Chapter One
DEACON
Leaning back on the couch, I ignored my inner beast snarling for this man’s blood and smirked at the short, old, and balding psychiatrist who sat across from me.
He cleared his throat and straightened on his seat. “So, Mr. Blackwood, what brings you into my office?”
His muddy brown gaze glanced up and quickly back down to the clipboard in his hand. It held the form I’d filled in earlier for this new appointment.
My bear rumbled inside of me as the man’s unease slid into my senses, making me want to hold my nose. He reeked, of not only that, but mistrust and a bit of fear.
The only scent that we craved was fear because we thrived from it.
“It’s all written there, Doc.” I tipped my chin at the form.
“Yes, well, I’d still like for you to tell me.” He tucked his pen behind his ear and scratched at his chubby cheek while he glanced at the clock on the wall.
“My brothers are annoying me,” I told him, stretching my arms along the back of the couch, which I sat in the middle of. My suit jacket pulled open, and I caught him glancing at my sides.
Was he looking for a gun?
Amusement swept through me, tugging up the corner of my mouth. I didn’t need a weapon. Not when I was one. Though, my brothers preferred them.
“How so?” he asked, wiping at the sweat forming on his brow.
“They’re younger,” I simply said, kicking my feet up on the coffee table between us.
He hummed under his breath. “Mr. Blackwood, if you’re not willing to elaborate without my prompting, I’m not sure I’m going to be the right therapist for you.” He didn’t even look at me when he spoke.
I cocked my head to the side. “Is this something you say to all your new patients?”
He cleared his throat, adjusting his position again. “Ah, well….” The soon-to-be dead man finally looked at me again when I placed my feet on the floor and leaned forward to rest my elbows on my thighs, clasping my hands in front of me.
His throat slowly moved over a hard swallow.
“Now, about my brothers. You see, they’re a little insane.
Honestly, me included.” His brows shot up.
I grunted. “Though, it’s understandable with what happened in our upbringing.
It’s what drew us together, connected us.
Well, besides our foster mother. We’re not even blood brothers, but we bonded like them, because of the savage way our families ripped into us for being the weakest in our homes.
In the end, we became one fucked-up family since our packs didn’t even help us after we’d gone feral. ”
“Feral? Insane?”
I nodded. “We went a little crazy for blood and violence for a while.”
He stared at me, features schooled to a neutral look, but I could see his thoughts running in his eyes.
Is this guy really insane? Do I need help? Do I call for help?
“Packs?”
Rolling my eyes, I chuckled. “That’s what you focus on now?”
He shifted slightly as his heart rate increased, making him stink even worse. “O-Okay then. Ah, what do you mean? What are you talking about being feral and hungry for… blood? And humans? Like you’re not, ah, one?”
I waved his questions away. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s get back to me venting about my younger brothers.”
“N-No, please. I’d like to know what you mean about being feral.
” He cleared his throat and flicked his gaze all around me, but not on me.
“You… you also said packs, like it’s used for animals.
Do you class yourself and your brothers as animals?
” He swiped at his sweaty upper lip. Obviously, he was still trying to reach for a human explanation for my words.
A vindictive smile emerged on my lips. “In fact, Doc, we do.”
He nodded over and over to himself as he relaxed a little. He probably thought I was using metaphors when it came to being feral animals.
He’d soon discover he was wrong.
He hummed. “I’m sorry, but I’m doubting your statement since an animal wouldn’t dress or speak as you do.” He forced a chuckle. “So, please tell me why you would call yourselves animals?” He started tapping his pen to the clipboard. “Do you mean through work? What do you do?”
Smirking, I leaned back into the couch once again, resting one arm up along the back. “You’ve got it all wrong, Doc. We really are beasts, but at least I like being an animal. I enjoy the violence, the blood, the hunt. It means I can deal with vile, dirty creatures… like you are.”
Instantly, color drained from his face and his wide eyes slowly climbed up to mine. He flinched from my hardened gaze. “W-What?” The clipboard slipped from his loose hand and dropped to the ground.
Terror saturated the room, and I drew it in with a big breath.
My smile grew while my bear rumbled inside me. He pushed against my leash, wanting out to devour the abhorrent thing before us, but my bear would never be free unless I allowed it.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Doc. How your sessions with your younger patients become hands-on.” My upper lip rose in a silent snarl.
“N-No, you’re wrong. I would never—”
“Lies,” I roared, my beast rattling my chest.
Urine filled the air.
“Fucking disgusting. You pissing yourself only adds to your guilt. You wouldn’t be so scared otherwise. Besides, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t true, if I hadn’t already seen the proof, you sick fuck.”
He went to stand but collapsed back into his seat, muttering, “T-There’s no proof. I didn’t—”
“Don’t,” I warned roughly.
He froze while I slowly stood.
“There’s no use trying to talk yourself out of it.
The end will be the same.” I kicked the coffee table out of the way, and he let out a whimper, body trembling.
“With you dead.” Holding up my hand, I watched his eyes as tears formed and fell when my nails elongated and sharpened right in front of him.
Annoyance rolled through me when he started sobbing. I should have guessed he’d be a crier. Begging would come next. But before he could open his mouth to utter a word or scream, I lunged and slashed my claws across his jugular.
Blood sprayed, hitting me in the face.
“Fucking hell,” I muttered while the doc gripped his throat and choked on his blood.
Moving over, I grabbed the coffee table and straightened it, planting the wood in front of him.
I sat on it and watched as his life slowly leaked out of him.
When I let my bear shine through my gaze and my canine teeth lengthened in a partial shift, a snort of humor escaped me as the sick fuck tried to scream, but it came out as a gurgle.
I should have filmed this for my brothers.
After a low rumble from my bear, the fucker slumped lifeless into his chair.
My phone vibrated inside my pocket. I pulled it free and saw my brother’s name on the screen. “Nox?”
“You done? We’ve got that other meet in an hour.”
Shit. “I’ve got to clean up, and then I’ll be ready.”
“Good because you know what’ll happen if I have to deal with this dickhead.”
I did.
Nox wasn’t a patient shifter. He took what he wanted, but when it came to the cartel, we had to tread a little more carefully since there were thousands of them.
Not that my group couldn’t handle them if we had to.
We would and in the end, we’d be the victors.
But I didn’t want to deal with Nox and our other brother, Riker, complaining about all the injuries we’d no doubt get and then heal from.
Also, we had a few hired humans help us, who we had to take care of.
“I said I’d be there, and I will.”
“Fine,” Nox stated and hung up. Riker must have pissed him off; usually he wasn’t so surly.
Okay, that was a damn lie. He was always a grump, but with me, he tried to curb it—one of the benefits of my bear being more alpha than his tiger and he didn’t want to irk my beast. The last time that happened, we fought, and he ended up with two broken legs.
Then again, I didn’t leave Nox alone with Riker too much because our brother, in his human or fox form, could annoy the calmest of men with his hyper personality.
Pocketing my phone, I sighed down at the mess.
This was the worst part of dealing out the punishment, but I wouldn’t have anyone else do it. Killing disgusting humans like this calmed our animals in ways nothing else could, and that made the world safer for everyone.
After stepping out of my car freshly showered, Riker skipped up to my side from where he’d been leaning against the wall with Nox. “Deacon, I wanna know if we can take this place? I want it. Smells yum and look how busy it is. We’d make millions.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder, and he settled for a moment. Looking up at me, he met my gaze instead of his bouncing all around us. “We already have millions, Riker.”
“It ain’t about the money,” he reminded himself.
“Exactly.”
He pouted, cocking his head to the side. “Still, it would have been good to add a restaurant to the list of businesses.”
“Maybe another time.” I dropped my hand and stepped up to Nox. “How many?”
He’d been the one to scout this place before I arrived.
“Twenty inside. Fifteen posing as customers, the other five in the private room with Santiago. Ten more out back, and we’re currently being watched by another six.”
Riker snorted and danced around me to the other side while stretching his arms out in front of himself.
He always moved nonstop, making most onlookers believe he was on something or drunk.
To Nox and me, he was just cunning and smart, but a little different; the torture he’d endured by his old pack had been even worse than what Nox and I had experienced.
“There’s another two out there. So, eight. Watching. Waiting.” He nodded with a crooked smile.
I believed him, and even though Nox’s jaw clenched in irritation for missing the other two, he had faith in his brother. Riker’s nose was never wrong.
“Right. Let’s get this over with.” I started for the door with them at my back.