Only a mere second passed before the wolf pounced, tearing into the mortal’s throat. When the wolf jumped away, blood rushed from the gaping wound at the man’s neck, and within two breaths, the man stopped struggling. The wolf shifted into his human form, glancing down at the body with a vehement glare.
The vision froze.
Kyden gave Nexi’s hand a final squeeze before releasing it. Part of him wanted to keep her away, shelter her from all this danger and death, but the smarter part—not the territorial side—knew better. She’d chosen this life. “Go on,” he said softly, giving her a small nudge on her lower back. “Have a look.”
She stepped up in front of the killer, and Kyden followed right on her heels. He examined the werewolf’s face. While the wolf’s sinister stare appeared harsh, his features were soft.
Nexi must’ve thought the same, since she turned to him with a furrowed brow. “Why would he do this to him? He seems, I don’t know—” She examined the werewolf again, then shrugged. “Nice looking.”
“Don’t let the looks fool you,” Haven interjected with haunted eyes. “Trust me, they’re deceiving.”
Kyden agreed—he’d seen vampires who looked like the girl next door turn into lethal killers. “In most cases, a wolf attacks because the animal inside takes over and they can’t control the urge to hunt.”
Nexi nibbled her lip, eying him with curiosity shadowing her expression. “I know I’m the newbie here, but he appeared in complete control of himself.”
Kyden nodded. “If he had lost control, he wouldn’t have been able to shift. His wolf would’ve taken over.” He scanned the man from head to toe, memorizing his features before turning to Nexi again. “What troubles me more is this is the second werewolf killing recently.” Pain rippled across her features at the reminder of her parents’ death, but he couldn’t sugarcoat things. “And the murders have happened in two different states.”
Silence drifted among them.
Kyden spotted the concern in Haven’s eyes and even in Foley’s tense posture. Briggs hadn’t lied to Nexi—werewolf killings were rare, so why had it happened twice? And why had Nexi’s family been targeted, as well as the man at Kyden’s feet?
It had crossed his mind that the werewolves knew of Nexi’s true supernatural heritage and for whatever reason that might’ve been the cause of the attack, but the theory only made sense if no killings came after it. The man at his feet was a mortal. What could possibly tie this human and Nexi’s parents together?
Kyden had no clue. That was the problem, thus further frustrating him.
After a long pause, Foley broke the silence. “Before you arrived, my partner sent word that the werewolf he tracked is at a club owned by the New York pack, Howl at the Moon.”
Nexi rolled her eyes, folding her arms. “Do supernaturals have nothin’ better to do than spend their nights at clubs?”
“Supernaturals are sensual, invigorating creatures,” Kyden told her, thinking to himself that he used to be one of them. Now he was simply a deprived supernatural. “Attending clubs is a good place to meet others looking to fulfill that need.”
She snorted. “Hard life.”
Kyden agreed something had been hard for weeks now.
It wasn’t his life.
Chapter Nine
The moment Nexi entered Howl at the Moon she concluded supernaturals excelled in the nightlife industry. Everything in the dance club portrayed wealth, including the red leather couches, dozens of crystal chandeliers over tables, and huge tropical fish tanks lining the wall.
Leaning against the marble bar, she eyed a strawberry daiquiri, craving some liquid courage right now, in a room full of wolves. She knew they weren’t supposed to be bad, but that didn’t change the fact that they had a habit of attacking—and sometimes killing—people.
Instead of hoping for the impossible with the booze, she scanned the dance floor, trying to find the killer that Foley’s partner tracked to the club. Inside the classy lounge, tables were scattered in front of the stage at the back, and couples swayed to the beat on the dance floor before the blues-rock band.
The longer she studied the werewolves, the more questions rose in her mind. In the nightclub, mostly werewolves attended, but there were a few mortals, all of whom looked out of place, uncomfortable even.
Needing clarification, she turned to Kyden next to her. “At the vampire club it seemed so energized with…” She paused, her cheeks warming, then she finally gave up trying to find an easier way to say energized with lust. “Everyone tonight seems like they’re in love and no one seems at all interested in the humans. Why is that?”
Kyden’s mouth curved in his sexy way. “Most of the couples are destined mates and carry a deep bond forged by their magic.”
Perhaps with their near kiss attempt tonight made her all very needy, since seeing all the couples around her, brought forth a sense of almost…jealousy. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, she studied a couple on the dance floor who embraced each other in a way that illustrated Kyden’s words.
Intense passion all but dripped off the air. When she looked to Kyden, he stared at her with something similar, causing her body to flush. She cleared her throat. “Guardians don’t have this type of thing, right?”
He shook his head, leaned against the bar, and the soft lights above accentuated his six-pack. “Our bond is based on love, not on a soul-deep connection like werewolves. But we do have a ceremony that magically bonds guardian mates and deepens the relationship.”
Her lips parted to ask what exactly that meant in normal talk, when she spotted a familiar face over his shoulder. She squinted, wanting to be sure she saw this right, but her eyes didn’t betray her. “He’s there.”
Kyden didn’t hesitate. He spun on his heel and rushed the werewolf. Nexi had never seen him move so fast, and she liked—a lot—that he took her word without investigating himself if she had the right person.
Not giving the man the chance to run, Kyden had him by the throat with one hand while the other gripped the werewolf’s shoulder. Struggling against Kyden’s hold, the werewolf attempted to free himself, as Kyden shoved the wolf backward to the far side of the club.
Nexi hurried after him, watching the werewolves in the club glancing their way before each and every one ignored the commotion. She wondered if anyone would protect the werewolf—one of their own—from Kyden, but no one moved to help him. Clearly, they didn’t mess with Otherworld business.
Staying right on Kyden’s heels, and unable to tear her eyes off his flexing back muscles under the force of disabling the werewolf, she followed him down a long hallway. Only a few steps later, he entered a room off to the right.
When Nexi stepped over the threshold, she wasn’t surprised by the private lounging area with the small silver tables scattered throughout, or the low, intimate lighting. However, she was sure as shit flabbergasted by the werewolves on the circular bench.
The nude werewolf straddled the male werewolf’s lap, moaning deeply with her head thrown back. Nexi groaned in discomfort. Kyden pushed the killer to the floor, kneeled on his back, then he looked to her with a smile.
Her face heated all the way up to her hairline and she looked away, avoiding Kyden’s awareness of her embarrassment. Glancing to the cavorting wolves, she said in a loud clear voice, “Sorry to interrupt.”
Both jerked their heads toward her. The woman’s eyes widened and with a gasp, she was on her feet, totally buck-ass nude. She grabbed her clothes from the floor, then ran out of the room with a face burning brighter than Nexi’s. Which Nexi thought was ridiculous, wasn’t as if the door had been locked.
Besides, ha**ng s*x in some club—even a fancy one—didn’t spell romance. Not that Nexi had much experience in that department. Still, if being a supernatural meant sweaty sex in a nightclub with a stranger, she’d rather be labeled a mortal, who had morals.
Glancing away from the door the woman had vanished through, she discovered the man standing with an arrogant slowness. He pulled up his pants over his hips, grinning at her. “Did you enjoy yourself?”
To her immediate horror, she almost blurted out that yes, in fact, the view hadn’t been horrible to watch. But she was relieved that Kyden interrupted such humiliation before it had a chance to leave her lips. “Get out. Now.”
The man zipped up his fly, and winked at Nexi.
Once he left the room and shut the door behind him, Nexi exhaled a long deep breath, but her thoughts were doing strange things. Like, putting imagines of her and Kyden doing what she had witnessed—plus many more interesting things—into her mind.
Breaking her train of thought, Kyden said in a tight voice, “You know why we’re here.” He’d never sounded so dangerous, and when he stood, towering over the werewolf remaining on the floor, he’d never looked so dangerous, either. “You’ll answer for the life you’ve taken. What’s your name?”
“Jaxon.” The wolf’s black eyes widened as dark strands of hair fell over the side of his face. “You’re wrong. I didn’t kill anyone.”