It was times like these, when his power threatened to flatten everything before him, that I remembered why he was the Master of the City and not someone else.
Dominick was either brave or a fool to challenge him.
Thomas’s magic blazed like the sun, searing in its intensity. You couldn’t help but want to look away for fear of going blind. Only you couldn’t. You were forced to stand still as the owner of that power padded closer. An enthralling, deadly monster that inspired both fear and fascination.
Natalia peered through the open door behind Thomas, letting me catch a glimpse of her.
A subtle tension invaded my body as I fought to keep my reaction off my face. What was Natalia thinking? It would be dangerous for her and the flock if one of Dominick’s people saw her.
Luckily, Helen and Arturas had their backs facing the door, and Dominick stood at an angle that prevented him from seeing outside.
Liam and the rest of our people were trained enough not to react to her presence, their expressions remaining placid.
She waited until I looked at her before mouthing, “Find me when you’re done here.”
Her message delivered, she faded into the night.
“When you asked for permission to enter my territory, I didn’t give it so you could threaten the life of my yearling or covet those whose blood belongs to me.” There was an avid light in Thomas’s eyes as he watched Dominick. A predatory cast to his features that made me go still in the hopes of not attracting his attention. “I would very much like to remove your head from your shoulders for this insult. Give me a reason not to.”
Rage showed on Dominick’s face before it was stamped out. The slimy bastard bowed his head in fake submission. “Forgive me, lord. I misunderstood the situation because of bad intel.” The sidelong look he gave to Kat made her stiffen. “It won’t happen again.”
“It had better not.” Thomas invaded Dominick’s personal space in a way that made the enforcer take a step back. “This won’t be like the last time you threatened one of mine. Step over the line and I won’t care how powerful your backer is. I will make your last moments excruciatingly painful.”
“Where is your eldest, by the way?” Dominick made a show of looking around the room. “From the reports I was given, isn’t he usually stuck to your youngest’s side like a leech?”
The snarl that came from Thomas was low and dangerous. A primal sound that made part of my brain gibber in fear.
His power withdrew a tiny bit. The sense of an avalanche on the horizon sent dread through my veins. I’d only ever seen one through video, but it left me in awe of nature’s power.
This felt like that.
First—the feeling that something massive was coming. The way the walls and wood of the bar creaked as if they too knew shit was about to get real.
Next—the crack as Thomas unleashed a flood of power. Glass breaking behind the bar. Bottles shattering.
And through it all was the instinct to cower.
Jenna sobbed, curling in on herself as Caroline wavered between snarling and whining.
My legs threatened to buckle and a small sound of distress escaped me. I kept my feet, but just barely.
Another few seconds and I wasn’t sure my willpower would endure.
“Thomas, that’s enough!” Liam barked.
Thomas’s face was still coldly furious, but he listened to Liam. His power receded, leaving devastation in its wake.
Jenna cried quietly to herself. Caroline was unable to offer any comfort as she struggled to bring her wolf under control.
Liam took me in his arms. “Are you alright?”
I let him hug me, needing the comfort at I leaned my cheek against his chest. “Dahlia’s going to be so upset when she sees this.”
I felt a little shell shocked as I took in the destruction. It looked like a bomb had gone off. The liquor bottles were shattered. Same for any glasses or beer bottles that had been on the tables. It looked like a spider had set up shop in the mirror, drawing intricate cracks over its surface.
Liam’s cheek briefly rested on my head and he gave one last squeeze before releasing me. “Thomas will make it right.”
He’d better. I didn’t have the money to repair the damage Thomas’s tantrum had done. The liquor alone was at least a thousand dollars.
