Cassius’s POV
“Alpha, there’s suspicious activity at the bar. A rogue just stepped inside.”
Caleb’s mind-link came in sharp and urgent.
My entire body went rigid.
April was alone, and I had left the bar a few hours before. Fuck! Why did I leave her alone?
“Hold your positions. I’m on my way.”
I was already shifting as I sent the command, my wolf tearing through the forest, closing the distance with brutal efficiency. The second I reached the designated post near the bar, Marcus was waiting with a change of clothes.
I shifted back, pulling them on fast. “Report.”
“The rogue entered five minutes ago,” Marcus said lowly. “No sign of others outside. April’s shift was ending, so she’s alone.”
The last part made my wolf snarl.
“Surround the place,” I ordered through the mind link. “No one in or out until I say so. I’ll handle this.”
The air was thick with tension as I approached the bar. From the outside, everything looked normal. The neon sign flickered, casting a dull glow on the pavement. But I could feel it-the shift in the air, the wrongness creeping beneath the surface.
I stepped inside.
The rogue sat at the bar, his back to me, casually nursing a drink. Too comfortable. Too at ease.
April stood behind the counter, eyes locked on him, fingers curled around the handle of a knife. Her body was tense, ready. She hadn’t seen me yet.
The bastard chuckled, tapping his glass. “You always this unfriendly, sweetheart?”
April didn’t respond. But I saw the way her jaw clenched, the way her grip on the knife tightened ever so slightly.
My wolf rumbled in fury.
I stepped forward, letting my presence fill the space. “She’s not your sweetheart.”
The rogue stiffened. Slowly, he turned his head, eyes meeting mine. His smirk faltered, but he recovered quickly.
“Well, well, well “, he drawled, setting his glass down. “Didn’t know the Alpha of the Crescent Moon park liked to frequent little bars like these.”
I smiled coldly. “And I didn’t know rats liked to drink in plain sight.”
His nostrils flared. He wasn’t expecting me. Good.
April’s eyes flicked to me, and for a brief second, something in her posture relaxed. But she didn’t drop her guard.
I kept my gaze locked on the rogue, my stance deceptively casual. “You have two options. One-tell me why the fuck you’re here. Two-I break every bone in your body before you can even think of lying.”
His smirk returned, but I saw the flicker of unease in his eyes.
This was going to be fun.