The Dark-Hunters (680 page)

Her body throbbed as she felt herself getting wet at the very idea. Maman had been right. The quickening was almost impossible to resist. It left her hungry and irritable.

And it didn’t help that she was going into heat again. It was why her brothers were being particularly careful about letting the humans too near her. They wanted to protect the bloodline as closely as her parents did.

So why didn’t she?

*   *   *

Fang’s skin crawled as he got the fierce sensation of being watched. Expecting an enemy, he scanned the dark club and was surprised to find Aimee openly staring at him as if she wanted to take a bite out of him.

That was fine by him since he wouldn’t mind having a piece of her either.

“Dude!”

He jerked around at Colt’s angry snarl. Rushing forward, he grabbed his end and helped to move it. But he could still feel Aimee watching him. It made every nerve ending in his body sizzle and his groin swell to the point he was practically limping.

By the time they’d moved the speakers into their new position, Aimee was gone.

Fang wanted to curse.

It’s for the best.

Yeah …

He jumped off the stage to find Fury waiting for him by the bar. Instant rage singed him. The bastard was currently living with Vane and that really didn’t endear him to Fang in the least.

“You want something?” Fang asked churlishly as he reached behind the bar to grab a beer. One of the perks of working here. Free alcohol.

“Yeah.” Fury turned to face him. “I’m abdicating the pack.”

Fang froze and set the bottle down. “What do you mean?”

Fury sighed, arms akimbo. “Look, we both know I’m not strong enough to hold it from anyone who attacks me with magick. But for Vane, I wouldn’t have it now. The Katagaria Grand Regis should have been yours anyway. It’s only right.”

Fang sneered at his “magnanimous” offer that insulted him to the core of his being. “I don’t need your fucking charity.”

“Then fight me for it.”

Fang curled his lip at the asshole and his stupidity. “Don’t tempt me. I fight you and I undermine Vane—I don’t think so.” He drained his beer, then went to grab a towel so that he could help Wren wipe down tables.

Fury followed after him. “Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?”

You were with Vane when he needed me to help protect Bride.
And he was with Vane when Fang needed Vane to help
him.
But he’d never admit that hurt to anyone. It was his to carry, not something to be shared so that they could mock him over it.

When he didn’t answer, Fury raked him with a disgusted glare while Fang wiped down a table near them.

“You know what, Fang? I don’t even give a shit. You keep being an asshole all you want. I don’t care. Stay here sulking with the bears. It’s nothing to me, but let me tell you something. I’ve never had what you and Vane do. I never had a brother at my back, not once. Really, one day you should meet our brother Dare and see what a piece of work he is. Just for the record, he was the first one who came at my back when he learned I was Katagaria. Pardon the pun, but he threw me to the wolves and went for my throat. So if you want to be as human as he was, I’d appreciate a little warning first.”

Fang watched as Fury stalked off. He wanted to blast him. To throw him down and rip his throat out.

But they were brothers.

Fury had come here and offered to abdicate as leader. Fang knew the wolf well enough to know that Fury didn’t back down easily. It had been a massive knock to his ego to make that offer.

Stop being a dick, Fang.
His
brother
was trying to make peace between them.

Fang looked away as he tried to imagine what it had been like for Fury to be in the pack with them all these past centuries, knowing he was family and not saying anything to any of them.

Why? Why would he have done that?

Wanting an answer, he went after him. He caught up to him outside as Fury was unlocking his bike while holding his helmet in one tight fist.

“Tell me something?”

Fury paused.

“Why didn’t you ever tell us the truth?”

“I already answered that,” Fury said snidely. “The last time my
brother
found out what I was, he stabbed me and tried to kill me and that was the one I was raised with. The one
I
used to protect from the rest of the pack when they wanted to beat on him for being part Katagaria. Our sister spat in my face and drove her dagger through my ribs—again, this was the same sister I used to protect from our mother and Dare and everyone else. So I wasn’t expecting anything better from
you.
Thanks so much for not disappointing me, asshole.”

Fang didn’t know why, but those words sent him over the edge. Rage descended on him with a vengeance and before he knew what he was doing, he’d launched himself at Fury. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he threw him to the ground and proceeded to beat the holy shit out of him.

*   *   *

Aimee gasped as she saw an image of Fang being hurt in her head. He was fighting outside. All she could see was a blur of body parts and black leather.

Before she could think better of it, she ran to the door where she saw him and Fury across the street, fighting each other with everything they had. The moment she stepped outside to stop them, Dev caught her against him.

“Let me go!” she demanded, tempted to stomp on his foot. If he’d been wearing anything other than his steel-toed biker boots, she would have. But in those, he wouldn’t feel anything and she’d bruise her heel.

Experience with Remi had taught her that.

He tightened his hold. “Let them settle this, Aimee.”

She stopped fighting to stare up at him. “They’re going to get hurt.”

“Probably, but you have enough brothers to know that sometimes we just have to beat each other’s heads in. It’s just a moral imperative.”

It was true. She’d never understood that tendency herself, but for some reason, one brother would say something or look weird and then it was on. At least until Papa broke them up.

“Why are they fighting?”

Dev shrugged as he released her and stepped away to return to leaning against the brick wall behind him. He crossed his arms over his chest and bent one knee to rest his foot on the wall too. “I have no idea. But I’m taking odds on Fang.”

She wasn’t amused by his humor. “Then how do you know this is the best thing?”

“’Cause I saw the look on Fang’s face when he went for Fury. It’s the same one I get right before I open a can of whup-ass on Remi.”

Aimee ground her teeth in frustration, but Dev was right. She knew that look intimately and had worn it a time or two herself. “Papa always breaks you guys up.”

“Yeah, and if they go too far, I will too. But this I think they need to get out of their systems.”

“And if they turn into wolves while they’re fighting on a public street?”

“We’ll deal with it if it happens.”

Aimee wasn’t so sure about this as she watched Fury lift Fang up off his feet and slam him onto the ground. Fang flipped up and then dealt Fury a blow so hard she swore
she
could feel it. They looked like they were trying to kill each other with their bare hands.

What on earth were they thinking?

*   *   *

Fang pounded Fury with a lifetime of pent-up anger. Every time Fury had flipped him off or mouthed at him over the centuries and Vane had stopped him from attacking the little prick. Every time he’d wanted Vane in the Nether Realm and had been forced to fight the demons on his own.…

Every bit of it came out.

But as he pounded, other images came to him too. Fury trying to stand up to their father when no one else would. Fury staying with them when Anya had died.…

Fury fighting by their sides.…

Brothers.

He dealt Fury a blow to the chin that knocked him straight onto his back, flat on the ground. He went down on his knee and twisted his fist in Fury’s black T-shirt, intending to hit him again. But the sight of Fury’s face gave him pause.

There was a cut above his right eye that left blood trailing down his temple. His lips were split, his teeth bloody. Bruises were forming on his chin and cheek.

And even though his eyes were spitting venom, Fury hadn’t gone wolf. Human was his weakest form and yet he fought with him as a man.

He wasn’t fighting to really hurt him or to win.…

Not hurt him.…

Fang’s dark eyes locked with those eerie turquoise ones. Shame filled him over what he’d just done. He’d attacked Fury as a petty human with hurt feelings.

No, he’d attacked his brother as a rampaging demon.

Lowering his fist, he loosened his hold on Fury’s shirt and let him fall back to the sidewalk.

“You through?” Fury taunted as he lay there. “Is that all you got, nancy?”

Fang scoffed at his insult. “You are such a fucking dick.”

“And you’re an asshole.”

Fang sat back on his haunches and started laughing at the two of them on the street, bleeding. He wasn’t even sure why he found their patheticness funny, but he did.

As he wiped his hand over his own bleeding lip, he hissed in pain. “Your left hook is impressive.”

Fury rolled over to spit blood onto the sidewalk before he sat up. “I could say the same for you.”

Fang shook his head as he realized just how sore his ribs were from Fury’s punches. For all his lack of Were-Hunter skills and psychic abilities, the little bastard was a good scrapper. “I can’t believe of all the wolves in the universe that
you’re
my brother.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly get the pick of the litter either.”

Fang laughed again. “No, you didn’t. The Fates seriously screwed you there.”

Fury narrowed his gaze as he tested his loosened teeth with his thumb. He spat out more blood. “So are we still enemies?”

Fang hesitated. A part of him kept wanting to hate Fury, but the problem was he didn’t know why.

Was he really that human that he could hate without reason? Or was it the demon inside him that wanted Fury’s head?

In the end, it was the knowledge that this was his family that won over everything else. For better or worse, they were blood kin. And to a wolf that was all that mattered.

Fang held his hand out to him. “Brothers.”

Fury wrapped his hand around his.
“Adelphos.”

Fang pulled him forward so that he could hug him in a way he’d reserved for only Vane and Anya. “But this doesn’t mean I like you.”

Fury shoved him away. “Don’t worry. I don’t like you either, dipshit. But I would kill to protect you.”

Fang gave him a lopsided grin. “Me too.” He pushed himself up, then held his hand out for Fury.

Fury knocked it away. “I’m not your bitch, wolf. I can get up on my own.”

Fang spat some of the blood out of his mouth. Yeah, his jaw was going to be sore for at least a week and there wouldn’t be any food tonight that required much chewing.

He narrowed his gaze on Fury. “We’re way too much alike to ever get along.”

“That’s what Vane says.” Fury picked his helmet up from where it’d landed on the sidewalk when they’d started fighting. He dumped debris out of it before he put it on his head.

“Hey?”

Fury paused.

Fang held his hand out again and when Fury took it, he pulled him into a quick man hug. “The pack is yours.”

Fury snorted. “I really don’t see you subservient to me. Ever.”

“I’m not, but I’m not part of the pack anymore. I’m declaring independence.”

Fury flipped his face shield up to scowl at him. “That’s suicide.”

“No. I’m here.” He indicated Sanctuary over his shoulder. “I need some time to get my head straight. If I do, I’ll be back. But for now I think this is the best thing for me.”

Fury gave him a doubting stare. “If you say so. I’ll tell Vane.” Lowering his shield, he slung one long leg over the bike and started it.

Fang stood back as Fury opened the throttle and squealed off. It was only then he realized Aimee was standing across the street with Dev, watching every move they’d made.

Suddenly sheepish, he tucked his hands into his pockets and joined them.

“Feeling better?” Dev asked sarcastically.

“Yeah. Thanks for not interfering.”

The bear shrugged. “Hey, I get it. Wish someone would let me do that to a couple of my bros.”

Aimee let out an exasperated breath as she stepped forward. “You look terrible.” She reached up and turned his chin to the side so that she could study his right eye, which was throbbing and stinging. “Sheez. Carson needs to see this.”

“I’m not a puss, Aimee. I’ve had a lot worse that healed on its own. This too shall pass.”

She let go of his chin and growled at him. “No offense, but I hate Macho Fang. I really wish you’d put him in a closet, lock the door, and lose the key.”

Dev laughed. “Sorry, wolf. We’re the reason she has this whole hang-up on men.”

“It’s all right. As long as she doesn’t slap me or bite me, we’re good.”

Dev sucked his breath in sharply. “Man, wolf sex must be harsh.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t even want to know what you bears do.”

Aimee made a sound of distress. “Excuse me? Boys? I am still standing here, you know?”

Dev grinned wickedly. “Yeah, we know. We just don’t care.”

In a huff, she turned and left.

Fang started to stop her, but doing that in front of Dev wouldn’t be the smartest course of action. And one ass-whipping a night was all he was good for at the moment.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and grab a bath? Take some time off. You can help close up at dawn.”

“Thanks.” Fang went back inside.

Wren paused as soon as he saw him. “Remind me not to get you pissed off.”

Fang ignored him as he returned to his room. He was surprised to find Aimee there, waiting for him.

He shut the door fast before someone on the outside caught sight of her there. “What are you doing?”

She held up a bottle of peroxide and a small container of cotton balls. “I was worried about you, Mr. High King Macho.” She pulled the chair out from his small desk. “Now sit.”