Just soft eyes and relaxed shoulders.
Like… this was normal for him. For us.
Are we?—
A loud bang echoed from inside the container. The sound snapped me back to reality like a whip crack, dragging me out of the softness and into the steel-edged role I had to play.
I let my arm drop and turned away, sucking in a breath to gather my scattered pieces.
No time to feel. No time for anything but answers and vengeance.
Focus.
“I’m doing this,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze. “I’m not some fragile princess. I’m a Syndicate boss through and through. Got it?”
He held my gaze for a few seconds, searching for more than I wanted to show. Then, jaw tight, he gave a clipped nod and stepped back. It wasn't an agreement. It was a show of respect, the kind that came from knowing I wasn’t going to back down and trusting me to make the right choice.
The door creaked again. Maso had opened it wider, his silent message clear as day.Ready?
I gave Alic one last look before stepping past Maso and into the container, letting the cold darkness swallow me whole. The door shut behind us with a metallic thud, and a single light flickered on overhead.
The space was tight and cold, the air thick with metal and sweat.
Chained in the center, like a captured beast, was a man on his knees. Both arms shackled to the floor, an iron muzzle locked tight over his face. A collar was wrapped around his throat, its taut leash hooked to the ceiling above.
He didn’t flinch when the light hit him. Just raised his head slowly, his dark eyes locking on mine with pure burning hatred.
By scent alone, I would’ve guessed werewolf, but something was off. My magic wasn’t picking up the usual shifter energy. It was muted, like someone had rearranged his natural power until it was somehow less than and also not.
Looking around at the setup, I had to admit that crazy bear girl was good.
“Itak, tsvetochnaya sterva zdes.”
The wolf's voice rasped like gravel under metal, cold and rough. Then, without flinching, he spat blood at my feet, glaring up at me like he was daring me to react.
The sight of him, not cowering, not trembling,defiant the whole way,irked me. No, itinfuriatedme. Everything about him set my nerves on edge. From those sharp, hate-filled eyes to the military-grade boots that reeked of backers with money and danger. My instincts screamed something was wrong here.Unnatural.
?*But the second I let myself remember what his crew tried to do, how they attempted to infiltrate my club, take out my people, and gut my sanctuary from the inside, nothing else mattered. Not the warning bells, not the mystery. Only the pounding bloodlust in my veins, begging to be unleashed, was important now.
“Russian… I think,” Maso said beside me, his voice thoughtful.
Yeah. That was what I thought, too.
I shrugged off my jacket. Wordlessly, Maso stepped forward, holding out his arms, and I handed it over. I rummaged through the inside pocket with practiced ease. A few familiar clinks, then I found exactly what I needed.
“I’m going to ask you this only a few times,” I said, my tone laced with sugar and steel. “And the longer you hold out, the better for me. So, don’t assume I’ll get bored just because I’m a girl. This used to be one of my favorite subjects.”
I opened my palm. A full set of ten rings gleamed back at me, each one adorned with diamonds and rare stones cut sharp enough to shred skin on contact.
“These are more than accessories,” I murmured, slipping them on one by one. “Each one has a story. A memory. This one,” I tapped the rose-gold diamond, “was made by my brother. Said he couldn’t craft anything flashy enough to match my style, but he was wrong.”
The LED light caught the edges just right, and they glittered like fire and ice.
I stepped closer, crouching down to his level and unclasping the muzzle strapped to his head. He blinked up at me as I lifted my hands near his face, fingers spread wide.
“See?” I whispered, wiggling them in front of his eyes. “Look how they shine.”
He opened his mouth, probably to say something smug, but I didn’t give him the chance. I backhanded him, hard. His head snapped sideways. The diamonds did their job, slicing across his cheek in glinting arcs. Blood bloomed, dripping freely.
