2. Matias

2

MATIAS

M y boots echo against the concrete as I stride into the cafeteria. The scent of grilled meat and spices hangs heavy in the air. My gaze sweeps across the room, instantly locking onto my brother Thiago seated at a table with Carlos and Andre. A smirk plays at the corners of my mouth as I approach.

Thiago's dark eyes flick up to meet mine, a silent acknowledgment passing between us. We're two sides of the same warped coin—bound by blood and brutality. Carlos and Andre shift in their seats, their laughter dying as I join them. Fear and respect mingle in their expressions. Smart men.

I slide into the chair opposite Thiago, leaning back in my chair. My gaze drifts over the trio, taking in every subtle shift and twitch. Sizing them up like the predator I am. Carlos clears his throat, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously .

"Heard you got a new plaything, eh, Matias?" He forces a grin, but I can sense an undercurrent of unease rolling off him in waves.

My lips curl into a feral smile at the mention of Kali. The mere thought of her is enough to set my blood simmering. I can still taste the defiance of her on my lips. Feel the tremors of her body as I pinned her down. Hear the sharp intake of breath as I claimed her mouth with bruising force.

"She's feisty," I murmur, letting the words drip like honey from my tongue. "But they all break, eventually."

Andre shifts uncomfortably, but Thiago arches a brow, his expression impassive. He knows my game—how I twist and manipulate them until they're utterly mine, body and soul. However, Kali is different. I knew it the moment I saw her. She's special.

A dark chuckle rumbles from my chest as I lean forward, bracing my elbows on the table. "You should have seen the fire in her eyes when I left her. She's determined not to let me win..." I trail off, picturing the rage and humiliation warring on Kali's face and how her chest heaved with each ragged breath.

Something primal unfurls within me at the memory, a possessive hunger clawing at my ribcage. I'll enjoy breaking her and watching that defiance shatter until there's nothing left but a desperate, needy creature begging for my touch.

Andre shakes his head. "You do like to win, don't you, Matias's."

My eyes move to him, and I glare silently, wanting to unnerve him more. Violence simmers beneath my skin.

Carlos clears his throat and changes the subject swiftly.

I lean back in my chair, letting Carlos and Andre's conversation wash over me. Their words are mere white noise, insignificant buzzing in the background. My focus narrows, and my gaze sharpens as I study the deep grooves etched into the tabletop.

Thiago's presence is the only tether keeping me grounded in this moment. Without him, I'd be unbound from reality. A force of pure, primal instinct given human form.

Flexing my fingers, I almost feel Kali's soft skin beneath my calloused hands. Can picture the way her body trembled and arched against that crappy mattress as I showed her the pleasure I was capable of giving her. Her gasps and whimpers echo through my mind like a siren's call, beckoning me back to that delicious moment.

The sharp scent of fear hangs pungent in the air, and I realize Andre and Carlos have gone silent—trapped in the suffocating tension of my stillness. Good. Let them marinate in their unease. Let it build until the slightest movement from me sends their pulses skyrocketing.

Lazily, I raise my stare to meet Thiago's impassive gaze. A fleeting quirk of his brow is the only acknowledgment he offers. Still, I can see the understanding there—the knowledge that he's the only one capable of dragging me back from the edge of oblivion when the darkness becomes too consuming .

Inch by inch, I tear my focus from him, allowing it to drift over Carlos and Andre again. They're predictable insects who scurry and cower beneath my glare. I commit every minuscule detail to memory—the way Carlos's knuckles whiten from gripping the table's edge, the sheen of sweat glistening on Andre's brow, the frantic thudding of their pulses.

My lips peel back in a grin, and I bare my teeth in a feral display. Let them quake and whimper like the prey they are. While they cling to their fragile, civilized trappings, I've embraced the savage lurking beneath the skin.

I am the Apex predator.

The monster they fear lurks in every shadow.

The darkness they refuse to acknowledge... until it's far too late.

Thiago's voice cuts through the haze of my mind, dragging me back from the brink of oblivion.

"You're in one of your moods again, little brother," he remarks casually, But I can hear the subtle reminder to keep myself in check.

I blink, focusing on his face with a slow, predatory smile. "I'm thinking about my little rabbit," I murmur. "The way she trembled beneath me, the defiance in her eyes..."

Carlos and Andre exchange uneasy glances, but Thiago merely leans back in his chair, studying me with an inscrutable expression.

"She's getting under your skin," he observes, his words more statement than a question.

A harsh laugh tears from my throat. "She's a challenge," I admit, my fingers drumming against the tabletop in a restless rhythm. "But that just makes the game more interesting."

Thiago's eyes narrow fractionally, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths. "Be careful, Matias," he warns. "Don't let her consume you."

I scoff, my lips twisting into a mocking sneer. "Consume me?" I echo. "I'm the one who does the consuming, brother. I'll devour her piece by piece until there's nothing left but a broken shell."

Carlos and Andre's gazes dart between us like cornered animals.

But Thiago holds my stare, resolute. A silent battle of wills rages between us, the air crackling with unspoken tension.

Finally, he inclines his head, a slight dip of acknowledgment. "Just remember where your loyalties lie," he murmurs, the words weighted with unspoken meaning. He means my loyalties are to lie with the cartel, but they never have. I've no loyalty to anyone but myself.

A grin pulls at my lips. "My loyalties are to the hunt, brother," I drawl. "And right now, Kali is my prey. I won't rest until I've broken her mind, body, and soul."

Thiago's jaw tightens, but he says nothing. He knows better than to challenge me when I'm in this state—a coiled serpent ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

"As always, the big bad wolf comes out to play," Andre jokes.

A dark chuckle escapes Carlos's lips as he leans back in his chair, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Watch out, boys," he jokes. "He's on the prowl again."

Andre snickers. "Better hide your little piggies, or he might just huff and puff and blow their houses down."

Thiago's deep, rumbling laughter fills the air, mingling with their delight. But I remain silent. Their attempts at humor fall flat against the storm brewing within me, the primal hunger that consumes my every waking thought.

As the conversation steers toward different topics—the latest shipments, territory disputes, and the never-ending game of power—I find myself drowning them out. Their words become a distant buzz, a meaningless hum that fades into the background.

My mind wanders, fixating on the memory of Kali's defiant eyes and how her body trembled beneath my touch. I can still feel the heat of her skin, the racing pulse of her heartbeat as I pinned her against the wall.

The urge to hunt, claim, and possess rises like a tidal wave within me, threatening to sweep away any semblance of control. I clench my fists beneath the table, my knuckles turning white with the force of my grip.

Thiago's gaze flickers to me, a silent question in his eyes. He can sense the darkness churning beneath the surface, the barely restrained violence that simmers in my veins.

But I don't meet his stare. Instead, I let my thoughts spiral deeper, imagining all the delicious ways I'll break Kali. I imagine how her resistance will crumble, piece by piece .

A smile curls at the corners of my mouth at the thought. Let them laugh and joke; let them cling to their false bravado. They have no idea the depths of my obsession, the all-consuming need that drives me.

For I am the wolf, and Kali is my prey. And I won't rest until I've devoured her, body and soul.