I greeted him with my middle finger.
"She's not with you?" asked Magnus, peering over my shoulder.
"I sent her a car. She should be here shortly."
"Well," Gunnar prompted. "Tell us about her."
"She spent the last few years working at Sterling & Associates. She’s efficient. She has a mind for logistics that borders on the surgical."
"Like I give a fuck about her brain." Gunnar rolled his eyes. "Is she hot?"
"She has excellent hips for breeding, and breasts large enough that we shouldn't need to mess with formula. She’ll needa bit of training, of course. She’s spent ten years trying to be a human, playing at being a 'Junior Associate.' It won’t take me long to teach her the way of things."
Magnus raised a brow. Gunnar smirked. Neither of them contradicted me. We all knew that we would have no choice in our brides. Magnus was already spoken for, and his time was coming up. I think my parents were waiting for Gunnar to mature more.
"So, did you tap that ass already?"
They'd be waiting on Gunnar for a while.
I pictured Adolpha's face in the office; that defiant, emerald fire in her eyes. I felt that same dark, low-frequency thrum in my blood that had hit me the moment I smelled her. She was a prize, the ultimate trophy to signify the end of the Vane line and the expansion of ours. I would put her in the finest silks, drip her in diamonds, and show the city that even the most rebellious wolf could be brought to heel by the right master.
"You’re going to break her?" Gunnar asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
"I’m going to refine her," I corrected.
I wasn't a monster; I was a protector. I would treat her with the respect a Blackwood wife deserved. But first, I would ensure she understood the hierarchy. She would be the jewel in our crown; silent, beautiful, and mine for the taking.
The sound of tires crunching on gravel drifted through the open window.
"She’s here." Magnus straightened up, his posture shifting into the defensive stance of a soldier.
I smoothed my jacket and checked my reflection in the darkened glass. I looked exactly like my father—immovable, absolute. Adolpha Vane was about to step out of that car and into a life she couldn't even imagine. And I was going to be the first thing she saw.
Magnus and Gunnar exchanged a lightning-fast look, a silent communication perfected over decades of shared trouble, and then they lunged.
The defensive stance Magnus had taken wasn't for a soldier; it was for a tackle. He hit me mid-turn, his massive shoulder catching me in the ribs, while Gunnar dived for my waist. Suddenly, the three most powerful men in the Blackwood empire were a heap of tangled limbs and muffled curses on the plush rug of the den.
"Get off me," I growled, shoving Gunnar’s head away.
"Why so eager, bro?" Gunnar panted, pinning my arm.
"Stop being fucking children," I snapped, throwing a blind elbow that connected with Magnus’s chest.
Magnus grunted, locking his arms around my waist to keep me from the door. "We’re just performing a security check."
It was as if we were ten years old again, a chaotic scuffle of teeth and elbows. I finally managed to plant a foot and heave, sending Gunnar rolling across the floor. I broke free from Magnus’s grip with a snarl, scrambled to my feet, and practically dove into the hallway. I stopped just short of the Great Hall, gasping for air, frantically straightening my shirt and smoothing my hair back into its disciplined mask.
I took a breath, composed my face into an expression of cold, aristocratic welcome, and stepped out onto the marble. But I was too late. The heavy oak front door was already wide open. Ivar stood on the threshold. He leaned against the frame and made puppy-dog eyes at my bride to be.
Addie stood on the stoop, her face set in a mask of pure, icy fury that could have withered a lesser man. She looked ready to demand a refund on her life. When her eyes landed on Ivar, her anger momentarily derailed by the sight of the boyish grin greeting her.
"Well, well," Ivar said, his voice a smooth, honeyed purr. "Vidar didn't mention he was bringing home a goddess. Honestly, you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."
Addie blinked, her corporate mask slipping as she processed the sheer audacity of the kid.
"Too bad you have to marry my stiff older brother. But don't worry. I’ll be around to make you laugh when he starts lecturing you on logistics."
To my utter shock, a grin broke across Addie’s face; a genuine flash of humor that I hadn't seen in our meeting.
