bhapter /bb29 /b

Skye’s POVfnc817 Find the newest release on Find★Novel/fnc817

b“/bbStay /bbehind me. It could be dangerous. Don’t wander off,” Adrian said, gripping my hand

firmly.

He maintained his hold on my hand as we hurried back toward the celebration, his touch both protective and reassuring. The warmth of his palm against mine felt oddly right, like an anchor in the sudden chaos. But as we neared the gathered crowd, he released his grip, his fingers slowly slipping away from mine.

A small, unexpected pang of disappointment fluttered in my chest at the loss of contact. Perhaps I was overthinking things. After all, as Nadia had pointed out, Adrian was kind to everyone in his pack. I wasn’t special–just another wolf he was protecting, as any good Alpha would.

When we reached the celebration area, the atmosphere had shifted dramatically. The joyful revelry had given way to tense vignce. Marcus, Nadia, and several wolf warriors formed a tight circle around three strangers. The rest of the pack maintained their distance, watching cautiously but civilly.

I studied the intruders with wary interestb. /bThe leader stood out immediately–a tall, broad–shouldered man with a shock of rust–colored hair and cold, calcting emerald eyes that seemed to evaluate everything as potential prey.

His sharp jawline bwas /bentuated by a thin, well–trimmed beard, and a jagged scar ran from his right temple to his cheekbone, giving his predatory smile a menacing quality.

Unlike Adrian’s clean, tailored appearanceb, /bKane wore a worn leather jacket adorned with what looked disturbingly like w marks, jeans that had seen better days, and heavy boots caked with desert dust. He radiated the unmistakable aura of an Alpha, but his power felt distinctly different from Adrian’s- raw, less controlled, more vtile, like a storm perpetually on the edge of breaking.

Before we could approach further, the strange Alpha spotted Adrian and called out with false cheer.

“Adrian! Finally! I told your underlings bI /bcame for the celebrationb. /bIs this how you treat your guestsb?/bb” /bHis bvoice /bbcarried /bacross the clearing, deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear.

*Kane? How did you get in? I don’t recall inviting youb,/b” Adrian replied, his brow furrowing with obvious displeasureb. /bbHis /bbexpression /bmade it clear they bwere /bifar /ifrom friends.

“Alpha Kane and his subordinates breached our territory without permission,” Marcus exinedb, /banger tightening his sightless eyes. b“/bbThey /binjured bour /bwarriors when we tried to stop them and forced their bway /bto bthe /bcelebration.”

b‘/bbAs /byour neighbor, bam /bI not wee at your little party?” Kane shruggedb, /bstepping toward Adrian with casual arroganceb. /bNadia moved to block bhis /bpath, only to be roughly shoved aside by one of Kane’s wolves.

“What do you really want, Kaneb?/bb” /bAdrian demanded, his voice hardening.

Kane’s smile widened. “I came in good faith to celebrate with you. Look, bI /bbeven /bbbrought /bgifts.” bHe /bgestured to one of hispanions, who stepped forward with a wrapped package. Adrian made no move bto /bept it, so Nadia bintercepted/b, taking it with obvious reluctanceb. /b

‘I’m also here to negotiate,” Kane continued. “Oasisborn bkeeps /bexpanding, taking more than its share. We want theke back.”

Venus stepped forward, her one–armed silhouette sharp against bthe /bntern light. “That ‘shareb‘ /bbwas /bbarren wastnd that you abandoned transforming it into what it is now. You be /bback demanding it? How are you any different frommon bthieves/bb?/bb” /b

pent two byears /b

Kane’s bsmile /bnever faltered. “Don’t forget who the breal /bmasters bof /bthe Texas bdesert /bareb. /bI bwas /bhere long before you. I only let you bsettle /bout of pity.”

b“/bAre you trying to start a bwar/bb?/bb” /bNadia hissed, anger shing in her beyes/b. b“/bRemember where you are. This is our territory.b” /b

‘You don’t really think bwe /bcame with just three bwolves/b, do you?” Kane replied, his tone deceptively light.

“Enough,b” /bAdrian’s voice cut through the tension like a de. “Alpha bKane/bb, /bthisnd belonged to no bpack /bwhen bwe /bbarrived/bb. /bToday is bour /bbtwo/bb–/byear anniversaryb. /bbIf /byou want to stay for a drink, my friend can prepare one for you.” He nodded toward me. “bBut /bbif /bbyou’ve /bbe /bto take what bisn’t /byours, byou’ll /bhave to prove you’re capableb. /bNo matter how many bwolves /bbyou’ve /bbrought, we’ll meet your challenge.b” /b

Something flickered across Kane’s bface/bb–/bbsurprise/b, perhaps, at Adrian’s directness. But his arrogant smirk quickly breturned/bb. /bb“/bbOf /bbcourse /bbI’m /bhere bto /bbcelebrate/bb, /bAs

bChapter /bb29 /b

for resource allocation, we can discuss thatb… /banother time.”

Catching Adrian’s subtle nce, I hurried to the bar and prepared a drink, then brought it over. Kane epted the ss, his eyes reaming over me with undisguised curiosity before he drained it in one swallow.

As he prepared to leaveb, /bKane suddenly moved with supernatural speed, appearing beside me before I could react. His hand shot outb, /bbgripping /bmy throat an he buried his nose against my neck, inhaling deeply.

I froze in shock as I felt his hot, wet tongue slide across my skin in a single, deliberate lick.

bChapter /bbComments /b