CHAPTER SIX
– AZALEA –
He’s staring at me as if I’ve lost my sanity. To be honest? After the word-vomit I pulled just now? I’d have to agree with him.
Karev takes a few steps back, opens the door and bellows, “Prez, Shock, Tritan, Levan. Got a sec?”
Four guys walk inside and Karev shuts the door again.
“Take a seat, cookie, and slowly start to explain from the start,” Karev says and crosses his arms in front of his chest.
Such massive, muscled forearms. He has tattoos on one arm, and I wonder if he has more.
“Maybe you should step outside so she can focus.” Levan chuckles and I narrow my eyes.
“Don’t give me that look. I was being nice.
I can feel you took some of the jealous rage I felt inside me.
It’s been there for days, and then you show up, point shit out, and for the first time in a while I can see things clearly because I feel at ease instead of on edge. ”
Jealousy is something I easily pick up on. I have the ability to feed on it to diffuse a situation. In return it gives me a monumental boost. It’s a different thing if I feel jealous myself, then it heightens my powers.
With Levan I felt the need to drain it from him, and it’s why I shrug and mutter, “You’re welcome.”
My attention turns to Karev and this time I focus on his face, and the situation at hand. “I don’t know the exact details, because no one tells me anything. What I mentioned are the things I’ve seen and what my sister, Annetta, just told me.”
“Then give us the information you know and we’ll go from there,” Sevrin says.
Turning to the president of this motorcycle club, I let my shoulders drop and take a seat. “Fine. It’s not like I have a choice with that guy over there keeping me hostage. Not very nice.”
Triton chuckles. “I’m only doing what VP asked me to do.”
VP. I glance at the name patch on Karev’s chest. Vice president. Sevrin has one that states President.
My eyes go wide and then narrow at the VP in question, who happens to be my fated mate, and repeat, “Not nice at all.”
“Explain again, Lea,” he rumbles.
“It’s Azalea,” I correct.
The man holds my stare, and I notice the corner of his mouth twitch before he huskily says, “Lea.”
Triton’s voice breaks the tension between us when he starts to talk.
“So, you have two sisters. Anger and murder, you’re jealousy.
Furies. Your father rules the Maryland underworld.
It’s not a complete surprise that one of his daughters is the fated mate of a hellhound.
I mean, Karev’s ancestors did guard the gates of the underworld. ”
“Clearly, it’s not something we need to discuss. These two are fated mates, but the shit Karev was tied to? The deal Calvania forced upon him? It was fishy. He was off the hook...”
Karev nods and cuts Sevrin off to finish with, “But if I claim my fated mate I have to deal with Calvania because his intention was to chain a hellhound to his services. Why? I have no damn clue. Though, my mate says she can’t go back for that reason, and also because she’d have to kill her sister who still wants me. ”
“The sister who you needed to marry if you didn’t get the coins in time?” Levan asks.
“Yes, Alora, she’s the oldest. Alora insulted a hellhound who fancied her,” I murmur and wring my hands.
I remember my father was injured a few months ago. He was almost beheaded and took months to heal. I tried to check on him, but I was kept out of his room by the werewolves guarding him. Did the hellhound do that? Ugh. I hate being the one left out of things.
“Which is why he hired a pack of werewolves,” Karev states, leaving me to nod.
We always had some security, but not to the amount we have now.
Which makes me say, “Maybe he’s scared because he almost lost his head, and it took months to recover...he almost didn’t.”
“A hellhound almost killed him?” Shock asks. “Why wouldn’t the hellhound incinerate him, and go for beheading instead?”
I pull my shoulders up and let them drop. “Dunno. No one tells me anything.”
Karev sighs and steps closer. “You mentioned your father wanted an alpha hellhound. One with three heads and you didn’t know there was such a thing until you saw me shift. So, your father doesn’t know I’m an alpha? Is he looking for one because the hellhound Alora insulted is one too?”
Jealousy spikes inside me when I hear my sister’s name tumble from his lips and it makes me snarl, “Don’t say her name.”
“Dude. You might need to claim her to tone down the jealousy. If mere voicing a chick’s name makes her flip her shit, and one touching you ends up dead? Holy shit...she’s lethal,” Levan whispers.
“She doesn’t like it because that one is obsessed with wanting me,” Karev calmly states while holding my gaze to add, “She reeks of smoke, Lea.”
Smoke. Not cookies and waffles. Relief calms down the jealousy. Karev gives me a sexy smile and shoots me a wink. My belly flops and I can feel a wave of tingles spread through my veins.
Remembering what Annetta said, I tell him, “When Alora found out Drexel only had two heads, she insulted him and dumped his ass, because he told her he was a powerful hellhound and he clearly wasn’t.”
The smile slides off his face, and he harshly snarls, “Drexel? How the fuck do you know Drexel?”
“I don’t. Annetta told me about it before I got here.
I didn’t even know about a hellhound having two or three heads.
Seriously, no one tells me anything. When I got home after I followed you, my father was still trying to calm down Alora.
Who I’m sure is still seething and doesn’t want another hellhound because she’s put her sights on you. ”
“Not gonna happen if I’m your mate,” he easily fires back.
I huff out a frustrating breath. “Didn’t you hear me say all those things? If you claim me, my father will force you to fight for him. I can’t let you get hurt or used. Again, your buddy needs to release the magic so I can go home.”
Karev points at his denim cut. “You’re not going anywhere. You put your essence on me, which in return makes you mine.”
For a fragment of a second, I want to point out the fact that the red smudge is on the other side of his denim cut. On the other hand, it feels good to hear him say he’s mine as I am his.
Wait. He clearly can’t see it himself.
Which means...I turn to Triton. “Can you see my claim?”
He gives me a tight nod. “It’s how we discovered you.”
I can feel my cheeks heat. “I didn’t mean to mark him.”
Triton chuckles. “You probably didn’t have a choice. It’s your body reacting.”
“Cut it out,” Karev rumbles.
“She infecting you with jealous rage, brother?” Levan asks with a smile in his voice.
Karev flips him off and takes a few steps in my direction. “Have you seen Drexel, and when was the last interaction between him and your family?”
“I’ve already said everything I know. Like I mentioned, no one tells me anything,” I huff.
“She needs to go back and get more details,” Shock rumbles.
I start to wring my hands again, not liking this idea at all.
Hell, I’m not liking any of this. Finding a fated mate should be a joyous thing.
Unique. A one in a million shot at everlasting happiness.
Well, for me it means ripping my sister’s head clean off to end her obsession with my mate and making sure my father doesn’t make him fight to save his own ass. Which could end in all their deaths.
“She’s not going back,” Karev simply states.
I’m liking the way he throws out those words with determination, and yet it’s futile. “I have to go back. My father will send...”
“Let him fucking send those dogs, and I’ll gladly rip them to pieces,” Karev snarls.
“Okay, now I see the whole vicious match. Nice.” Levan chuckles.
Sevrin holds his hand palm up. “Calm down, VP. Now, Lea, you mentioned how no one tells you anything. Would your father or your sister notice if you’re not home?”
I purse my lips. “Missing dinner won’t go over too well. On the other hand, my father might still be focusing on Alora. She’s a real drama queen.”
“Says the jealous one who shredded a chick for touching her fated mate,” Levan mutters under his breath.
I fucking hear him loud and clear and turn to him to snap, “She wanted to suck his cock.”
Levan shrugs. “You could have cunt-punched her instead of killing, making her watch Karev claim you.”
Glaring at the shark shifter, I grumble, “Then she’d still have a mouth, and I didn’t like the thought of...”
Karev cuts me off by saying, “This is beside the point. She agreed to no more killing. For now, Lea is going to stay here while Prez and I have a little chat. Then we’ll update everyone tomorrow morning.”
“Keep her in your room.” Sevrin turns to Triton. “Adjust the spell. I don’t want her wandering around. Saying she won’t kill isn’t enough for me.”
Way to make a girl feel welcome. Then again, I’m used to being ignored and excluded at home...so, I guess things never change.