Wolf's Hunger (Mafia Monsters #5) - Atlas Rose Page 0,9
don’t know that for sure.”
“I fucking know it,” Phantom insisted, and turned to pace. “It has to be. Who else would come here? Who else would know to come after her?”
One glance my way, and the Alpha stilled. “Unless it was a setup. Murphy. Harlan. It was too easy, too neat.”
I flinched at the words. “You think it was one of—” us…the word almost slipped out, “the FBI?”
“I wouldn’t put it past them.” Church glared at me.
I slowly shook my head. “They wouldn’t do something like that.”
“Wake up and smell the hate, Carina,” Vitold barked. “You think we hide on our side of the river because we like it? Your kind have wanted us gone for eternity. They’d be happy if we were out here in the mountains and the trees, hidden from their precious sight for good. Don’t underestimate the mortals’ hate for what they don’t understand, even if they do like to pretend otherwise.”
The way he said it made me stiffen. Anger blazed for a second in the Wolf’s eyes before Vitold exhaled hard and took a step toward me, softening his tone. “Look, I’m sorry, I forget you’re…”
“What?” The word was hollow, like I felt hollow. “I’m what?”
“Not like them,” Phantom growled. “At all. You have purpose, a little disillusioned, but you can still be saved.”
“Saved.” I forced the word and chuckled. “I’m so fucking far from being saved, it’s a wonder I’m not finding my own silver eyes glinting in the mirror.”
“And that,” Phantom took a step closer, his dark eyes blazing, “is exactly why you’re still here.”
Still here. Still with them. Still shunned by my own family…and my own bureau.
Because I was more like them?
A cold kind of clarity cut me to the bone. The thought hadn’t rocked me like it should. Alone. Abandoned…and now separated from the rest of the mortal part of the city. Phantom’s phone gave a beep and the screen brightened.
He turned away and pulled the cell from his pocket. “Path.” Then there was silence while he listened. “Come again?” he growled, and the hair rose on the nape of my neck. “False lead. So you left us for nothing? Sure, yeah, I get you. Call me if you hear anything.”
Every gaze gravitated his way as Phantom let out an unmerciful snarl and hung up the phone. He just stood there, staring out into the night, until he finally turned toward us. “First they’re called away on some kind of urgent mission, then Wry turns up with his damn throat ripped out. It’s Finis. It has to be.”
I never said a word, just watched Phantom shift into something more savage…unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Not a beast—his dark eyes glinted with rage—an Alpha.
“If he wants a war,” Phantom promised, “then it’s war he’ll get.”
Goosebumps raced along my arms as the energy turned predatory.
“We patrol the boundary,” Church jerked his gaze to the others, snapping into command. “Every fucking inch is to be covered.” He glanced my way. “No one’s getting in without our knowing.”
“I’ll go first.” Vitold stepped forward, staring at me.
“Then me,” Arran nodded to the others.
“I’ll be out there.” Phantom glared at Arran and worked the tension in his neck. “I need to hunt, to kill, need to damn well think.”
A chill raced along my spine. Think. That’s all we were going to do out here. Think and panic and wait…Vitold took a gulp of the Scotch and handed the bottle back to me. “You and me, brother. You and me.”
He turned and headed for the open cavern walls with that sleek, powerful stride, until he hit the opening and lunged, disappearing into the night.
I turned away from the sight and tried to slow the thunder in my chest.
Phantom was gone in an instant, head down, fists clenched, seething hatred until he was gone as well, leaving the three of us. Church glanced from me to Arran and something unspoken passed between them before the second-in-command left, making his way deeper into the cavern, his heavy footsteps fading.
“Wry, the Wolf who was attacked at the bar, is he going to survive?” I took a step toward Arran, carrying the bottle with me.
“Survive?” His eyes sparked with fury as he stared at me. “If you call being mute for the rest of your life surviving.”
Mute…the thought hit me hard as I thought about Walker’s sister, Ebony. “It’s not a life sentence.”
“It is if you’re a Wolf,” Arran snapped, then winced. He grabbed my hips with strong hands and dragged