Chapter 16

Darius.

I was torn from my sleep by a thunderous crash, a noise so jarring it yanked me into consciousness as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over my head. My instincts kicked in, and I shot upright, my hand darting to the bedside table. My fingers closed around cold steel, and I leveled the gun toward the shadowy bedroom door, heart pounding like a war drum inside my chest.

A door creaked open noisily somewhere down the hall, followed by Jace’s shout, rough and urgent: “Enemy on the perimeter! The gate is down!”

My stomach clenched. Elise. Panic surged through my limbs, propelling me out of bed. My legs tangled in the blankets, nearly sending me sprawling face first into the floor. I kicked them off with a growl and charged for the door, intent on getting to Elise before anyone else does.

I made it to Elise’s room in record time, my hand hovering to grip the handle when it suddenly twisted on its own. The door swung open, and there he was—Hunter.

“What the fuck?” The words tore from my lips, a whole new level of fury searing through my veins. My gaze slid past him, locking onto Elise. Her hair was tousled, her cheeks flushed—not from distress, but something far more damning. My chest tightened. She looked… fine. Too fine. And Hunter? He stood there with that insufferable, cocky grin that made my fists itch.

It took every ounce of my willpower to not grab him and beat the smug look off of his face. Despite my better judgment, I couldn’t hold back the pang of…was it jealousy? No. I didn’t get jealous. What was this shit? Yet, my mouth worked faster than my common sense. “What happened to her neck?”

Hunter’s smirk deepened, lazy and infuriating. “What does it look like?” His drawl was a spark to dry tinder. Elise smacked him in the arm, her cheeks flaring brighter as she launched into a string of creative insults that would’ve impressed even Jace.

Hunter turned his head just enough to glance at her, his tone playful but edged with satisfaction. “You didn’t seem to mind a few seconds ago, little monster.”

“Because you didn’t give me a chance to do or say anything,” she hissed, her cheeks turning redder. She shoved at his back. “Get the hell out of my room!”

Hunter brushed past me, still smirking, and I fought every primal urge to grab him and—no. Not now. Focus.

“What was that noise?” Elise asked, pulling me back to the present. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, but her gaze wasn’t. It dipped lower than my face, and I realized she was staring. At my chest.

My anger ebbed, replaced by a flicker of amusement. Despite my better judgment, I grinned and teased, “Like what you see?”

Her forest-green eyes framed with thick, sooty lashes flicked up to meet my gaze, and her pretty face contorted into a scowl. “No. I was contemplating whether you’d scream like a girl if I ripped out that nipple ring.”

The grin dropped, and I ground my teeth so hard it was a miracle they didn’t crack. “Well, next time you feel oh-so-defenseless with Hunter in your room, maybe he’ll let you test that theory. He’s got two on each nipple. But you probably already knew that, didn’t you?”

Her mouth fell open, her face a mix of outrage and embarrassment, but I didn’t stick around to hear her retort. I spun on my heel and stalked toward the foyer, my temper smoldering like a dying ember.

“Nothing happened, you lousy, piece of—” Elise’s voice cut off as bullets tore through the window near the front door. Glass rained down in a chaotic symphony, and I didn’t think—I moved.

I darted back, grabbing Elise and forcing her to the ground. My body became a shield over hers, her warmth searing through the thin fabric of my sweatpants as I shouted, “Jace! Hunter!” The cacophony of gunfire drowned out everything except my pounding pulse.

“Ironclaws are attacking.” Hunter’s voice came in a monotone of calmness from my left. I glanced back, finding him sitting on the other side of Elise with a gun in his hand. Of course, he was here. Like a damn shadow. “Jace is taking care of the ones on the roof.”

“Why aren’t you helping him?” I snarled. “You know the code.”

Hunter hesitated—a flicker, a breath—but I caught it. His gaze darted to Elise, then back to me. “The code changes when our priority is keeping her alive.”

“I can take care of her!” My voice rose, a snarl laced with frustration and something else I refused to name. “Jace can’t take on an army alone!”

“You underestimate him,” Hunter said, unbothered. “He’ll be fine.”

Elise cut in before I could argue further. “Wait—the Ironclaws. Isn’t that the same group that attacked during the race?”

I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my focus. “Yes.”

“Why are they here now?” she pressed.

“Same reason every other clan comes after your father,” I muttered, peeking around the corner.

“He’s a shady bastard?” she guessed, and despite myself, a smirk tugged at my lips. Hunter chuckled softly behind us, and for a moment, the tension lifted.

Her voice turned quieter. “Is it… because of the robbery?”

Her face darkened, memories flickering in her eyes. I knew where her mind had gone. The night her mother died.

“If it helps,” Hunter said, his voice unusually subdued, “I don’t know either. But I’d bet your father and Darius here got tangled in something they shouldn’t have.”

“Fuck off,” I snapped, shooting him a glare.

“Stating the obvious,” he shrugged. “And she’s right—it happened the night of the race, and now this.”

Hunter glanced at the front door, loading his gun. “Company. Three… two… one!”

The door exploded into splinters, revealing a wolf so massive its shoulders brushed the frame, navy markings streaking its ears.

“Stay down,” I growled, passing my gun to Hunter. My bones cracked and stretched as I shifted into my wolf form.

It was time to remind these bastards whose territory they’d stepped onto.