Again, showing respect, alluding to Austin being an alpha worthy of high praise. Too bad their damned animals had to make things difficult.
He inclined his head in thanks. “I must confess, I haven’t heard a tremendous amount about you. What I have heard seems to be in line with your greeting.”
Drex didn’t balk at the small dig. “On purpose, yes. I wanted to see what manner of alpha you were. How you would react.” He paused for a moment. “We were setup to ambush you”—he turned and pointed farther up the road—“just over the berm there. You stopped early. How’d you know?”
Austin was silent for a beat, holding that weighted, aggressive, challenging stare.
“That is a question for my mate. Have a care how you speak to her,” Austin said, his voice laced with warning. “I have no control when it pertains to her.”
A rush of rage filled his bearing. He would burn down the world if anyone were to harm her, and it was imperative this alpha knew that. Ashvale’s people would not be safe if she were harmed. No one would.
Subtle movements flared along the alpha’s body. His head inclined slightly, almost imperceptibly.Respect.
“Understood,” Drex said. At least he had the same values where it concerned mates.
“Jess,” Austin said.
He felt her hand slip into his as she moved to his side. She was giving him comfort, though she did not understand the root of the hostility. She likely never would. It wasn’t how she or her beast worked, fighting those you hoped to align with. She did, however, understand a threat to her people, and he could feel her swirling hostility and knew that she had a firm hold on her magic.
“Hello,” she said to Drex. Her tone was pleasant and light, accommodating, like this wasn’t a standoff and she wasn’t prepared to splatter his people across the dirt. The woman was perfect for her role as leader. “I’m Jessie Ironheart. You can call me Jessie. You are wearing the Ivy House uniform.”
As though pulled by a string, Drex’s bunched muscles smoothed, and his posture loosened, releasing his tension. Whatever issues his beast had with Austin, they did not extend to Jess.
“I am,” he said, less gruffly. “I like to keep abreast of the goings-on in the magical community, and I saw a random comment about the absurdity of your training outfits. I wondered if it bothered you.”
He paused for a reaction and was rewarded with an entire conversation in body language. First, Jess turned to give Sebastian alook, probably pertaining to the comment about Elliot Graves wearing something like that to get a rise out of her, and then she turned back in utter confusion.
“It’s a cover-up,” she said, crinkling her nose at him. “What are they looking for, a tux? Who wastes their time commenting on stuff like that?”
Drex’s eyes started to glitter. “True. And honestly, now that I am wearing one, I find it quite airy and nice.”
“That’s what our phoenix says,” she responded, displeased. “She could’ve told you herself, but you made her stay at the motel.”
Drex’s eyebrows pulled together marginally, and his lips tightened.Wariness.
“Yes,” he said, his tone even. “Given how we planned to test Alpha Steele, I had concerns about the more dangerous members of your pack—or convocation, if that is more apt. I now realize we still allowed you too much power for what we planned. I confess, I didn’t believe the rumors regarding your reputed might. Not when slimmed down and in comparison to mine, I mean. I’ve put together a solid team. A powerful team, filled with honed and trained fighters. No one has ever topped their combined power. I knew, with a phoenix, basajaunak, and battle-hardened fliers, you’d give me a run for my money. I didn’t think, in my wildest dreams, this slimmed down version of yourcrewwould cause me to fear for my people.”
He paused, and for the first time, let his gaze slip beyond the line to the team with them.
“I didn’t believe the shifter beta was a past alpha,” he admitted. “People tend to inflate a beta’s ability when they are above average. His name didn’t register—I assume it has been changed and the past forgotten? But yes, there he is, with power nearly equaling my own.” He shook his head. “And the gargoyle, larger than life, with his shadows and his subtle challenges that most people won’t engage in. He can plainly see that I am not one of those people. I have a feeling I’ll only get such a challenge in a dark alley when we can fight dirty and no one will know.”
Drex was certainly well informed. He’d gone past the rumors and done some serious research. Austin wondered what Niamh made of that.
His gaze came back to Jess. “I’ll be frank with you, Jessie, because you seem like an honest person, given you are advertising your every thought. My first inclination is to be humbled, but I’m inspired. More so because Alpha Steele doesn’t boast about his incredible power or the might of his team.He doesn’t flaunt it, or swagger, even as I stand here, waiting to engage. There is no ego in his posture or smug pride in his people. He, and they, are calm, rational ruthlessness. Thiswasn’trumored. Not by anyone. People are too busy being wary about his wildness to take in his stoic efficiency, and that is a real shame.”
Austin inclined his head again, accepting that great compliment with the pride for which it was meant. “Given what I’ve heard of your madness, that is all anyone sees in you, as well.”
Drex’s gaze slid back to Austin. “I’ve cultivated that persona, but yes, that is all they see. And that’s fine. It serves our purposes here. But should I leave the safe seclusion of these woods, I’ll use you as inspiration—as a model, perhaps—of a more dignified way of making people nervous.”
Austin nearly laughed. “High praise, though probably misguided.”
“Credit where credit is due, and yeah, probably. Doing things the traditional way is boring, as you seem to know.” He hesitated. “I must know, did you really best the phoenix? I know you have one, and legends say you must dominate them to earn their loyalty but…that is a little farfetched, no?”
“I did. I had no choice. Jess called in the phoenix with her magic, but she didn’t yet have enough power to take one on. There was no one else. It was kill the phoenix or get taken down by her and my mate along with me. Since then, Jess has fought her own battle with the phoenix and bested her.”
“Something I never want to do again,” Jess said, her hand still tucked into Austin’s. “Though now I have some very serious spells that might make it a bit easier. Maybe.”
Drex nodded and his power started to rise. The challenge would come soon. There would be no avoiding it.
