An enormous crash sounded and something hit Cian in the back. He grunted in pain and slammed against Lyric, pinning her for a painful moment to the counter. Cian pushed something off of him. It was the door.
“Fuck!” he yelled as he released her and held his hand onto the back of his head.
The entire door was splintered and leaning awkwardly against the counter now, and through the open doorway stormed a monster.
It took Lyric a split second to realize it was Vic. He looked different. Terrifying. Bigger. Wider. His eyes were glowing such a bright gold, it lifted chills up her spine. It was the first time she’d seen him without the contacts in, and he was different than his happy funny self now. He was vengeance.
Cian didn’t have time to do more than back up a step before Vic was on him. He ripped him away from Lyric and slammed him against the kitchen island. There were three quick hits to Cian’s face, and then he took a step and slid him off the counter. Cian’s body went flying into the stone hearth. Eden screamed and had to jump out of the way as he turned on her.
“Did you hit her?” he snarled at Eden.
“She hit me!”
“Good!” he roared in her face.
And Eden the untouchable. Eden the pretend Alpha. Eden the eternal bully. She cowered and exposed her neck to Vic, and that told Lyric all she needed to know—Vic had been hiding the monster inside of him.
A quick glance out the open door, and it was just his truck, still on, headlights aimed at the corner of the house. He’d skidded sideways to a stop, and there was no one else in there.
He hadn’t brought any backup.
Chills, chills, chills.
He spat on the ground beside Eden and ripped his terrifying gaze from her, then strode for Lyric. “Are you good?” he asked in a demon’s voice she didn’t recognize.
She nodded, and on instinct reached for him. His hand slid to her throat, and he kissed her right there in front of Eden and Cian. It was quick and violent, but it settled something inside of her. She was safe now.
“Where is your stuff?” he ground out in an animal’s voice.
“Uhh-ummm, I’m packing the suitcase. Eden took the keys to my car.”
“Why,” he barked out.
“Because it’s not her car!” Eden griped. “My father gave it to her. Everything transferred to my name when your Pack fucking killed him! That car belongs to me now.”
“It’s fine,” Lyric murmured. “I don’t want anything with their name on it. I’ll figure out a car later. I want some of the dishes from here though. They’re sentimental.”
“Take your time,” he gritted out, eyes on Cian as he stood slowly. “I hear that wolf in you,” Vic said, standing to his full height. The heaviness that washed off of him made it hard to breath. “You want that fight? Fuckin’ gladly. Go outside.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Cian asked.
“Your upgrade.” He lifted his chin into the air. “Fuckin’ clearly.”
“Do you know who I am?” Cian asked.
The truth in Vic’s voice rang with each of his words. “No and I don’t care who you are.”
Lyric hid a smile. Cian wouldn’t like that. He thrived on the fame of his role as a War Wolf for the Elders. Vic was a bigger beast though. She could feel it. Cian would too.
She reached into the cupboards and sifted through the mismatched dishes, finding the mint green worn out pots and pans that Grandma had given her.
Vic stood between her and Cian and Eden. At the front door, the Pack was gathering, but they weren’t coming in. They looked uncertain. Lyric could see it in the sideways glances they were giving each other.
“It’s one asshole!” Eden yelled. “Get him!” But Lyric noticed Eden wasn’t Changing to attack him either. Vic was unsettling them all.
“I’ll kill anyone who steps foot in here,” Vic said in a dead voice. Whoooo the truth rang out in his tone. A memory of the scars on his back flashed through her mind. “You’ll let her leave with me or you’ll lose your lives. I will run through this entire Pack if I have to, and piss on your carcasses. I won’t call a cleaning crew. I won’t bury you. I’ll let the crows have you andnot lose an ounce of sleep. You can rot on this land you took from my people, you fucking parasites.”
Lyric pursed her lips at the coldness in his tone. Monster.
