The Wild Hunt (Downworlder Series, #1)

Chapter Nineteen: The Mouse Trap

The stench of impurity tickled my nose as the mongrel on MacIntosh's lap whimpered, gaze bouncing around the room anxiously. My lips twitched as I watched the hand he had planted possessively on her thigh, drawing lazy circles with a sharpened fingernail. It was both amusing and disgusting the way MacIntosh dealt with the filth. His mongrels gaze found mine momentarily, her lips sucking inward. Unlike most females there was no desire in her widening doe eyes, there was only fear. My lips curved upward into a toothy grin, dark cravings for blood vibrating through my veins. She would make a lovely message. It had been a couple of days since I'd had the opportunity to release my beast and he was hungry.

"You like my little pet, Revan?" He questioned, voice rumbling with pride. MacIntosh pulled her harder into his lap, making her squirm uncomfortably, "I got this one off a shuttle last week. They're much better when they are fresh. It doesn't take long before they become spoiled goods if you know what I mean..." It was like watching a cat with a mouse, playing with it's food before it got bored and ate it. The mongrel shivered with disgust, trying to move away from her captor. MacIntosh growled low, moving his teeth to her neck in a show of dominance.

"Please..." She croaked as she submitted immediately in his hold, "Please, if you're going to kill me than just kill me..."

My beast rumbled with agreement to the mongrels request, more than willing to oblige her. I glanced over at my beta Benjamin. He met my gaze with a seriousness, shaking his head subtly as if to will me to not to make a move before looking back towards MacIntosh. It would be in bad taste to take another's food, laws of the wild and what not but It was also in bad taste to not feed your guests first.

"We'll get to the killing soon enough my pet but not before I've had my fun." His response only caused the girl to choke on a sob. I sat tensely in my seat, doing everything I could to control the craving to see MacIntosh's pet at the other end of my claws. He swung his dark gaze in our direction, "Now where were we, gentlemen?"

"I believe you were graciously welcoming us to stay here in your territory..." Benjamin prompted, trying to get things moving along. I could tell by the way he was looking around the room at the other males that he was feeling a bit antsy. That or he didn't trust me not to take MacIntosh's mongrel for myself.

MacIntosh snorted, lips pulling upward, "Yeah, tough luck with that firework display, Revan. Octavia has been trying to push the rest of us out of the city for years. Taking pieces of our territories a little at a time. So let me say watching you turn her free labor force into mongrel slush has been more than entertaining. Hell, It's been downright inspiring." He slid his sharpened fingernail higher up the mongrels thigh, leaving a bright trail of blood. I found it hard to tear my gaze away from the beautiful sight. I needed there to be more. So much more. I dug my finger into the armrests, claws cutting into the material as I fought to keep the beast at bay. There was a faint cracking as my jaw popped.

Benjamin stiffened in the seat next to mine, casting a wary glance in my direction, "Doyen..." He hissed at me under his breath.

Everyone else seemed completely oblivious to the danger they were in, "What I wouldn't give to have that bitch on her back where she belongs. Maybe I'd even let those Russian pussy's see how real men do things." The other men in the room snickered at MacIntosh's comment. His words were meant to incite camaraderie between the two of us. He thought that we were on the same level, that we were the same kind of beast.

We weren't.

My wrist snapped as I watched the blood run down the mongrels leg and drop to floor. A deep growl rumbling out of my chest as my beasts consciousness converged upon my own. We needed more blood. We needed to taste it. We needed the screams of our prey. We needed our prey's fear. We needed blood. So much blood. We needed our teeth buried in warm flesh, to feel it give way as we tore at the meat and bones. Yes, that is what we needed.