Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

CAEDMON

T hey entered the ranch house, Ryder leading the way toward the back. Morgan expanded her senses, but the whole building felt empty…all except one spot where the alphas waited for her, ready to pounce like she was a lamb sent to slaughter.

She would show the fools the dangers of playing with her and her men, so they would think twice before doing any such thing in the future.

Ryder threw the door open wide and marched into the lion's den, a vicious growl rumbling in his chest. He was more wolf than man at this point, the compulsion to keep her safe riding him hard. She entered next, and the temperature in the room dropped drastically. At the far side of the room, five men sat at what looked like a judge's bench, each scowling in condemnation.

The rest of the room was empty, almost stark with the lack of any furniture or paintings. The exception—one wall was completely made of glass, giving a wild and majestic view of the oceans beyond.

Until you looked deeper.

The waves were dark and turbulent, threatening to drag you to the bottom of the ocean…much like the alphas. The window was obviously done on purpose, a not so subtle intimidation tactic.

Fear us.

Obey us.

Or we will destroy you.

A throat cleared, drawing her attention back to the alphas on the opposite side of the room. Carrington was seated on the far end, a massive scowl on his face. Next to him were the two other alphas who had summoned them.

There were five in total.

They were handsome and charismatic, each of them very alpha and demanding, their animal magnetism both repelling and drawing her to them.

"Miss Moran." The severe tone cut through the room, and she straightened, slowly turning toward the inquisition…because that was exactly what the meeting felt like.

They wanted something from her and set up the whole interview to keep her off balance.

And if she'd learned one thing from living with a bunch of men, it was never allow them to get away with that shit or they would walk all over her.

"What do you want?" She crossed her arms, refusing to lower her eyes, refusing to show herself as anything else but equal to these assholes.

Scowls darkened their faces, and a growl, more felt than heard, vibrated through the room. She didn't think it was possible, but both men at her side stiffened even more. Ryder flexed his claws, as if he were already plotting on how to take out the threat, but otherwise, he didn't move.

The man in the center of the bench leaned forward, his face severe with its intensity, not an ounce of softness to him. "Maybe you don't understand your precarious position. You don't have the authority here, we do. And frankly, you're not making a great impression. "

He leaned back after that smackdown, smugness oozing from him.

Morgan couldn't help herself—she tipped her head back and laughed.

The reaction from the alphas varied. While some were intrigued, more than half of them took offense. Power flooded the room, the pressure making her ears pop. The void magic that rested at her core sparked to life, the universe slowly swirling as the magic gathered force. The tiny solar systems painted across her fingernails shimmered and awakened, eager for the challenge.

When she didn't drop to her knees before them, the alphas unleashed the full weight of their beasts. Ryder grunted under the force, even a muscle bunched in Caedmon's jaw. They each reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder, and the effects faded. It poured around them like a rock in a stream, going over and around them but not touching.

The alphas didn't back down. The bones of their faces changed slowly, like their wolves were pushing themselves out from under their skin.

Fangs descended.

Brows were more pronounced.

Some of the ears on two even stretched and became pointed.

Frankly, she wasn't impressed that they couldn't hold their wolves, and she rolled her eyes. "You are alphas. You should have perfect control. So you are either changing to try to intimidate me, which is rather pathetic, or you're a lot weaker than you want people to know."

"You insolent child." The one in the center slammed his fist on the table and rose, leaning forward to glare, seething with outrage. "How dare you!"

She studied the pulsing vein on his forehead, wondering if she pushed him enough, if an alien would actually pop out. When she would've asked it out loud, curious now, Ryder tightened his grip then shook his head, and she sighed mournfully .

Despite the fact that she'd kept her mouth shut, the alpha saw her defiance, and his blue eyes began to glow, spittle flying as he raged. "You are going to learn your place in this pack, and I'm going to enjoy teaching you to show respect to your elders."

Her eyebrows shot up at his audacity, her patience fading the longer he spoke. Every word out of his mouth only put her hackles up more.

Like the douchebag actually thought he had the right to tell her what to do.

Ryder wolfed out at the threat, releasing a massive growl, tugging her back until he was standing in front of her. Partially shifted, he was massive, towering over the rest. Two more alphas shoved to their feet, their own wolves rising.

Tensions in the room escalated, and her annoyance at this whole proceeding turned to anger. Magic began to crackle around her, danger thickening the air, and she did nothing to curb it, not when her men were at risk.

Before either side could take action, Caedmon chuckled.

It was so unexpected, so startling, she turned and gaped at him. The chuckle was husky, heating something lower in her gut that made her core tighten, and an unexpected blush climbed up her neck.

What the absolute fuck?!

Morgan didn't react, almost afraid to move.

This wasn't supposed to happen!

She already had five mates.

More than enough.

She must be reading things wrong.

There was no way that Caedmon could be her mate…right?

" Y ou act like you have any say over her, but we both know that's not true, don't we?" Caedmon smiled, but it was a struggle to control the rage that thickened his blood. He'd spent centuries locked in the worst hell imaginable. He'd thought any hint of feelings and emotions had been bled from him a long time ago.

Then a little goddess burst into his life, destroying every ounce of control he'd obtained through decades of training. She looked down at him in his prison, where he'd spent months stuck in a pit, dirty and tainted. Anyone else would've turned up their nose at him, put him out of his misery.

Even her mates had told her to let him rot.

They weren't wrong.

But she didn't listen.

Morgan had taken one look at him, compassion softening her violet blue eyes, and offered him hope for the first time in his life.

Her actions were foolish.

Beyond stupid.

If she were smart, she would've put him down like a feral animal. He'd long ago forgotten what it was like to be normal.

He was a monster.

A scourge upon the earth.

And she'd saved him.

He wasn't sure when he'd fallen in love with her, but he suspected it was the first time he laid eyes on her—when he glanced up from his place in hell. He'd waited centuries for his mate, long since given up hope of ever meeting her, especially after he'd been cursed and turned into a creature of the damned.

Then she'd twisted his world on end by giving him a second chance.

He never thought he'd be whole again, his past too full of sins to be forgiven…until her. She'd given him a second chance, and he was determined to do everything within his power to make sure nothing ever threatened her again, not while he had breath in his body.

He was well aware that she had other mates.

That she didn't want more .

He very much feared if she learned the truth, she would reject him.

It was why he kept quiet.

Now that he'd found his mate after so long, well after he'd given up hope, there was no way he was going to let her go. If he had to lie, cheat, and steal his way into her life, he would do it in a heartbeat.

His soul was hers.

No fucking way would he allow these fucking alpha-holes to manipulate her, not while he still drew breath. It was all he could do not to rip them to shreds for trying to manipulate her…and he had the power to do it.

The only thing that held him back was knowing if he decimated the alphas, the rest of the pack would seek revenge. To protect her, he swallowed the need to slaughter them.

But that didn't mean he couldn't scare the ever-loving crap out of them for daring to threaten his mate and treating her less than a queen.

He dropped the chains holding back the creature that lived under his skin. There was a moment of absolute stillness, then magic set fire to his insides and the beast burst free with a roar, the human side of him burning away.

He straightened, his nine-foot form nearly brushing the ceiling, his loup garou form natural to him after spending over half his life trapped at the mercy of the beast.

All his beast had felt for decades was a barely controlled rage and insatiable hunger.

It only took a simple whiff from his mate for the wolf to come to heel like a docile little pup, all that hunger directed toward her, yearning for just a touch. She took away the evil taint that had cursed his soul.

She was their everything.

And these fuckers thought to take her from them.

He roared again, please when the fools fell over themselves to put distance between them, the bastards terrified to even shift as he stalked toward them, the click of his claws against the floor loud in the room.

"She is the Queen of the Loup Garou and outside your territory. She is the next in succession to Mount Olympus. She's the fucking granddaughter to the gods." His throat rasped with each word, his beast making speech difficult, a skill he'd perfected through years of practice. As he neared the alphas, he grabbed the edges of the solid oak bench, easily flipping the eight-foot table across the room, where it shattered like so much kindling.

When the alphas trembled, he gave a toothy smile, the smell of fear like perfume, and he inhaled deeply at the delicious scent. "So whatever bullshit you're trying to pull, knock it off, or I will end you. Do you understand?"