Chapter 25
(Chapter song ‘You Give Love A Bad Name' by Jon Bon Jovi)
LUKE
After dropping everyone off in White Rock, I drive myself and my new Dragon friend back to Red Rock.
I get just inside town and stop. We're in a secluded spot by a bunch of warehouses. Not that it matters in this city. I could beat this guy in the middle of the street and no one would care. But, right now, I just want to keep this between us.
I open up the trunk and he's panicking. "Good. You're awake." I grab him by the hair and drag him out to the ground. He fights, whimpers and groans as he hits the ground and I shove him to his knees.
He's pretty beaten and bloody. Just how I like my Dragons. He looks up at me with those creepy ass red eyes.
I squat down in front of him and study him as I tilt my head around. He tries to avoid my eyes as his lip threatens to snarl.
I jut my chin out and rest my arms on my knees. "Now. We are going to have a talk. You cooperate, I let you go. You don't, I use my nifty Alpha powers and bring the Unit down on your Dragon ass. I'm sure you've heard what they do to Dragons." I bounce my brow.
His eyes are wild while he fights the gag in his mouth and starts to mumble a bunch of stuff. He shakes his head to the ground, still mumbling and I stand. His head whips up and watches me walk away.
I walk over to the driver side door, open it and pull out my gun. I pull out the clip, check it and slam it back in. I make sure I make a lot of noise he can hear before I walk back over to him.
I squat down to him and show him the gun. "Silver bullets. You really fuck me over; I'll be handing you to the Unit in a body bag. I won't hesitate." I remove his gag and he chokes out breaths before raising his head to me.
He adjusts himself on the ground. "I don't know what information you expect me to provide to you. I really don't know anything."
I suck in my lip, nod then crinkle my nose as I look at him. "Yeah. All you assholes say that." I grab him the back of his head and jam the barrel of my gun to his forehead. I arch him back as he yells and rise above him.
“I WILL BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT!!” I roar.
"Alright! Alright!" He begs.
I lower myself and stare into his eyes as I keep the barrel pressed to his forehead. The sounds of traffic go by and it doesn’t phase me a bit.
"Alexi Torrent. Where is she?" I demand.
"I-I don't know!” He yells.
"WHERE?!" I growl, shoving the gun into his head.
“OKAY!!” He starts to hyperventilate.
“Tell me.” I pull him close. “Don’t pass out on me now, sweetness.” I smirk.
"I really don't know, but I know where she might be." He says nervously.
I remove my gun and hold it between my knees. "Talk."
"A Dragon safe house. On the south side. If she's needing anything she'll go there." He's practically panting.
"You know where this is?" I side eye him.
He nods, swallowing to catch his breath. "Yes."
I glance at him. "Where are the Lycans?"
"A warehouse on the West side. 5th district. It used to be some sort of furniture factory. You can't miss it, but they won't be there now. Ian gives them specific orders that if he doesn't check in every two hours to pack up and move." He blinks at me.
I look at the ground and look at him grinning. "Perfect." I stand up and lift him to his feet.
"Wha... What are you going to do?" He looks at me with scared eyes.
I stop and look him over. "First, you're gonna need some clothes."
His brows come together. "What?"
"Come on." I pull him to the truck.
****
I told the Dragon to go get Alexi and bring her to me then I wouldn't hunt his ass down... yet. I'm surprised he complied so well, but considering what I did to Ian, he's probably thinking it's best not to piss me off.
After he hit her, I told him to get lost. He was out before my words were.
Seeing her unconscious had me thinking about our little bedroom session. How sexy she looked with her eyes opened and closed. I hate that she's bleeding though. My wolf is losing his shit. He hates what I'm doing, but it has to be done this way. I need to cage her somehow. This is as good as I can come up with.
So, here we sit and... um... stand.
The big standoff to see who's gonna blab first.
I stare at her tied to the pole. She’s extremely pissed. Her curls are wild. Her cheeks are heated on her flawless skin. She actually looks hot all tied up.
I sit back and smirk. I eye her as I cross my leg and dramatically place my hands behind my head.
She scowls. "What?"
I shake my head. "Nothin’. Under different circumstances, this could be kind of kinky." I lick my lip, give her a once over and grin. “I'll remember this for later.” I wink.
"Ugh... Brute." She turns her head away.
"Hey, I didn't hear any complaints from you while you were riding it. So, don't give me that." I say smugly.
"That will never happen again, I assure you." She snubs her nose in the air.
"It will." I get up, stuff my hands in my back pockets and saunter up to her. "It definitely will. You know how I know?"
"How?" She turns her eyes to me and challenges with a sneer.
I slowly look her over and meet her eyes. "You feel the heat. The sexual drive.” My words are quiet and drip with seduction.
I tilt my head and stare. “You feel it just as much as I do. And just like me…” I close the gap tight. “…you can't… fucking… fight it."
As she stared me down, I could see it in her magnificent green eyes. The burning desire to eat me alive. It's the same feeling I have right now.
Her lip curls and she looks at me with disgust, but I know it’s a lie. "What I feel for you is not sexual. Far from it. You're barbaric, uncultured and a complete pig."
I chew my lip. "You know that stings.” I hold up my thumb and forefinger in front of her eyes and scrunch my face. “Just a little."
I turn, walk back to my chair and sit.
I lean back and place my hands behind my head. "You know what I think. I think, you're just mad that you like me. I mean, I get it, what's not to like. But you…” I lean forward and point to her with a smirk. “My sweet… Oh, so hot and gorgeous Alexi…Have it bad and you won't admit it.” I smile like I made an unbeatable argument.
She squints her eyes again. Her offense is actually entertaining at this point. She’s adorable when she’s sick of me. "You arrogant, narcissistic, chauvinistic...."
I shoot forward and point to her. "Hey. I take offense to that one. I'm big on women's rights, ok"
"Oof... Let me go!" She yells as she struggles.
I stand up quick. "No! Alexi! You are going to tell me what I already know!" My voice echoes through the warehouse.
She stares at me. Her lips shrink and she glares with fire in her eyes.
"Tell me!" I yell again.
"Tell you what?!" She yells back.
"That you're not sick and twisted like your father! I want you to say it!" I point aggressively at her.
"My father wasn't sick and twisted. My father was a loving man. He was a ruler. A man of honor and prestige." She held her head high.
I stride up to her and shove my finger in her face. "Your father was a sick fuck that destroyed lives. Killing women and pups to further his reign. He deserved to die."
Anger fills her face. Her lips frown and her eyes glass over. "How dare you. My father was king! You're not even half the Alpha he was. He would have been a God to all wolves had he not been murdered!"
She’s putting up a massive brave front. I can see the death of her father is hitting hard. I get it, but she can’t truly believe the bullshit she just said.
My jaw ticked as my own anger rose. I get up in her face. "Now who's the narcissist." I snarl and turn away.
I walk away, stop then turn back. I hook my fingers on my jeans and raise my chin as I kick out a leg. "How many have you killed?"
"What?" Her brows cinch and she seems surprised at the question.
"While your father was raging across the country, how many did you kill?" I take a few steps and ask again.
Her eyes wandered around the warehouse. She looks back at me and furrows her brow. “What kind of question is that?”
I stride up to her again and lock her eyes. "I know the answer, Alexi. It's none.”
I study her reaction as I tell her my truth. I point out to the side as I stare at her. “That big house. All your pretty dresses and toys. All of it! Was given to you off the blood of hundreds of men, women and babies!” I thump a finger in her chest.
“You talk about honor?!” I glare and look her over. “I don't see honor in that.” I speak darkly and sneer.
"You wouldn't understand my father's conquest." She said meekly.
I turn away and stride across the floor. I stop and spin around, holding my arms out. "Then make me understand, Alexi! Make me! Make me understand how I could be so crazy over the daughter of the fucking Harbinger of Death himself!"
I ripped off my jacket and sling it over the chair because I was getting that fucking heated.
I close the gap. “Make me understand how you can be so incredibly, smoking hot. So fucking talented and smart and come from garbage like Draco Torrent, huh? How?!”
"I'm not responsible for your feelings, Luke."
I wag my finger at her while walking slowly. "No, but you're responsible for yours.” I put mere inches between us. “Tell me."
"I feel nothing for you." She presses her lips together.
"Don't fucking lie to me!!!" I yell loud enough to make her jump.
I flare my eyes. "I know you feel this! Whatever it is. I know you do. I also know you hate what you're doing. But you're forcing yourself to go through with it because you don't want to look weak.”
I can see in her eyes that stung a bit.
My brows stitch up, I tilt my head and shake it slightly. "Baby, you're not weak and you don't have to do this. You don't have to become your father. Let me in. Let me help you."
I reach up, cup her cheek and stroke her skin with my thumb.
She shrugs me off. "No! My father's death will not go unpunished! If I have to kill everyone I will!" She spits.
I grab both her cheeks and force her to look at me. "Please, Alexi. I know how you feel. My fathers in the hospital right now, dying. I spent years being a gigantic dick to him and now, I probably only have a few hours left to make it right. Please. I'm losing my father; I can't lose you, too."
I swallow as I feel my eyes heat.
"I'm sorry, Luke. You never had me to lose. I can't abandon my mission for your broken heart. Or mine. If you care about me at all, you will let me go." Her face turns cold.
I let go of her cheeks and jut my chin out. "I won't let you go because I do care about you. I will save you, Alexi. Even if it's from yourself."
"I don't need saving, Luke."
I nod. "You do. You haven't spilled any blood. You're not your father. I just need you to see that."
I turn and walk back to the chair. "You'll see. The woman inside? That's the real Alexi. And she's begging… No… crying to come out. I saw her in your own eyes when I made love to you. You can deny it all you want, but I know the truth. And I won't stop until you see her, too."
“That is a shame and a waste of time. This is me, Luke. What you want to see is a fantasy. You're not a knight riding in on a white horse and I'm not the type of princess you need to fulfill your conquest. You will leave me be." She had this look of compassion mixed with regret on her face, but there was something else behind her eyes.
I furrow my brow, stand and walk to her. "So, there's no getting through to you. No way at all." I place my hands on my hips and shake my head.
"No." She says bluntly.
I think about it, look to the floor then cup her cheeks with both hands in one swift motion.
I press my lips gently to hers and my tongue asks for entrance. Her lips part and our tongues collide.
She whimpers as I deepen the kiss. Her kiss is still just as mind blowing.
I thread my fingers into her hair and pull back slowly, holding her full bottom lip in my teeth. Her eyes are half closed and dreamy.
I look at her with desire in my eyes. "Does that make a difference?" I mumble on her lips as I play with them.
"No." She whispers.
I barely register the word when I feel a sharp claw under my chin. My eyes widen and her eyes glow green as her wolf surfaces. She holds the cut ropes in her other hand and my eyes flick to it then back at her.
"Don't" I warn as she shoves me back.
"You will leave me be." She growls, turning me around, so she's between me and the door.
"Alexi, please." I practically whine.
Her eyes glow brighter as her wolf stalks closer to the surface.
"Do not follow me." She warns. Her eyes go dark and I sense that she’s not playing at all.
She drops her claw and heads for the door.
"Alexi! Don't do this, please!" I beg.
"Goodbye, Luke." She doesn't look back.
The door slams shut and she's gone.
My frustration builds. Thoughts that she was just playing me, ran through my mind.
My anger grew. I'm losing her. I'm out of options. She's surviving on pain and I don't know how to help her.
My wolf’s rage grows. His confusion is maddening.
I grip my head with both hands. My face grows red with heat as I fight the anger inside.
As my fury explodes, I grab the chair and throw against the wall with a massive scream and growl. It shatters into splinters. I fall to my knees and look up to the ceiling and almost thought about praying at this point. My guts hurt so bad. I'm being torn apart. I can't deal with this.
I reach behind me, pull out my gun, and my eyes fall to it.
If I can't help Alexi, I have no choice. I'm going to have to put her down.
I hang my head, feeling defeated in the darkened warehouse.