Kael's POV
"Aha! Akeldama," Richard touched his hat as his eyes gleamed at the sight of me. His smile was unnervingly creepy—almost like he had something nasty up his sleeve. "Glad to see you made it. For a moment, I thought you were going to call off the meeting."
The reserved lobby was a plush, soundproofed cage. Blood-red velvet couches swallowed the bright light, their gold embroidery glinting like predatory eyes in the shadows. The air hung heavy with the scent of old cigar smoke and expensive perfume, a cloying mixture that failed to mask the underlying tension. My bodyguards, as well as Richard's, flanked the entrance, still as statues, their presence a silent warning that privacy here was enforced by brute strength.
"Would have gladly." I deadpanned, sitting on the couch across Richard. "The choice of location is a bit…" My eyes met his, cold and searching. "…off."
Richard chuckled—a sound so fake it hurt my ears. "Trust me, Akeldama. Mama Silk's little place is never… off."
Richard West was your average billionaire playboy, without the body and looks of course. He was rather out of form; fat, sweaty and ugly—his auburn hair and freckles did him no good either. Sometimes, I wondered how he managed to become his pack's alpha.
"Trust, you say, West." I leaned into the couch, eyes never leaving him.
"How foolish of me." He chuckled as though he had said the joke of the century. "I forgot trust doesn't exist in our little world. How sad."
A pause.
"I hear Whiteclaw has conquered half of the west and are threatening to cross your borders." I began the business of the night. Cautious. Calculating.
"Yes." His tone got serious, even his eyes had darkened. "They will cross our borders and then come for you and your Ironwood pack. It's why you and I should join forces. Only then, can we get rid of those white pests."
I scoffed, amused. "Join forces with you Bloodmooners? How funny."
Richard's onyx eyes flashed red… literally. "Don't underestimate my pack, Akeldama."
"I do as I please."
The meeting continued despite the increasing tension in the lobby. Matters of state were discussed, deals were struck and alliance was formed—every word holding a dagger ready to pierce.
"Wonderful," Richard beamed once the final deal was struck. "And right on time too."
"Right on time for what?"
The air crackled, the scent of ozone and old magic raising the hairs on my arms. My pulse was a war drum in my ears, my wolf slamming against my ribs, desperate for a freedom I hadn't allowed it in years.
There she was—guards-men's hat sitting on her silky black hair which was cropped in a bob, moist cherry red lips slightly parted. She had put on a red halter and black G-string, just like the other two dancers, her outfit barely covered her familiar porcelain white skin; skin that was now mostly covered with ink.
Her onyx eyes widened the second they met mine.
"Jade." Her sweet name fell from my lips.
Her response was a scowl so deep it caused my heart to recoil in guilt. Had it been seven years before, she would have run to me, arms open and with a smile so big. Instead, she and the other dancers filed their way onto the dance floor where three poles stood erect.
"Lovely." I heard Richard mutter under his breath.
He leisurely ran his lustful eyes all over the dancers' bodies. The moment his eyes settled on Jade's cleavage my wolf growled—my nails dug into my palms as I tried to keep myself from lashing out.
As the sultry music wrapped around us, Jade moved. Her hand on the pole was a caress I remembered on my skin. The arch of her spine was the same one she used to make when she stretched after a shift. She spun, a dizzying, beautiful blur, and for a heart-stopping second, it was seven years ago and she was running beside me, a flash of russet fur and wild joy.
Then the music shifted, and her gaze hardened, shattering the illusion. The memories curdled into the present reality. This was a desecration of what we had. Every fluid movement was a lie, a performance that mocked our past. The ink on her skin wasn't decoration; it was armor, and each mark felt like a seal over a scar I had given her.
Minutes passed, the beat slowed to a pause, and the bright lights flooded the lobby again. Jade, defiant and ethereal, heaved hard, her body glistening with sweat. Her hard gaze never left me for so much as a second.
"Beautiful." Richard's thunderous laughter broke the tension between us. He clapped hard and loud, marveling at the dancers. Then, he turned to me with a smirk. "You should have the black haired one, Akeldama. Her eyes have been on you throughout."
I returned my gaze to Jade—she was still staring at me. I let the tension bridle before throwing her a challenging smirk. "I should."
Her jaw ticked and her eyes flashed red. I watched her chest rise and fall, a tempest in flesh, and it all made my smirk deepen.
——
Jade's POV
My body sank into the softness of the bed and scent of its sheets, relief washing over me. The air conditioner blasted cold air in the room easing my perspiration. The bedrooms at Velvet Inferno's were all top notch; comfortable, huge and luxurious—just how mama Silk liked it. The one Kael had opted for was no exception, maybe just a lot better.
Kael. I hadn't expected to see him again after all those years. Especially not after what he had done. He was so much different now, good different; he had become Alpha of Ironwood, my wolf had sensed it—sensed him, his new authority, his dominance. I recalled how my heart had accelerated when my eyes had fallen on him—surprised yet hopeful, however, those words from that day came rushing to my mind.
The door creaked open, and a familiar electric feeling shot through me; it was him, I didn't even have to look to be sure. His domineering aura occupied the room so much it was difficult to breathe properly.
"Are you just gonna stand by the door, Alpha?" My voice was calm and mocking. "Or will you come in and have your way with me? Either way, it's your choice."
A footfall. The door creaked. Then, his voice, authoritative and deep, bounced off the white walls, "Strip."
I hesitated, stunned for a second. However, the second passed, and loud, shrill laughter echoed in the room. I laughed hard, my arms clenching my stomach. Moments later, a sigh escaped me. I pulled myself up and sat upright, leaning against the headboard.
My eyes slowly took him in, a small smile still lingering; dark hair, ice blue eyes and bronze skin. His black suit had been elegantly tailored to meet his slender yet muscular build.
"Interesting." My hands took the hem of my halter top and rode it to reveal my stomach. I watched, meeting his gaze. I saw his throat bobbed, and satisfaction seeped into me.
I teased him further, watching his jaw clench, his chest tighten; waiting for him to break. My hands continued to peel the top off my skin slowly till I had finally gotten it off me. The cold atmosphere kissed my skin, covering it in tiny bumps and hardening my nipples—my gaze still locked on him.
He released a soft sigh, his eyes traced every exposed curve and line of my upper body. His pink tongue flashed out, licking his bottom lip, and moist heat pooled in my crotch.
How dare he still have that effect on me.
"Stop." He ordered the moment my hand reached for my G-string.
I arched a brow, questioning.
"How many other men have you done this with?" His question threw me off.
No reply.
"Answer me, Jade." His voice had gone hoarse, although tainted with a silent warning.
"I do not answer to you, Kael." I hissed.
In a blink of an eye, he was hovering above me; strong hands pinning mine to the headboard and his breath a few inches away from my face. His huge body pressed to my small one, raw muscles rubbed against my bare chest—warm and sensational. My toes curled in excitement at the whiff of chypre scent I got.
"I see you still have your speed." I met his cold gaze—struggling to keep my demeanor straight.
"Answer. Me." He flashed his pointy canines.
"And I repeat, I do not answer to you, Kael." I growled; my wolf slamming to be let out. "At least not anymore."
Something between hurt and regret gleamed in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by the coldness I knew—brutal and dark.
"I am Alpha." His wolf puffed up.
I scoffed. "You're not my Alpha. I am packless, remember? Just another omega you exiled."
His grip loosened a bit. I felt his guard lower down a bit but enough for me to flip over him and hold his hand against the headboard. And I comfortably sat over him, straddling his lower body with the bed.
"Fuck!" His eyebrows creased and his canines lengthened, masking surprise with anger.
"I love this feeling…. It's wonderful." I smirked, reveling in satisfaction. I inched forward till our faces were a breath away. "You know what, Kael, this is exactly how I'm gonna take you out. Take away the very thing that makes you."
My essence clawed into his soul—slow and precise, grasping his most prominent emotions; anger and pride, and bending both until it overrode his senses.
"You're just an omega, Jade." He tugged at my hands, trying to break free. To no avail. "Orphaned. Without a pack."
My wolf hissed. I dug my claws into his skin, drawing dark blood. "Well, this omega will ruin your peace, Alpha."
He scoffed, trying to reclaim power. "You can posture all you want in this room, Jade. But it means nothing. You have no power in my world."
His words brought a smile to my face. "If you believe so, send me to the gauntlet."