Wings of Shadow (Bad Boy Shifters of the Unnatural Brethren#4)
1. Kaisner
KAISNER
MUNICH, GERMANY.
T he last time I gathered my lieutenants like this, half of them didn’t survive the meeting.
I sit at the head of the long, ebony table, the smoke from my cigar curling lazily in the air.
The room is dimly lit, the only sound the occasional clink of ice in the glasses of the men gathered before me.
They are the leaders of the various factions within the Drachenstein empire, each one handpicked for their loyalty, their cunning, and their ruthlessness.
“Gentlemen,” I say, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade through flesh. “It has come to my attention that the Schneider family has been overstepping their bounds. They seem to have forgotten the lessons we taught them years ago, when we crushed their pathetic attempt at a rebellion.”
A ripple of laughter echoes around the table, harsh and cold. They all remember that day, the day we painted the streets red with Schneider blood, leaving their broken bodies as a warning to anyone who dared to challenge our power.
“It appears they are in need of a reminder,” I continue, tapping the ash from my cigar. “Lukas, I want you and your men to pay them a visit. Make it clear that their territory belongs to us, and that any further attempts to expand will be met with swift and brutal consequences.”
Lukas, a hulking brute of a man with cold, dead eyes, nods sharply. “As you command, Mein Konig . We will ensure they never forget who rules this city.”
Janik appears at my side, leaning down to whisper, “A message from Viktor Mahindra, Mein Konig. He demands we withdraw from the Mumbai shipping lanes. Thirty days, or face consequences.”
I don’t react, though my grip tightens on my cigar. “Double security,” I murmur back. “Remind Viktor that tigers shouldn’t threaten dragons.”
Janik nods and withdraws silently.
I lean back in my chair, a faint smile playing at the corners of my mouth.
“Good. The rest of you, keep your eyes and ears open. The Schneiders may be the most immediate threat, but they are far from the only ones who would see us fall. We must remain vigilant, always ready to strike at the first sign of disloyalty.”
As the men file out of the room, each one bowing their head in deference as they pass, I allow myself a moment of satisfaction.
Five years ago, when I first inherited the mantle of leadership from my father, the Drachenstein clan was a shadow of its former self, weakened by internal strife and external threats.
But through sheer force of will, through cunning and ruthlessness, and an unwavering commitment to our family’s legacy, I have rebuilt us into a force to be reckoned with once more.
And yet, even as I savor the taste of our renewed power, I cannot shake the feeling that something is missing.
The dragons that once made our family great.
The ancient magic that flows through our veins lies dormant within me, untapped and unused—as it has for all dragon shifters for the last three-hundred years.
Restlessly, I have hunted means to awaken that power, to claim my rightful place as the most fearsome dragon shifter the world has ever seen.
Relentless in my pursuit of this goal, I have delved deep into the dark arts of daemonology, immersing myself in the forbidden knowledge of summoning and binding the creatures that dwell in the shadows.
Whispers of my newfound proficiency have spread swiftly through the underworld, earning me a reputation as a master of the daemonic arts, a warlock to be feared and respected in equal measure.
But bending daemons to my will and harnessing their unholy strength for my purposes is but a means to an end. The true prize, the ultimate ambition, is the awakening of my draconic heritage, the unleashing of the primal force that slumbers within my blood.
And still, despite my mastery of these dark arts, despite the fear and awe I inspire in those who witness my command over the shadow realms, the key to unlocking my dragon remains frustratingly out of reach.
It is a puzzle that consumes my every waking thought, a quest that drives me to the very limits of my sanity.
With each passing day, each failed attempt, my father’s legacy presses down on me, a constant reminder of the vow I made to him on the day we laid him to rest. I will have no peace until I have fulfilled that promise, until I have made the Drachenstein name synonymous with fathomless power and true fear once again.
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts, and I look up to see my most trusted advisor and enforcer, Janik, stepping into the room. “What is it?” I ask, my voice sharp with impatience.
“Forgive the intrusion, Mein Konig ,” Janik says, bowing his head. “But I have received word from our contacts in Paris.”
“Go on,” I utter with a swift nod.
“It seems the Draken clan has done the impossible,” he says under his breath. “They have awakened a dragon shifter for the first time in centuries.”
My body stiffens as I brace myself on the table’s edge.
For a moment, I am speechless, my mind reeling with the implications of this news.
The Drakens, our most formidable rivals, have achieved the very thing I have been striving toward for years.
The thought of them wielding such power, of them claiming the title of the last dragon shifter in the world, fills me with a cold, seething rage.
“How?” I demand, my voice a low growl. “How did they accomplish this?”
Janik shakes his head, his expression grim.
“The details are unclear, Mein Herr . Our sources are still gathering information. But one thing is certain—this changes everything. The balance of power in the shifter world has been upended, and if we do not act quickly, the Drakens will use this to crush us once and for all.”
I clench my fists, my eyes blazing with determined fire.
“They will do no such thing,” I snarl, rising to my feet.
“I will not allow them to claim this victory, to wield a power that should have been ours by right.” A pause to steady my quickened breaths.
“I will find a way to awaken my dragon, to harness the primal power coursing through my veins, and I will show the world what true power looks like.”
Janik nods, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. “What are your orders, Mein Herr ?”
I turn to face the window, looking out over the sprawling expanse of my empire, the city that bows before the might of the Drachenstein name.
“Gather our best men,” I command, my voice ringing out with unwavering authority.
“Reach out to every contact, every informant we have. I want to know everything there is to know about this Draken shifter—their strengths, their weaknesses, their every move.”
“Yes, Mein Herr .”
As Janik hurries off to carry out my orders, I turn back to the window, my gaze hardening with resolve. I lift my hands, studying the play of warm light on my beringed fingers. Each ring represents a hard-won victory, a step closer to the power that is my birthright.
My hands close into fists, the cool metal pressing into my skin.
The path ahead may be fraught with danger, filled with challenges and enemies at every turn, but I am ready to face them all.
For my father, for my family, for the legacy that burns in my blood, I will stop at nothing to claim what is rightfully mine.
The Drakens may think they have the upper hand, but they have no idea who they’re dealing with. I am Kaisner Drachenstein, the most feared warlock across Europe, and soon, the mightiest dragon shifter to emerge in centuries. And I will reduce to ashes anyone who stands in my way…
The sleek lines of my smartphone light up with an incoming message. With a flick of my finger, I unlock the screen, my eyebrows raising slightly as I recognize the sender.
Cassandra Deveraux.
The Deverauxs. One of the oldest and most influential witch dynasties in Europe, their power rivaled only by the Drakens themselves. What could they possibly want with me now, in the midst of this brewing storm?
I tap on the message, my curiosity piqued. As I scan the contents, a slow smile begins to spread across my face.
Intriguing.
The Deveraux witches are not known for their frivolity, and for them to reach out to me directly... well, it can only mean that the winds of change are blowing more fiercely than I had anticipated.
Returning to my chair, I compose my response with a few quick swipes.
As I hit send, I lean back, my mind already racing with the possibilities that lie ahead. The Drakens may have made the first move, but the game is far from over. And with the Deverauxs as potential allies, the board is set for a power play that will reshape the very fabric of our world.
I am the king in a realm of darkness. And I will not rest until the throne is mine.