Bane of Tenebris (Wolfgods Book 2) Blaise Ramsay (classic literature books txt) 📖

limousine with the crest of the Cardoza family on its hood. From the direction, Damien assumed it could only be heading to one place: the pack’s house.

Kain’s fur bristled. His lips curled over his teeth. Damien, get Gabriel and Lune. Meet me on the porch. He waited until Damien confirmed and severed their connection.

Chapter Fifteen

Kain and Tala arrived home two hours before sunrise. Unfortunately, Tala’s clothes had become soaked from the late rains. Kain sent her inside to get dressed and stay there until he told her it was safe. He went through the house after getting dressed to find Damien on the front porch.

“About time,” Damien said. “The hell have you been?”

To annoy Damien and tease him, Kain relayed some of the more heated moments of his evening.

Damien cringed. “Okay, next time remind me not to ask.”

Kain snickered through his teeth. He knew the severity of the situation but hazing his pack brother always made him smile.

The lycans watched as the limo drove up the gravel driveway and skidded to a crunching stop. It did indeed have the Cardoza crest but more sinister. The figure was bound and blindfolded, bending over like it’d been tortured.

A rather buff man with a shaved head wearing stark black sunglasses got out of the driver’s side and made his way to the back doors. From the looks of him, he could have been a bouncer or one of Anthony’s hitmen. His bald head and black glasses gave him an almost laughable appearance to Kain. He didn’t understand why vampires thought black sunglasses were needed.

Jared emerged followed by Zane. When Kain saw him, the silver-haired vampire offered a subtle nod. Jared smirked at Gabriel the whole time as if daring him to say or do something.

Kain heard from behind him the challenging growl rumbling at the back of Gabriel’s throat. “Easy, Gabriel,” Kain said quietly. “Watch his body. He is trying to rile you up.”

“I know. Still pisses me the fang off,” Gabriel snapped in reply.

Following the two, another vampire exited the car. He wore a white business suit and fedora with a black band around it, covering short, curly blonde hair. Unlike the other vampires in his entourage, he sported bright blue eyes. The shoes he wore were high end, branded leather. An ascot the color of blood wrapped around his neck. On his finger, he wore a silver signet ring Kain recognized as the dark god’s symbol.

“Is that really him? He’s not anything like I imagined,” Damien whispered to Kain.

Kain’s brows creased as he watched the vampire. Anthony looked much younger than him in his immortal years. “That is what makes him more dangerous. He is nothing like Lilith. She was more into her pride. The look in his eye is nothing short of bloodlust.”

Anthony surveyed each of the lycans in front of him before his gaze came to rest on Kain. A smug smirk formed across his lips.

“Ah, there you are. Finally, we meet face to face,” Anthony said with an accent closer to that of a formal English gentleman. He adjusted his hat and continued, “I’m a man of few words. I don’t care to keep the company of such lowly beasts for long, so I will make this simple. Alexander Kain, surrender yourself and the talon, or I will bring down the full extent of my power on you and all you hold dear.”

Damien stepped in front of Kain. His posture threatening. “Wow, you have some balls to demand things like that. I don’t give a shit who you are. Kain isn’t going anywhere.”

Kain saw Zane look away like he hid a hint of being impressed at Damien’s boldness. Kain admitted he’d been impressed as well.

Anthony’s frustrated eyes strayed to Damien. “I wasn’t talking to you. Your youth and inexperience is evident in your lack of respect of those more powerful than you. Be silent and let the adults talk.”

Kain had to move quickly to stop Damien from charging at Anthony, warning his friend not to fall for the ploy the vampire was playing on him. “No. This is what he wants. He will kill you, Damien. Make no mistake.”

Hesitant, Damien relaxed. He glared at Kain then at Anthony.

Anthony snickered. “That’s better. I can see why your reputation precedes you, Kain.”

Kain returned his attention to the vampire. He did nothing to hide his own annoyance when he condemned Anthony for ignoring the rules of parlay, refused his offer and promised they would fight if Anthony chose war.

“War? Don’t insult me. I’m not as barbaric as my prideful cousin,” Anthony replied with disgust. “Oh no, Kain. I’m the type who will hurt you in every way imaginable until you give me what I want. Keep me waiting if you wish to test me, but I always come out on top.”

A tense silence lingered as the two glared at one another. The air radiated an atmosphere like there were two titans preparing to battle.

A devilish grin fell across Anthony’s face. “I implore you not to keep me waiting, Kain. This isn’t like the days where you held dominion over the battlefields and the mere mention of your name made my kind tremble. Here, I am god, and you; you’re just another beast.”

Kain watched something ghost across Anthony’s eyes. He kept his composure but recognized the second pair of eyes staring back at him. The reference of himself as god sent chills down Kain’s back.

A feeling he sensed coming from Damien as well. This is bad.

Without another word, Anthony got back in the car. Zane dismissed the driver and closed the door for the Don. He went back to the opposite, stopping to offer one last nod and getting inside. Before entering the limo, Jared flipped off Gabriel with a smirk, and then the car drove away.

“Damien, a word, please.” Kain stayed where he was, his arms crossed.

“Yeah?” Damien asked after Lune and Gabriel went back inside.

Kain sighed a tense sigh. “Did you see them?”

Damien nodded. “Yeah. What’re we