Chapter 3

Seraphina's POV

"On my knees?" The cold smile at the corner of my mouth finally spreads.

Out on the frozen tundra, I crushed the spines of rabid, mindless rogue wolves and still showed them mercy.

And now some small-pack Alpha's son wants me on my knees?

"Guess the Black Ridge Pack's gotten soft over the years." I roll my wrist slowly, and my joints crack. "Forgot how to show respect to their betters."

"Her betters? This broke beggar?" Scarlett screeches, jabbing a finger at my face. "Derek! Don't waste your breath on this psycho! Have the guys break her legs! I want to rip her mouth off myself!"

Something cruel flashes in Derek's eyes. He throws up a hand. "Do it! Just keep her breathing!"

Four bodyguards built like tanks come roaring at me at once. Their eyes flash, their bodies swell, claws tearing through their gloves as they close in on my face, a raw, bloody stink rolling off them.

To any other wolf, this would be a killing blow. To me, they might as well be moving in slow motion.

I don't move an inch. Don't even shift my feet.

The instant the front bodyguard's claws are about to graze my nose, I snap my leg up.

There's a dull thud, and the guy, easily two hundred and some pounds, flies backward like he's been hit by a freight train, crashing straight through a display case behind him. Glass sprays everywhere. Blood gushes from his mouth before he blacks out cold.

I spin and chop the second one across the throat with the side of my hand, then drive my knee into the third one's ribs hard enough to shatter them.

Under three seconds.

Four elite bodyguards down on the ground, not moving, not clear if they're even alive.

Dead silence swallows the whole store.

Derek's pupils blow wide. Scarlett's scream dies somewhere in her throat.

"You... you actually fought back? Aren't you supposed to be an Omega?" Derek's shock curdles into rage, and even though he clearly never expected this from me, he still doesn't get how bad this is about to get. "Fine! Great! You want to throw hands in Black Ridge City? Nobody's saving you now, not even God himself!"

He screams toward the door. "Everybody get in here! Grab her!"

The rest of the bodyguards outside, a dozen or so, come storming in, claws catching the light as they close in on me.

I let out a breath.

This was supposed to be nothing, a total non-issue, and I really didn't want to burn my leave pulling in military backup. But since these bugs are begging to die, I guess I'll oblige them.

I pull my satellite phone out of my pocket.

"What, scared now? Gonna call for help?" Scarlett sees the phone and thinks I've finally caved, and she gets even more full of herself. "Let me spell it out for you. In Black Ridge City, Derek is God."

I ignore her and dial my brother, Alexander. Crown prince of the Royal Pack, the one everyone already treats as the next Alpha King.

It rings once before he picks up, his voice low, carrying that hint of warmth he only has for me. "Seraphina? Aren't you supposed to be on leave? Why aren't you home yet, did something happen?"

"I'm in Black Ridge City," I say, flat. "Somebody's trying to break my legs and throw me out of town."

"What?" His voice goes ice cold instantly, and even through the phone I can feel the kind of murderous intent that makes your skin crawl. "Black Ridge City? Who the hell gave them the nerve?"

That's when Scarlett, apparently done living, lunges and rips the phone straight out of my hand.

I watch her, cold, and don't bother stopping her. I want to see exactly how far these idiots are willing to dig their own graves.

Scarlett snatches the phone, hits speaker, and screeches into it. "Oh, so you called some guy to back you up? Who gave who the nerve? Let me tell you something. Derek, future Alpha of Black Ridge, that's who gave me mine!"

Dead silence on the other end.

A few seconds later, Alexander's voice comes back, flat, stripped of anything human. "What's your name?"

"The name's Scarlett, don't you forget it!" She's beyond herself now, and actually shoves the phone up to Derek's mouth. "Babe, listen to this idiot acting like he's somebody!"

Derek grabs the phone and starts shouting into it. "Listen up, I don't care who you are, Seraphina's dead today. I'm Derek, and I said it. You want to try something, bring your people to Black Ridge City, I'll kill you too while I'm at it."

He slams the phone down on the floor and stomps it under his shoe until it's a pile of scrap.

"Now your backup's gone." Derek lifts his head, eyes vicious, staring straight at me. "Get her! Break her legs!"

One of the bodyguards lunges first, claws going straight for my knee.

My eyes go cold. I plant a kick square in his chest and send him flying, straight into a pillar a few feet away. He crumples to the floor with a groan and doesn't move again.

Derek sees it and completely loses it. "Everybody, get her! Tear her apart!"

Just as a dozen bodyguards are about to charge at once, a deafening roar suddenly tears through the air, right above the jewelry store.