CALIFF
“You’re a werecat.” I stood before him. He was locked up inside the cell. The bars were thick enough that it would take time for him to cut it through with his claws.
“Yes.” He finally woke up, and his bite- a werewolf bite, and my claws left nasty scars on his skin.
“So what’s your beef with my kind?”
“Claire,” Sebastien replied from the concrete stairs.
“Elder Aciano’s wife.” I turned to him. “Why her?”
“You’re asking the wrong question, Alpha Califf. He and Claire had a brief relationship.” Sebastien came down with an old photo in his hand.
I almost chuckled, reminding myself of Shadow’s speculation.
“A Lycan Alpha King. It’s almost an honor meeting you.” For a moment, I thought I saw an awe and fear in his eyes as he looked at Sebastien.
“Unbelievable. So, this is all about you being rejected for Aciano.” I scoffed. “Killing my kind for your revenge plot of mending a broken heart.”
“Oh, no.” A smug smile appeared on his lips. “You got it all wrong. I’m not the big fish here. I’m merely a soldier, the muscle, the tactical specialist.”
“So they’re tracking you here, and you just gave away our location. Is that it?”
“This is the second time you changed your location, Alpha King. But you got rid of my clothes, Alpha Califf. Although, I know how you jump from place to place.”
My growl was cut short when Shadow stomped down, eyes bulging with rage. “And you killed my wolf, asshole!”
I inwardly groaned as I glanced at my mate. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m sorry, Alpha. I can’t stop her,” Zack said, growling at Kain.
“Glad you’re healed.”
“Shut up! Your time is over, old cat!” he yelled at Kain, who didn’t even flinch.
“You’re shot with a bullet, not with silver. It was on purpose, young man.”
“I don’t care. It still hurts like shit.”
“Zack, stay back and shut your mouth,” I ordered him, and he lowered his gaze and did as I told him.
“Interesting.” Sebastien crossed his arms over his chest as he studied Kain.
“Where’s Aciano?” I growled at him.
“Alive and breathing.” He smiled meaningfully but not evilly. What did he benefit from any of this? My intuition told me that he had something in his head that almost pained me to know it or might be something eye-opening.
“You’re here to kill me?” Great. Calder just joined us. My nose flared for so many interruptions. “It wasn’t enough for you to almost kill my wolf by letting me drink Wolfsbane.”
“Quite a reunion, isn’t it?” Sebastien just grabbed Calder, locked his neck, and pinned him, ready to snap my brother’s head.
“Alpha, please, don’t do this.” Frightened, my breathing held as I stared at him. Then Kain’s eyes went wide, his grip on the bars tightened, almost ready to jump out of the cage if he could.
“Father, what are you doing?” Shadow gasped in shock at her father’s change of heart. “Let him go. He doesn’t care even if Calder dies. He even ordered his men to kill him.”
“You almost killed my daughter. Her wolf and gift were gone, leaving her vulnerable to my enemies.” A feral growl erupted from his chest, and his eyes glowed silver. “How about I kill your nephew right before you, Haynes?”
Kain swallowed hard. His nose flared, and barely blinked. His mad cat’s eyes focused on Sebastien. His reactions almost convinced me that he cared for my brother.
“Please, sir. He doesn’t care about me. It stopped the moment he faked his own death.” Calder had his hands gripped around Sebastien’s arm. I saw so much fear in his eyes.
My heart pounded. My breathing held. “Alpha King, let go of my brother, please? He doesn’t deserve to die for that piece of shit.” I pointed at Kain inside the cell. “He let us catch him for this very reason.”
Aside from he was stronger than me, he could snap my brother’s neck in a millisecond before I could knock him down.
“Please, father. I’m begging you,” Shadow pled. “He should be suffering right now, not Calder. He ordered his men to kill us.”
“No, he didn’t.” His lips curved up with a faint smile. “He ordered you to kill his men. I just saw how he looked at Calder. He loved him like his own son, and when I threatened his nephew.” He let go of Calder, patting him on his shoulder. “He wanted to rip my head off. Apology for the drama, son.”
“Yes. I came for him and ordered you all to kill them.”
Zack snorted. “We don’t take orders from you, dipshit!”
My head snapped at him. “You have something important to say, Zack?”
“Don’t tell me you all believe in his shit after what this prick did to Shadow?”
“He’s not the leader,” I stated factually.
“Yes. I said the truth. You can ask your witch to take the truth from me. I was attacked and bitten seven years ago by a werecat. That’s how I became one. It was an Alpha. I turned, but I knew your kind existed. I had to fake my death. And yes, it’s true. Claire and I were in love a long, long time ago, and then just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “She changed and broke up with me to be with Aciano. I joined the pack at first after I was bitten. Things fell apart. We were attacked. I scoured the world to find my own kind. I had no luck.”
“Why do I feel this is a collaborated story.”
“You don’t have any reasons to believe me, Alpha Califf, but I’m telling you the truth. Not until five years ago. A werewolf recruited me. I believe you are looking for Obsidian Society.”
The underground went eerily silent.
“Ah.” Kain nodded. “The werewolf recruited me is one of the Obsidian. I accepted it to avenge my fallen Alpha, but it was against our code. And then months ago, I was on an assignment until last week when I saw the picture of my nephew as one of our targets.”
“Bullshit. After all these years, you didn’t even come and visit me. You made me think you’re dead. I mourned for you. I cried on an empty grave.”
“You know your species. You and I were enemies, and once they knew you’re a werewolf and you, Calder, is good as dead.”
“You’re full of shit. I don’t believe a word you said!” He exhaled an enormous gust. His eyes filled with anger and unshed tears.
As if his luck of explaining ran out, Kain dragged himself down the floor and leaned against the concrete, his face filled with a hollow ache. “I did a lot of terrible things in my life, but I never wanted to hurt you. I helped you suppress what you are because of the danger out there, and you could end up dead. Ask your brother what your father did to the pack. You’re the first to die if the lone survivor linked your connection with your father.” He knew. Kain knew everything.
My jaw dropped.
“What the hell are you talking about, old man?” He went closer to Kain and gripped the bars tightly. His muscles protruded, his body shaking. “I respected you and looked up to you as my hero. I cried, and I thought you died as a hero.”
“Your father slaughtered my entire pack, including my dad, Sebastien’s twin, and my mother,” Shadow said out loud.
Kain gasped. “It was you. The lone survivor.”