Striding up to the front door of the old but well-kept farmhouse, I kicked the door open. I wasn’t surprised by the angry swarm of energy that greeted me. I was ready for the attack. Drawing on my bond with Arys, I absorbed what I could of the blast and deflected the rest.
I paused in the doorway, the dagger in one hand and a psi ball in the other. The windows had been boarded up haphazardly, preventing the light from penetrating the interior of the house. Maxwell stood in the open foyer right in front of me, his face absent of any real expression. I couldn’t see either Claire or their remaining vampire lackey yet.
The wolves swept past me, two on either side. The sound of snarls and growls quickly filled the eerie silence. Both Shaz and Julian lunged at Maxwell who quickly lashed out at them with a blast of power which I intercepted with my own. The two wolves almost collided in their frenzy to get to him. He was fast, moving to avoid them in a smooth motion that left them scrambling to regain their footing.
“I knew you’d come. I didn’t think it would be so soon after we broke you though.” Maxwell smirked and pulled his power tight to him, forming a circle.
From deeper in the house a scream rang out as Zak and Kylarai found Claire. She wouldn’t stand a chance. Brogan hung back near the door, but I could feel her readiness.
Something told me that the Dragon Claw would cut through Maxwell’s barrier as if it wasn’t even there. It would be over too fast. Perhaps it was stupid to hold out, but I didn’t want him dust, not yet. Not until I could get some answers from him regarding Arys’ little secret, something Arys wasn’t going to be happy about.
“Is that what that was all about? You didn’t break me, ass**le. Not even close.” This was already going better than I’d hoped. With Maxwell trapped inside his own circle, he wasn’t much of a threat.
I advanced on him, testing the dagger by swiping it boldly through his bubble. It dispersed immediately. The shock that adorned Maxwell’s face was priceless. Grabbing him by the throat, I threw him up against the foyer wall so hard the windows in the house rattled.
Shaz paced close by. I saw no sign of Julian though the sound of conflict reached me from the back of the house. A series of snarls and snapping jaws were followed by a yelp I recognized as Kylarai. I fought hard to tune it out. Losing my focus would put us all in greater danger.
Maxwell pushed against me with fiery hot power that burned. I smiled because this time I was ready, and I knew I could take him. The direct connection to Arys infused me with enough power to knock me breathless. It burst through me from head to toe, using me as a living vessel to channel it. I wasn’t sure how much I could take before it overwhelmed my mortal form, but I guessed I’d find out.
I pressed the dagger to Maxwell’s throat, careful not to let the blade bite into his flesh. Not yet. “Ready to do a little talking, pal?”
“Screw you, wolf.” He was putting on a tough front, but the heavy sense of apprehension slowly trickled from him.
“I have questions, and you have answers. Play along, and I’ll kill you fast. If not, I can really drag this out.”
A strained cackle poured forth from Maxwell. “We’ll have plenty of time to play twenty questions during the trip back to Vegas. Still not willing to make this easy on yourself? I told you. Help me get what I want, and then I let you go.”
“I’m not an item to be bargained with. Especially for power and prestige you don’t have the balls to earn on your own. If anyone deserves Harley’s place, it’s me. I want to know about Arys. Tell me why you said I was the one he’s been waiting for. What does that mean?”
‘Alexa.’ Arys’ tense silence was shattered by the vicious warning in the back of my mind.
Intrigue swam in Maxwell’s inky gaze. “Let me go, and we can talk this out like the professionals we are. I’m sure we can strike a deal of some kind.”
“The only deal on the table is how fast I kill you.” I snapped, baring fangs at him. Instinct demanded I kill him. Small talk and bargaining was for vampires. I was wolf, and I wanted his death.
“What’s wrong, Alexa? Is Arys keeping secrets from you?” A gloating grin lit up Maxwell’s pinched features. “Help me get what I want, and I’ll tell you anything I know.”
Infuriated by his cocky attitude, I slammed my power through him. He grunted, stiffening as it burned within his core. I felt his sudden alarm as he tried to grasp my power and strip it from me. That wasn’t going to work this time. I was prepared for that.
I lashed out at him again, forcing him to go into defense mode. As long as he was focused on protecting himself, he wouldn’t have adequate strength to take me down. I followed up with a knee to the groin. Cheap shot? Maybe. Effective? Yes.
He grunted, and a small whimper escaped him. “Look bitch, this is bullshit. I’m not going to trade blows with you. If you’re going to kill me, then do it.”