.

I rolled my upper lip and stroked my hand up and down my cock, remembering the delicious moan that I had elicited from her when I’d punished her naughty little bottom hole with just my middle finger.

Her bottom had been so tight around it. I had no doubt that it would feel that much tighter when I punished it with my cock. I couldn’t wait to hear her cries and whimpers, her fear and desire for me to fuck her there harder. I was going to enjoy every last moment when I finally took that virgin hole. I would take it all.

I’d known the moment that I’d thrust my cock into her delicious virgin pussy that she was mine. She wasn’t just a woman to me now. She was my mate whether she wanted to be or not. There would be no choice in the matter for her.

I was going to possess her.

Own her in every physical sense of the word.

I was going to be her life, her everything.

I didn’t care if she didn’t want it at first. It was simply a matter of time until she begged for it, until I decided it was time to mark her as mine.

She was my destiny. I could feel it deep in the marrow of my bones.

My cock was so hard it felt like an iron spike. I closed my eyes, remembering the way her beautiful body writhed beneath mine with pleasure. Her skin had glowed with the most gorgeous sheen of perspiration, clear evidence of her loss of control at my hands.

I growled, feeling my arousal settle at the base of my spine. My thumb grazed up and down the fabric of my slacks as I thought about the little minx before I finally managed to pull my hand away.

I’d never lost control like this. Not for anyone.

Ever.

It was deeply unnerving, and I didn’t know how to handle it, but I knew that it wasn’t time to give into my desire no matter how much I wanted it.

There would be time for it later when she was back in my arms and then I would show her that there was a much better place for me to mark with my seed that wasn’t in the palm of my own hand.

The next time I came it would be with my cock deep in my mate’s disobedient little bottom because I’d made a promise and I intended to keep it.

With a sigh, I turned my gaze back to the map on my screen. It still showed Ava to be somewhere within the Venuti tower and I would bet money on the fact that she wasn’t a guest in one of their hotel rooms. It was possible she could once again be trapped in a prison cell or sneaking through the building on a mission seeking out God knows what. Either way, I’d bet money on the fact that it wasn’t for anything good.

I scratched my chin thoughtfully.

I was going to go after her. I’d lost too many members of my pack the last time, however. This was something I was going to have to do on my own. I wasn’t willing to risk their lives when I was off chasing my mate.

I picked up my cell phone and called my second in command. In some mafia circles, he’d be known as a consigliore, but in my world, he was my beta and that meant so much more than a basic mobster definition. He picked up on the first ring just like I knew he would.

“What’s up, boss? You’re agitated. I can feel it,” Toboe said knowingly. The bond between an alpha and beta was stronger than the rest of the members of my pack. This wasn’t the first time he’d sensed my inner turmoil and I knew it wouldn’t be the last.

“Come up to my office. I need to talk to you,” I answered impatiently.

“On my way,” he replied, and I hung up the phone. I pushed myself up from my desk and wandered over to the window that overlooked my property, watching the guards patrol the perimeter fence with a rising sense of irritation.

This was my sanctuary outside the quarter, the place we could oversee the city that my ancestors and now I had reigned over with an iron fist for centuries. Even though it was early evening, and the sun was just beginning to dip on the horizon, I could see the flashing lights of Canal Street. The quarter never really slept and if anything, it was just beginning to wake up for what would most certainly be a long night for tourists and locals alike.

I ruled over most of the territory of New Orleans from here. We’d operated the ports here for the majority of the city’s history, controlling what came into the city and what was sent out, which ultimately meant we governed the financial well-being of New Orleans.

Sometimes that meant getting your hands dirty. Sometimes that involved the drug trade, or the smuggling of shifters or humans in and out of the city, but ultimately, we were an organization that was based in money, power, and influence. In concept, my pack operated similarly to the Italian mafia families, but we were far more influential and far more well connected than that. We’d been established here for a long time and that afforded us the kind of wealth and power that people could only dream of. We’d helped build this city from the ground up, but it didn’t stop there.

There was a member of my pack at every level of human government here in the city and within the state of Louisiana. There wasn’t a single law or ordinance passed without my explicit approval and if anyone ever thought to stand against me, they were quickly dealt with in a way that made sure they thought of nothing but obedience or else they were silenced forever, only to be replaced with someone who would be loyal to me and me alone.

I had my hands in every bank, every business no matter how small. Nothing happened in my city without me knowing about it, except in the case of Venuti territory. They furrowed their way into my city, using their own power and wealth to make a stronghold of their own despite years of fighting against them.

The Venuti Clan had long since been my enemy, but we’d come to a peace agreement about fifteen years ago that held on by a tenuous thread at best. I was constantly putting out fires in an effort to keep them and my pack from an all-out war, and that was a full-time job all by itself. Honestly, the Venuti were a thorn in my side that I’d be grateful to rid myself of, but I wouldn’t risk my pack to do it. That is, unless I could get my hands on the bullets that Ava had. That could be enough to changes the tides of war between my pack and the Venuti.

It might be enough to push the Venuti out of my city once and for all.

The door to my office opened and closed behind me and I turned back from my view of the city to see that Toboe had entered the room.

He sat down in the chair in front of my desk and cocked his head to the side. Casually, he sniffed the air and the tiniest smirk edged at the corner of his mouth.

“Don’t you dare,” I warned.

“You positively reek of human female,” he observed carefully, his eyes dancing with amusement. I rolled my lip in kind.

“What of it?” I snarled, daring him to challenge me.

“I recognize her scent,” he continued as he crossed his arms over his chest. His shoulders rounded. He wouldn’t stand up against me. He knew better than that.

I took a deep breath and reminded myself of his loyalty so that I didn’t tear his head off.

“I need to go back into the Venuti tower,” I said, attempting to change the subject even though I knew it probably wouldn’t work.

“Is that where she is?” he pressed, and I snarled openly in aggravation.

“She knows something, and I need to get it out of her,” I replied curtly.

“You need to fuck it out of her is what you mean,” he chuckled.

I glared at him with frustration. I didn’t need to answer for him to recognize that he was right.

“Did she tell you where she got those bullets from when you went to question her last night?” he asked, and I shook my head. He clicked his tongue in mock disapproval and shook his head. “Losing your touch then, boss…” he observed lightly, and I growled in warning before he put his hands up in defense. By the look on his face, he was blatantly ignoring my annoyance in his volley for more information.

Typically, I allowed him to speak freely, but with my mate somewhere within the clutches of my enemy, I felt far more agitated than usual. I was on edge; any sudden thing could set me off and I only barely recognized that it was her. My mate was in danger, and it was making me see red. I wouldn’t rest until she was safe in my arms, no matter if she came willingly or her bottom was marked with my belt.

He must have sensed my worry because his face softened, and he nodded once. He didn’t need to say it, but he quickly recognized how serious this was to me.

“Tell me what you did find out, boss,” he said, his tone softer this time. I sighed and I began to explain myself. “Tell me how I can help.”

“I’ve never seen anything like her. You know how rare it is for humans to know of the existence our kind. It’s even rarer for her to know how to kill us. She sleeps with a wooden stake and a silver knife by her bed, for God’s sake. She knows far more than any normal human should,” I started.

“It’s also pretty abnormal that she has a gun that makes such an incredible display of the unlucky vampire set in her sights. Like a fucking firework show,” he said bluntly, eliciting a chuckle from me. “Boom,” he added while spreading his fingers wide, mimicking the brilliant spectacle.

Even in some of my surliest moods, he could always get me to laugh. Some of the other alpha kingpins I’d been in contact with over the years that reigned elsewhere refused to tolerate such behavior, citing disrespect as the root cause. My father had been one of those, but I found Toboe’s humor endearing. I believed that kinship and loyalty bred a much more powerful pack rather than one ruled by fear, and thus far I’d managed to grow our reach that much farther using that strategy. As far as I was concerned, I’d been successful.

“I don’t know how she did it, but she managed to slip by Genzo and some of the other wolves keeping watch over her house. I’d known she was pretty crafty from how she was in the Venuti tower last week, and just how defiant she was with me last night, so I slipped a tracker inside her so that I could monitor her movements. Somehow, she’s back in the Venuti tower with the vampires again. I can’t track her exact location in the building until I’m inside it, so I’m going to have to go in and retrieve her myself,” I explained, and his mouth set in a grim line. His expression turned serious, and I already knew what he was going to say before he said it.

“No,” I growled.

“You know I’m coming with you,” he said.

“I can’t have you with me. It’s far too dangerous,” I started to clarify, and he shook his head.

“Don’t you dare try to keep me from coming with you,” he countered, and I sat back with a sigh. He knew I could make him stay if I wanted to. If I commanded him using the power of my alpha, he’d be forced to obey me. I’d never had to do that with Toboe before and I was extremely reluctant to begin now.

“Don’t. I’m asking you not to,” he added.

I gritted my teeth and he pushed further.

“You need someone to watch your back, alpha. Let me do my job as your beta,” he demanded.

“Dammit, Toboe,” I muttered. “I’m not going to convince you to just let me go in alone, am I?”

He grinned widely and shook his head. I sighed, knowing I wasn’t going to win this argument without force. If he wanted to risk his skin in order to protect me, I would allow him.

“Listen. I just want to kill as many of those pointy toothed fuckers as I can, especially after they reneged on the deal that they made last time and took me prisoner,” he said rather angrily.

“They really need to get their newbie vamp population under control. There can only be so many deaths attributed to the drunk and disorderly in this city. Hell, there were so many of them that I had to have the investigators start blaming them on alligators. Fucking ridiculous,” I mused.

A very long time ago, there was a peace agreement made in order to stop the bloodshed from the constant fighting between shifters and vampires. Humans were not to know of the existence of our species and right now, the Venuti were doing a shit job of keeping up with their part. They wanted more than they already had. They thought they deserved even more. Power. Money. God knows what.

If my suspicions were correct, they wanted to rule over more than just the quarter. They probably wanted to conquer the human world after that too.

I couldn’t be certain, not just yet. If the evidence presented itself, I would be forced to take measures that would involve more than just our two families. I’d have to call in the reigning families all across North America. If it was a big enough problem, that could involve those all around the world.

This could be really big and really dangerous. I just needed to know more before I did anything drastic.

The signs were there though. I was sure of it.

For years I’d been trying to work with the Venuti to get them to follow a set of more ironclad rules so that we could keep our existence secret from humankind, but they spat on those efforts at every turn. They felt the need to constantly sire new vampires. I didn’t know if they were trying to build an army or what, but I did know that they couldn’t control them enough to keep them hunting in their own territories. More often than not, they crossed the boundaries and fed in the districts in which I reigned. It had been a source of conflict between our families for a very long time.

This last time I’d gone far enough to send Toboe in my stead, but they’d taken him hostage in an attempt to get to me instead. I’d lost valuable men getting him back.

Ava Winters was priceless though. If I was able to get my hands on those exploding light bullets, it could turn the tides of power here in New Orleans. It could be enough for me to push the Venuti out of the city once and for all, which was a very tempting thought. All that considered, however, I was still going to fuck that pretty little bottom when I finally got my hands on her.

That just made me want to find her even more.

“So, what’s the plan, boss?” Toboe finally asked. I took a deep breath and started to lay it all out.

“You will meet with Genzo. Get him to supply us with some stealthy tech that will get us through the Venuti tower as quietly as we can. After last time, I won’t allow anyone other than you to come with me. Make that crystal fucking clear to the rest of the pack, you get me?”

“Fully fucking transparent, boss,” he replied.

“I’m serious. You and no one else.”

“You can count on me, boss,” he added and this time his tone was somber. I knew he would obey me on this, and I cleared my throat thoughtfully, trying to think of what else we might need.

“I also want some guns with wooden bullets at the very least. If the vamps are gonna shoot at us with silver bullets, we’re going to shoot right back at them,” I added. It wouldn’t be an exploding bullet of light, but it would be more than enough as long as we shot them in the heart.

“Definitely. They won’t know what hit them,” he answered.

“Oh, and Toboe?”

“Yeah?”

“When we’re through dealing with the Venuti, you’re going to assist in teaching my mate a lesson she won’t ever forget,” I snarled.

“Your mate, huh?” he asked.

I nodded once, my gaze hard and unforgiving.

“Once we get her back here safe and sound, I’m going to take her upstairs and make her truly mine. By tomorrow morning, she will bear my mark and tomorrow, I’m going to introduce her to the pack,” I said firmly.

He grinned widely.

“You got it, boss,” he responded, and I knew he meant every word.

* * *

In less than an hour, the two of us were on our way to the tower. I had my driver take us to the entryway of the tunnel we’d broken into just a few days ago and I was surprised to find it mostly intact. There were a few caved-in areas and several more that were slightly flooded even though it hadn’t rained all week, but we were able to easily jump over those and make our way through without much trouble. Once we reached the blast area, we found that the Venuti had only just begun repairs.

Arrogant motherfuckers. I’d have dealt with this weak point days ago.

Maybe they didn’t expect to get invaded by wolves twice in one week. If it had been my turf, repairs and reinforcement would have been started the very next day. I would have had countless men stationed to guard it and protect it from attack.

Unexpectedly, there wasn’t a single guard inside the prison. There were a number of captives still safely contained within the cells, but I made no move to break them out whether they were shifter or vampire. I’d gotten Toboe out several days ago. No one else from my pack was down here so I wasn’t going to waste any time, especially with my mate still in danger.

Oddly enough, Ava wasn’t any of them either, but I was more than certain she’d been here at some point because there were at least half a dozen Venuti security guards lying headless on the floor, likely the result of her special anti-vamp light bullets.

Honestly, it was pretty impressive and quite arousing to behold.

Ava Winters was a little badass, but more important, she was my little badass. In a weird way, I was proud of her for it. I wasn’t used to feeling anything like it, so I tried to push it aside and just focus on finding her.

I keyed into the software on my phone, trying to pinpoint her location. The app indicated that she was several floors above us and when I turned to tell Toboe, he pointed down the hallway where there was another vampire lying dead.

“I bet if we follow her trail of deliciously bloody breadcrumbs, we’ll find her,” he said softly, and I snorted with quiet laughter.

“You know, that’s not a half bad idea,” I muttered.

“I know. I’m a goddamn genius. I deserve a raise,” he replied lightly.

I raised my eyebrow and stared right at him.

“It was worth a shot,” he muttered, and I shook my head, more than a little amused.

“It was a valid effort,” I snorted.

“So, you’ll think about it?” he asked hopefully.

“Definitely not,” I answered.

“I’m so undervalued and underpaid around here,” he complained, but I could tell he was smirking just from the way he said it.

“I know. I don’t even know why you’re still here,” I countered.

“I stick around in hopes that one day you’ll appreciate me. With a big fat paycheck,” he mused.

“I wouldn’t count on it,” I said with a wink.

He pouted in mock disappointment, but his expression turned serious as the two of us studied the mangled body she’d left behind. It was something of a bloody mess. No matter how many times I saw it, the gory scene her little weapon left behind was jarring.

“Come on. Let’s find my pretty little vampire slayer. I want answers and she’s going to give them to me,” I snarled. I took off down the hall, following the path of dead vamps around the corner into an open staircase.

“Damn right,” Toboe grinned, and I heard him take off after me.

“Guess she went up from here,” I observed, taking in another grisly sight of the mutilated remains of another headless torso. I took a deep breath, trying to get past the rancid smell of vampire until I got a firm hold on her scent.

I flew up the stairs and Toboe followed just like I knew he would.

* * *

In our search for Ava, we’d passed by at least three dozen dead vampires. Toboe and I didn’t encounter anyone except for a few clueless guards that had probably been sired the night before. Newbie vamps were strong, but not exceptionally smart, especially if they hadn’t undergone any training as to how to use their newfound abilities. We made quick work of them and continued on without much delay.

Ava had made it all the way to the sixty-fourth floor where the security department for the entire building was housed. We didn’t meet any resistance up here and when I finally approached the main office for the head of security, the door was wide open. I sniffed the air, knowing that she was very close. I turned the corner and leaned against the doorframe, catching sight of my spirited mate casually sitting at the computer.

There was another vampire dead on the floor, finely dressed and clearly well off. He didn’t look like he’d given her much of a fight. He’d probably underestimated the feisty little thing, but I knew better than to make that mistake myself. I cleared my throat and she just glanced in my direction for a moment before she turned back to the computer.

“The head of security, I take it,” I said loudly, and she didn’t even flinch. She didn’t answer me either. She just kept typing. “What are you doing, little human?” I asked this time, addressing her directly although I was careful enough to keep my voice level. I wanted to know what she was up to before I put her in her place.

She didn’t pause for even a second, but she lifted her arm and pointed a submachine gun right at me. She didn’t look, but there was little doubt in my mind that if she pulled the trigger, she wouldn’t miss her target. Her target being me.

Bad… bad… girl…

My palm twitched. I wanted to spank her. Hard.

“I thought you might come looking for me, so I brought a little something to make sure you thought twice before even thinking of touching me again. Every single round in this clip is silver-tipped, so I suggest you let me do my work in peace,” she replied curtly.

The open challenge in her voice was hot as fuck. The more I was around her, the more I was impressed by her and the more I wanted to teach her a firm lesson at the end of my cock.

I stared at her, studying the way she held her weapon and seeing the experience behind it. She was wearing a bulletproof vest, but underneath that she had a black tank top. I could see every line of muscle in her upper body. She was strong, but extraordinarily feminine and I found it to be extremely sexy.

The gun never wavered and neither did I.

I was pretty sure that she’d actually shoot me if I made any sudden movements, so I waited by the door. Patiently, I watched her typing one command after the next and before too long I was at least reasonably certain she was trying to guess a password so that she could get into their systems and find whatever information she was searching for.

Was she looking for information about her father?

Occasionally, she would glance my way, her face painted with fury and just the slightest hint of shame. Was she thinking about the way I forced her to come for me four times last night? Was she imagining how’d I’d torn her panties clean off and stuffed them in her mouth or how her virgin little body had gripped tightly at my cock as if her life depended on it?

Or maybe… just maybe she was thinking about my finger in her tight little bottom and wondering if my cock would hurt even more.

It would. No doubt about that. I was counting on it.

Out of pure curiosity, I sniffed the air.

Ahh…

Naughty little minx. She was wet. I could smell it.

I stared at her knowingly and her body language changed. She tensed slightly and met my gaze. She blushed before she managed to look away from me, but I’d seen the pretty pink hue all the same.

Was she challenging me on purpose?

She lifted her chin, glancing in my direction once again.

Oh, she was. She wanted her little bottom to get fucked.

Maybe she didn’t believe that I’d follow through, but I’d always been a man of my word. Tonight would certainly be no different.

Toboe stood back behind me, watching the entire exchange. I could feel his amusement through the link we shared, probably because he’d never seen anyone train a gun on me and live to talk about it.

She stood up without pause and kept the gun trained on me as she rounded the desk. It didn’t appear as if she found what she wanted or if she did, she wasn’t saying anything about it. She didn’t make any attempt to exit out of the door I was blocking, instead choosing to leave through a door at the side of the room. She opened the metal door and as it swung shut behind her, I could see a set of stairs going up.

My alarm bells started to ring.

From the plans I’d studied before, I knew she was headed somewhere exceedingly more dangerous than the rest of the tower. Above us was a two-story penthouse suite and I was certain that the head of the family resided there.

Shit.

This could get really bad.

I sprinted to the door and gripped the handle hard. It wouldn’t turn. It was locked.

Instead of coming with me, Toboe went to the computer and chuckled softly at what he found.

“She set it up to lock behind her from the computer,” he said. “I’ve gotta say, boss, you’ve got your hands full with this one.”

“Can you disengage it from there?” I asked. I wasn’t angry. It was clear that Ava was more than capable of looking after herself, even when it concerned the likes of me. I hadn’t expected any less, but I was up for the challenge, nonetheless.

It would make her ultimate surrender that much sweeter when I took it for myself.

“We’re going to have to use one of Genzo’s techs. She set up a time-sensitive virus to make the computer unusable, which is already taking effect,” he said thoughtfully.

Smart little thing.

“Pass me the bag. I’ll take care of it,” I offered, and he tossed the backpack full of Genzo’s inventions to me without a moment’s hesitation.

The door seemed to be operated by an eye scan but considering that she’d blown the head of security’s head right off, that wasn’t really an option. If anything, his bright red eyes were probably plastered somewhere on the wall with the rest of his unsightly purple brain matter.

I dug in the bag and pulled out a small unit. Carefully, I pressed it against the eye scanner and pulled my hand away before it passed a strong electrical current through it. It took several surges, but the unit eventually fizzled and powered off, leaving just the mechanics of the door to contend with.

Using another device, I scanned the wall for the electrical inputs that operated the lock itself. After a few minutes, the pinging changed pitch indicating that there was an electrical current just beneath it. I tore through the drywall like it was paper and ripped the wires right out. I shredded through the rest of the wall and pushed the deadbolt back into the door. It took every last bit of my strength, but when it finally slid back into place, I was able to pry the door open at last.

It had taken far longer than I’d wanted it to. I’d lost precious time. The head of the Venuti family was ancient and powerful. She could already be hurt or worse than that, she could be dead.

I had to get to her. Quickly.

Even if she did survive this, the ramifications of killing the kingpin of the Venuti family could be vast. If word spread that I was nearby, hell, it could even drag all the families into an all-out war. Hundreds of shifters could die, including several more from my pack. Humans could die too.

Whatever she had planned, I had to stop her and carry her out of here. I didn’t care if I had to strip her and spank her ass bright red on the way out.

I sprinted up the stairs and Toboe’s footsteps echoed behind me. I made it all the way to the top floor and when I burst out into the penthouse suite, I was horrified at the sight before my eyes.

There was a trail of dead guards leading to her. I dove into the room just in time to see her aiming her gun straight at the face of Nicolai, the head of the Venuti Clan.

“Ava, stop!” I called out.

She stilled, but she didn’t lower the gun. Nicolai didn’t move, which to his credit was smart of him.

“Lawson Clearwater,” he acknowledged me, but he didn’t take his eyes off the weapon in her hands. “Is this one your responsibility?”

“She is,” I answered.

“The fuck I am,” Ava spat.

“Ava,” I warned, and I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of fear cross her face before her eyes glinted with fury. “Don’t pull that trigger. Don’t put that blood on your hands. Let me help you.”

She didn’t pull the trigger yet, and I was proud of her for it.

“If you kill him, you risk dragging all of the families into war. Vampire. Shifter. All of them. If that happens, people are going to die. Humans too,” I warned her.

I was telling her the truth. She needed to know what would happen she pulled that trigger.

She glanced toward me quickly and a dark shadow glinted in her eyes. Her gaze held mine for a fraction of a second before she turned her head back toward Nicolai. Her mouth set in a grim line and immediately, it felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water right over my head. The muscles in her hand tensed just the slightest bit as she squeezed the trigger, and I knew there was no way I would be able to reach her in time. I ran toward her anyway, but her aim was too true to stop what was already happening.

“I’m counting on it,” she countered, and I watched in almost slow motion as the bullet burst out from the barrel of the gum, sailing through the air and hitting the head vampire directly between his eyes. Even though I’d seen it once before, the explosion of light was still as magnificent to behold as it was the first time. His head burst from within in a glorious display of blood and gore and I swore under my breath.

This was going to be really fucking complicated for me to fix.

I turned back toward her with a rising sense of frustration. She was going to pay for that. Dearly. I would make sure of it.

She reached for the gun loaded with silver bullets that she’d holstered at her waist, but I’d run out of patience. I rushed toward her. I didn’t give her enough time to do anything more than wrap her fingers around the holster before I reached for her and stopped her from doing anything else.

I didn’t say a word as I quickly grasped her wrist and twisted it just far enough to make her cry out with something that sounded like frustration or pain. I didn’t much care which. I pushed it just a little bit further, just enough to remind her who was in control, and she finally relented and dropped the gun. It fell to the floor with a clatter. She tried to pull away and when that didn’t work, she spun toward me. She drew her elbow back and threw it in a fairly well-executed attempt at hitting me with it in the face.

I was ready for her though. I knew she wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Without pause, I gripped her around the waist and casually threw her over my shoulder. Toboe came up beside me and picked up the gun loaded with silver-tipped bullets. He tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. She wouldn’t get it back.

Already familiar with the layout of the penthouse from my stolen blueprints, I exited the room filled with carnage and went off down the hall until I found Nicolai’s office. He wasn’t going to be needing it now, but I most certainly did.

It was a corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows. The lights were off, but they weren’t going to stay that way for long. Set in the center of the room was a grand desk made of luxurious cherry wood and I eyed it. It would be perfect for what she had coming.

“Find the lights, Toboe. I want to make sure the entire city sees what happens to naughty little mates who ignore their alpha’s instructions,” I demanded.

She furiously pummeled her fists into my back. I could hardly feel it. She kicked and squirmed over my shoulder, but it didn’t matter now. I’d gotten my hands on her and it was about time I truly taught her who was in charge. I’d granted her mercy last night, but she didn’t need that. She needed my ruthless control, and she was going to get it.

I’d start with my belt.

The lights clicked on, illuminating the room and exposing us to whomever happened to look up at the penthouse suite of the Venuti tower from down below.

“Barricade the door. I have need of this room and although I’m fairly certain there isn’t anyone left to attack us thanks to my little vampire hunter here, I don’t want to be disturbed,” I barked. Ava’s struggles began anew. She started to scream and call me a number of names. I paid her no mind. She could say whatever she wanted right now.

Before the night was through though, she was going to be screaming my name and begging for mercy.

“Let me go,” she shrieked.

“I made you a promise last night, little mate and I intend to keep it. The only thing up to you now is how long it will take you to beg me for it.”

My cock was already rock hard.

She was in for a very long night.