32. King
King
Ibarely get a few steps when out of the dark streets comes a group of guys. Thugs, gangsters, empty headed muscle. Who knows what they are. I don’t care. I need this, it has been way too long. This is why I hate and love the city.
It’s such a fucking thrill.
“What are you doing on our turf?” One demands and twirls a pole like he’s got skills. I saw Pix do the same thing with a spatula the other day.
I smile wider. I love the tough ones.
“I don’t want any trouble.” See, the problem is, I really, really want trouble. I haven’t had trouble in so long, and this is just a good old beat-up fun time. Just something to take the edge off.
A few bigger guys come out and flank him, they have chains, and one has a machete. Each of them is tattooed with their hair cut short, and they are wearing black and leather with jeans that are halfway down their asses.
This is too easy. It’s almost cruel.
Maybe I’ll just teach them a quick lesson.
“Are you going to do it, or am I?” Raven asks.
“Mine,” I growl instantly.
Her eyebrows go up. “Oh, we get possessive over our fights, too, do we?”
I glance down at her in amusement. She’s deliberately riling these guys up. Her eyes gleam at me, and she turns her head to take in the leader as he approaches.
“We should give you a warning, so at least you have a rough idea of what you are getting into.”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch.”
Raven opens her mouth and closes it. “Well, that just wasn’t nice, not even at all. Oh, darling? Come, take me away so King can play.”
Rolly bounds over and steals our Raven away from me. I’m still smiling, but it’s even wider. I’m excited.
Raven and Rolly stand close by, I can feel them watching.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say to them quietly. “You can walk away and pretend like you never saw me.”
“Nah, not a big threat like you. We can’t ignore you. You shouldn’t be here, homie.”
“Homie?” I wrinkle my nose in distaste. “Please refrain from using words like that for me. My name is King, or you may call me Alpha.”
“Alpha?” The guy explodes with laughter. He looks around him, checking to make sure all his friends are watching. That they are all sitting there celebrating his incredible intellect.
He swings at me, but I’ve already predicted what he’s going to do, and I step back, then again when he comes for me.
“Rolly?” I say when even more pour into the street.
“I’ve got her. You go do your thing. Have fun, you nutjob.”
“Ya know, I can bloody well take care of myself!” Raven snarls.
“We know, baby, but this is King’s moment. Let him play hero, show off all those rippling muscles so he can get laid good and proper tonight and feel like he’s earned it.”
I’ve stopped even paying attention to the guy, almost all my attention is on Rolly and the ridiculous statement he just told our omega.
“Rolly,” I warn.
“It’s okay, King, I’ve got your back.”
He sits down on some stairs and leans back on his elbow, watching with interest.
“Proceed, your royal hottie.”
I snarl and turn back in time to catch the pole that comes swinging at my head. I drag him up close to me, and in his eyes, I see the dawning realisation that he bit off more than he can chew, but he can’t back down. He’s got to save face with his gang somehow. Running would be worse than losing.
I toss him aside.
In the city, I’m a threat. One that is a challenge and a test. Twelve of them come towards me, and I flex my fingers, the familiar thrill sparking in the base of my spine. My blood races, my vision gets sharper.
Everything becomes more, in a similar but different way as when I’m with my pack. It’s a thrill that makes life worth living. I’ve been shoving down the need to fight, suppressing it.
But when this arrogant alpha gets in my space, snorting and growling, bumping my chest and shoving me, I do the only thing that makes sense.
Uppercut.
He’s out before he even hits the ground.
The world goes still while he flies backwards. The blood from his new wound spraying hot across my face. I grin and exhale in pure joy.
There’s always a moment before they come at me, where they stare at the idiot who challenged me, and they wonder if it’s worth it. Can they take me? They weigh it up. Some might think they can’t, but when they are in a group, they always think they can. Always.
A thin beta throws a punch that I catch. I kick him in the ribs and send him flying at the building.
“Oh, wow,” Raven says. “Oh, you have been holding out on us, King.”
I spare a moment to wink at her and then break someone’s nose.
I am a flurry of movement, vicious, elegant, an artist.
“Do you need a hand?” Rolly asks.
“Do you want to die?”
Rolly laughs, but then out of the corner of my eye, I see the rest of the pack. I see the way Blaze licks his lips and steps forward, the way Sage analyzes my movements, and the way Roseland and Pix get wary.
I continue hitting them until they stop moving. Until they stop coming. Until my chest is heaving, and I’m coated in sweat. I scrape my blue hair out of my eyes, glancing at the tattoos I’ve been studiously ignoring.
“King?” Rolly purrs. “Your reward.”
I look up and smile, wild, and with the part of myself that relishes bloodshed.
When I turn, Merle is watching me. She moves towards me, hesitating and uneasy. I didn’t want to scare her. There’s a deep moment of regret, and then she’s wrapped her arms around me.
I cradle her gently, holding her while my mind races to catch up.
She doesn’t hate me.
I huff out a breath, struggling to control my emotions. She isn’t scared of me.
I pull back so she can see me, and I can see her.
“I thought you would hate this.” I wave a hand at the unconscious bodies.
She shakes her head.
“Merle, are you sure?”
She frowns and crooks her finger. I lean down towards her. She flicks me in the forehead—hard.
“Ow.”
“I’m translating her!” Rolly shouts. “Don’t be a fucking idiot, King.”
Merle smiles at Rolly and nods, looking back at me with a smug expression. She points at Rolly and then bounces into me, hugging me. Merle doesn’t care about the blood or sweat. She is just happy and in my arms.
I don’t think she can get more perfect than she is right now.
Then a dark shape lunges towards us.