22

ALEXANDER

For a reason I couldn’t explain why watching Claude with Alina pissed me the fuck. It was till there no matter how many times I tried to rationalize it.

She wasn’t in his arms or anything dramatic like that. But she was standing beside him, close enough to touch, and her cheeks were flushed with amusement at something he’d said. The way her lips parted into a small smile, barely there, and yet just enough to make something snap inside me.

It was irrational. Stupid. Unfounded.

But I wanted to punch him. Hard. Maybe knock a few teeth out so he’d stop smiling like that. Especially to her.

I usually didn’t give a damn who Claude flirted with. If anything, I encouraged it. He had a habit of bedding anyone I discarded, and it never once bothered me. Most of the women didn’t matter beyond the moment. The only exception was Keisha, and even that was my own mistake.

So why the hell was this any different?

Maybe it was because he looked too at ease beside Alina. Too confident. His smile was too wide, and her eyes softened just a bit too much.

And that was the moment I wanted to rip him apart.

People usually liked Claude more than they liked me. Understandably so. He was charming, easy to talk to, and good at hiding the monster in him. I didn’t bother hiding mine. I let the world see it and recoil. They followed me out of fear, not love. Not loyalty.

It was always just obligation.

Better to stay close than die screaming.

But with Claude, people wanted to follow. They practically handed themselves to him, smiling all the while. He didn’t need to use fear, he used finesse. He could talk a person into surrendering their soul, and they’d thank him for the privilege.

“Beautiful parcel delivered in perfect health,” he said as he walked her over to the car and held the door open.

Even though I was standing right there.

I clenched my jaw.

Her cheeks turned the faintest shade deeper, and I saw red.

“Have fun. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Claude added with a wink as he shut the door behind her.

I resisted the urge to claw his eyes out. Barely.

I circled to the driver’s side, throwing him a glare as he followed me. I knew he would. That was why I baited him in the first place.

“Since when did you two become best friends?” I asked casually, even though nothing about the way I said it felt calm.

“Well, I wouldn’t say best friends,” he replied with maddening ease. “But give it time. We’ll get there.”

I knew what he was doing. Poking the bear. Fishing for a reaction.

It would’ve been smarter to ignore him. But rational thought didn’t apply when it came to her.

“Stay away from her,” I said flatly. “She’s not one of your toys. Or one of your stupid social experiments.”

Claude laughed loudly, shameless, obnoxious.

“What experiment?” he asked, then gasped theatrically. “You wound me, brother. That’s not my intention. Though… if you must know, I was simply curious.”

He shot me a dramatic shrug before continuing, “I heard Lycans raised by wolves behave differently. Thought she’d be more feral. So far, she’s… boring.”

He sounded genuinely disappointed by that.

“If she snaps by the next full moon, we’ll know she’s infected,” he said, patting my shoulder with that smug grin. “Then we can talk about reversing the damage.”

I jerked away, letting his hand fall.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” he muttered, giving me the same disgusted look one might give something rotting in the sun.

“Asshole?” I repeated with a snort. “This from the man who slept with his girlfriend’s sister and had the audacity to tell her she was better in bed. To her face. You’re not just an asshole, Claude. You’re the blueprint.”

“And you’re the brooding cat man,” he shot back weakly.

I shook my head and got into the car, deciding his brain needed a full reset. Maybe then he’d finally grow the hell up.

As I started the engine, he waved like a lunatic.

“Bye! Don’t forget your sunscreen. Or your feelings,” he added with a grin that made me want to hit something.

I didn’t tell him where we were going. I could feel it eating him alive, not knowing.

The silence in the car stretched until I finally asked, “Did he ask where we were going?”

Alina was sitting rigidly, her eyes glued to the passing trees outside the window. She looked like she was bracing herself for war.

“Yes,” she answered quietly.

“What did you tell him?”

“Nothing,” she said, her voice firmer this time.

She glanced at me, just for a second, and I caught it, the flicker of defiance in her eyes. Barely there, but real.

She wanted to glare. Wanted to say something smart. She was holding it back, but I saw it.

That fire Claude kept talking about… it was there. Small, hidden, but growing.

“Good,” I muttered. “Don’t tell him.”

I turned my attention back to the road, my hands tightening on the wheel.

We weren’t going anywhere special. No trip. No getaway. Nothing romantic.

The council had summoned us. They wanted to “evaluate” her. See if she was worthy of my claim or some political bullshit like that.

I didn’t give a damn what they thought.

She was mine. Mine to keep. Mine to shape. Mine to decide.

Whether they approved or not meant nothing to me.

Still, stirring the pot sounded fun. Watching their reactions might even brighten my mood.

She was dressed in jeans and a plain shirt, her style left much to be desired. But for now, I’d let it slide. Eventually, she’d be working with a stylist. Looking the part.

I glanced at her again.

“You didn’t eat, did you?”

She didn’t answer, not right away. Just sat there, her head lowered, her fingers wound tightly together like they were the only things holding her in place.

I could practically hear the sarcastic comment in her throat. She was biting it back. Maybe because she was afraid. Or maybe… maybe she didn’t want to give me the satisfaction.

Either way, it made me want to push harder.

I wanted to see what would happen if I pushed her too far. If she’d snap. If she’d fight me.

Because fighting with someone who doesn’t push back is boring. And I was starting to think she might not be boring at all.

I wanted her to let loose. I wanted to see the beast inside her.

I wanted to see if her monster matched mine.

And if it did?

Then I’d never let her go. Not in this life. Not in the next.

Not even in hell.