Chapter 10

Patience's POV

The gunshots echoed intermittently and soon died down.

The Mandala Pack's guards swiftly stormed into the restaurant, encircling the middle-aged man who had fired the shots.

Though surrounded, the man still pointed his gun at Cyrus, creating a tense stalemate.

"It's because of your Gross Group that my friend went bankrupt and his family was destroyed! You have to pay with your life!"

The man's eyes blazed with hatred as he shouted, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Is that so?" Despite the gun aimed at his forehead, Cyrus's handsome face remained unruffled.

He even began to stride toward the man, his tone nonchalant. "Many have tried to kill me. Do you have what it takes to succeed?"

"Don't come any closer!" The man, caught off guard by Cyrus's advance, panicked.

His hand shook violently as he threatened, "I'll shoot if you take another step! I swear I will!"

Unfazed, Cyrus continued his approach, quickening his pace.

Everyone held their breath, eyes locked on the unfolding drama, too terrified to move or even breathe.

As Cyrus neared, the man, overwhelmed by fear, pulled the trigger.

But in the next instant, Cyrus's hand clamped down like a vise on the man's wrist.

The bullet flew wide, grazing the man's ear and embedding itself in the wall.

"You... you..." The man's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend how his action was so effortlessly thwarted.

In the blink of an eye, the gun was in Cyrus's hand, its muzzle now pressed steadily against the man's temple.

"What are you going to do?" The man's voice quivered, all color drained from his face.

"Did you really think about the consequences before trying to kill me?" Cyrus's expression was indifferent as if discussing something trivial. His slender fingers slowly cocked the hammer.

The sound of the gun being chambered rang sharply in the silent restaurant, followed by a chorus of gasps.

That man's terror intensified. He nearly collapsed to the ground. "You... you wouldn't dare! If you kill me in public, you'll go to jail!"

"Shall we find out?" Cyrus's tone was as light as a breeze. "Unfortunately, you won't be around to see the result."

With that, an invisible aura emanated from him.

"Drop the gun!" I suddenly spoke up, my voice steady as my gun found its target at the back of Cyrus's head.

Ripples appeared in Cyrus's previously deadpan pheromones.

This unexpected turn caught everyone off guard, even the Mandala Pack's elite guards failed to notice how I had silently positioned myself behind him.

To them, I was just an ordinary she-wolf.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Yvette's jaw drop in disbelief.

Clearly, she hadn't anticipated my sudden move—pointing a gun at Cyrus's head.

Kelsey and his friends were stunned, their faces etched with shock.

Instinctively, Kelsey made to lunge forward but was pinned in place by the low-pressure aura emanating from Cyrus.

I also caught Hazel's gaze, filled with mockery as if she was enjoying a good show.

"Do you know this man?" Cyrus's languid voice carried a hint of amusement, though his emotions remained inscrutable.

"I don't," I said.

"Then why aid an armed criminal?" He tilted his head slightly, as if sizing me up.

His carotid artery throbbed gently with each breath, an Alpha's vulnerable spot laid bare before me without hesitation.

"His crimes will be dealt with by the law," I retorted firmly.

My grip on the gun grew slightly numb from his intensifying aura, "You're safe now. He can't harm you anymore. You have no right to decide his life or death!"

"And yet, here you are, aiming a gun at me to decide mine," he countered, his tone laced with mockery.

I pressed my lips together, silent, but my hold on the gun strengthened.

If Cyrus were to kill here and now, it would only exacerbate the werewolves' already precarious standing.

Cyrus pressed the gun harder against the man's temple.

"Don't move!" I barked at Cyrus, my finger tensing on the trigger.

"I've always disliked meddlers."

Cyrus's voice dropped, cold as winter wind sweeping through a pine forest. "I thought you were a smart woman. Seems I overestimated you. How disappointing."

The moment his words fell, a powerful sense of danger exploded inside me.

It was the aura of a top-tier Alpha, a tangible wave of cold surging from him, freezing the air in an instant, even distorting the light.

Everyone paled. Several low-ranking werewolves curled up on the ground in terror.

Kelsey stood there, holding Hazel, his body trembling uncontrollably.

I saw Cyrus turn to face me, his eyes swirling with lethal intent that threatened to consume one whole.

His pupils narrowed into slits. The aura he exuded was like an invisible giant hand, squeezing my throat and demanding my submission.

But at this critical moment, my wolf unleashed its aura, resisting that crushing force.

My hand holding the gun remained as steady as a rock, my eyes unwavering as they met his slit pupils.

In that instant of intense collision between our auras, almost tearing the very space apart, a group of policemen burst in, guns drawn and shouting, "Nobody move!"