When Lightning Strikes (4 page)

“Bearer of the Sword of Souls,” Calem greeted him calmly. “Nice of you to finally grace me with your presence.” Calem stood facing the French doors with hands clasped behind his back.

Ryker strode in the middle of the room where Bones, Soar, and Jackal were already standing tensely in a faceoff with Calem’s enforcers.

“Is there a reason you wanted to meet with me?” Ryker barked. “In case you didn’t realize it, I have a charity gala going on right now.”

“When you became leader of the Other Council, you pledged to unite the wolf-shifters and bring peace to New York. Your pledge was the only reason I agreed to a truce with your pack and the New York wolf-shifters.” Calem turned to face Ryker. His eyes were yellow and his body tense. “Does our truce still hold, wolf-shifter?”

Ryker bristled at his question. “It holds for as long as I say it does.”

“Then tell me why the bodies of two of my top enforcers were found dumped in the middle of Manhattan with their hearts ripped out?” Calem questioned with barely concealed rage.

Ryker’s eyes narrowed on Calem as Soar, Rip, Jackal, Knox, and Bones flanked him. “And you’re assuming this is the handiwork of wolf-shifters?”

Calem gazed at him, appalled. “This is fact. The smell of wolf-shifters was all over the bodies.”

“No wolf would do that unless I sanctioned it,” he snarled.

Calem stared at him coolly. “That’s exactly what I thought. So I ask again. Does the truce still stand?”

Ryker growled as the painful tingle of the feral power of the Sword of Souls coursed through his fingers. He clenched his palms, fighting the appearance of the Sword into his hand. He watched everyone in the room bare their necks involuntarily. Everyone felt his tension and waited anxiously for his next move.

Calem snarled. His canines dropped. “So now you’ve chosen to abuse your power as the wielder of the Sword?”

Ryker closed his eyes slowly and blew out a cleansing breath, aware that his power rolled off him. His eyes flew open. The power snapped like a rubber band. “Someone has decided to wage war with my pack by killing your enforcers, thereby breaking the truce. Rest assured, I will find out who’s behind this.”

Calem adjusted his tuxedo. “Ensure that you do, Wolf. Our truce will not hold unless you get this under control.” He nodded to his enforcers. They all paraded out of the office without a second glance.

He was pissed at Calem’s accusation. He already had his hands full when the Goddess of Death appointed him the leader of the Other Council, promising the shifters—tigers, lions, wolves, dragons, and bears—a new beginning. A new beginning that included cleaning up the years of shifter wars started by his out-of-control father.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and blew out a deep breath. Whoever decided to kill those shifters had knowingly declared war on his pack. It was time to show his enemies that he had no qualms about removing the threat. No one disrespected his authority and survived.

Knox frowned, gazing at him. “You all right?”

“As good as I’m going to be,” he responded tiredly. “Two tiger-shifters killed during a very fragile truce is not exactly good news.”

Knox stared at him, then back to the others. “There is no way the negotiation for a permanent Other peace pact will happen until this gets resolved.”

He grimaced at Knox, his younger brother and recently appointed beta wolf—second-in-command. He was proud of him but wondered if thrusting him into power so fast was smart. Living as “Knox Gunner” the rock star was one thing, but being second-in-command of a pack of shifters was a lot of responsibility, especially for a pack that was in the rebuilding stage.

Ryker frowned, but it wasn’t just Knox who had a lot to learn about navigating the choppy waters of Other society. He had been estranged from Other society for so many years, some days he wondered if all of the powers shoved upon him were too much, too soon. His jaw tightened, and he quickly dashed away the self-doubt. The Goddess of Death never made mistakes. She had chosen him for a reason. He was the only one she trusted to bring the Others back from the brink of annihilation. It was his obligation to right all the wrong his bloodline did to create dissention among the Others. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he was making headway. With the help of Knox and his friends Rip, Jackal, and Soar, he was determined to rebuild trust. But first, the Others must understand his word was law.

He leveled them with a hard stare. “We need to find out who killed those shifters. I need everyone reaching out to their contacts. I want solid intel by the end of the night.”

The heavy pounding of the music strummed annoyingly, reminding him the charity gala was still in full swing. He truly hated these events, but socializing with Others on occasion was a necessary evil. He had to lead by example, showing coven, pride, and pack leaders that they could coexist in peace. At the urging of Rosa, he organized a series of charitable events with a freaky, sensual twist for Others who indulged in kinky escapades. To Ryker’s surprise, his events grew to be one of the hottest invites in the human and Other social circles, with invites sent to only his wealthy associates, who were more than willing to give generously to his charitable foundation.

He smoothed the sleeves of his black tux. “Let’s get this gala wrapped up. We have more pressing business to attend to.”

They all exited the office and into the gala, which was in full swing. The high-octane mixture of new money and old money permeated the room. He ignored the stares and whispers of the glittering women and cigar-smoking men as he strolled menacingly through the crowd of Others—shifters, vampires, and human nobility. A waiter shuffled over, presenting him with a glass of scotch. Others nodded respectfully, shocked that he turned up for his own event. Nine times out of ten… he didn’t, but tonight, something stirred within his beast, urging him to attend.

Sophie, a thin blonde, dressed in a skin-tight, red gown strolled up to him, smiling seductively.

“Sophie. You look beautiful as always.” Ryker stopped, admiring her long legs. Sophie Jenson was one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood. She was also an alpha female wolf-shifter who was strong, smart, and cunning, much desired traits within the circle of Alphas.

She smiled, fully appreciating how he looked dressed up for his charity gala. She reached up to kiss him on the lips. He politely leaned away, kissing her chastely on the cheek. Her eyes hardened and smile slipped before she tilted her lips into a forced smile.

“All for you.” She laid her fingers on his cheek, but he pulled away. He knew what she wanted… to become his mate and Alpha-female of his pack. But she was like a sister to him and they were never going to work as a couple. Something Sophie refused to accept.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to his pack. “I’ll meet in you five minutes.”

Knox, Bones, Jackal, Soar, and Rip regarded each other before stealing a glance at Sophie. He knew exactly what they were thinking… Sophie was trouble with a capital T. Sophie was the daughter of Harvey Jenson, Alpha of the Jenson pack, the second strongest pack in New York after his. Harvey and Ryker’s father had been childhood friends and had forged an alliance years ago, hoping one day their children would unite their packs through their mating. Which was not even a remote possibility as far as he was concerned, and that was even before he decided to leave the pack at eighteen to forge his own way, not wanting anything to do with the forced mating or the power-mad man his father had become.

When he returned to claim his position as Alpha, he fucked Sophie once, a mistake he had been paying for ever since. That one night had motivated her to ramp up her one-woman campaign to press for an alliance and mating between them. She refused to take the hint that he wasn’t looking for a mate.

“You can’t keep doing this,” he remarked coolly. A woman strolled past him, leering at him with interest. Human. He glanced away. He hadn’t slept with a human since college. They were way too clingy and wanted commitment. He wasn’t a one-woman man… and forever wasn’t in his vocabulary.

“Doing what? This?” Sophie shot him a seductive grin, reaching down between his legs to wrap her fingers around his shaft.

In a flash, he grabbed her wrists, bringing them against his chest. “Yes, that.” He sighed heavily. “Sophie, you need to find a nice mate to settle down with.” He felt the hostile stare from across the room. Jacob, a wolf-shifter who worked for her father, had been actively pursuing her for months. “Like Jacob.”

“Jacob?” Sophie flushed. “Are you serious? I don’t want Jacob. I want you.”

That was the other thing that turned him completely off from Sophie. She was a spoiled brat who viewed things and people as her possessions. “Want? I’m not your possession.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “When you turned your back on your pack to find yourself, I waited. When you came back and beat your uncle for Alpha position, I waited. When the members of your pack deserted you, I waited.” Her eyes narrowed. “But I’m done waiting. You need a strong mate to keep the pack together, a mate with strong pack ties. I can help you rebuild.” Her eyes were cold and calculating. “I know you will never love me. Frankly, I don’t give a shit about love.”

He smiled coldly. “And your gracious offer has absolutely nothing to do with the fact your father is ill and my uncle is poised to take over your pack as Alpha?”

She flinched like he physically slapped her.

“Or the fact he wants you as his mate?”

She sniffed with disdain. “I will do what is best for my pack. But obviously I would like to explore other options.”

He was the other option. He didn’t blame her. She was desperate to save her father’s pack from being taken over by Peter, his uncle. Peter was crazy, ruthless, and consumed by the need for power. So consumed, he killed Ryker’s father and appointed himself Alpha of the Alfero pack. In the blink of an eye, gone was the life he had built within the human world. The Goddess had ordered him to reclaim his bloodline. To go back to the world he had turned his back on and fight Peter for position of Alpha. He rubbed the scar across his brow, one of the many reminders of that hard fought battle.

Ryker gritted his teeth. “I’m not going to mate with you, Sophie, but I assure you my uncle will not become Alpha of your pack.”

“My father and the elders—” Her voice broke before she cleared her throat. “Think you must take me as your mate to unite our packs, preventing a shifter war.”

Narrowing his eyes on Sophie, he growled, “I don’t give a shit what they think.”

“God, I’m sorry I even brought this up.” She bowed her head, not meeting his eyes. “There are whispers among the Others that without a strong mate, your position as Alpha is in danger.”

He knew she wasn’t sorry at all. Despite the fact that his pack was smaller in numbers, they were still a force to be reckoned with. His pure bloodline ensured that, but as the bearer of the Sword of Souls, and wielder of life and death, it pretty much sealed his fate and service to the Goddess of Death for the rest of his life. No one could kill him, for he was the epitome of death and destruction.

Power surged through his veins. “You go back and tell your father, elders, and my uncle that if they want to challenge me, they better be ready because I will show them no mercy.” He paused. “And as far as you and I go, there is nothing between us. Never was, never will be. Now run along.”

Sophie bristled, standing a bit straighter. “You will need me, Ryker… very soon.” She smiled at him bitterly before marching away in a huff.

He bristled, knowing Sophie and her father would not give up until they found a way to get what they wanted… him mated to her. An alliance they waited for years to happen.

He gulped his glass of fifteen-year-old scotch. Now his fucking night was completely ruined. First by finding out two shifters had been killed in his territory, and now by Sophie. He nodded toward Soar, indicating he was done for the night and leaving, when a familiar scent hit him. Lightning Credence.

He turned casually, watching as she swayed right past him and through the crowd, sipping a glass of champagne. With utter disdain, she ignored the appreciative stares of men. He watched as someone caught her eye. Lacie Gilden, a wolf-shifter and owner of an Other escort company. Light stared boldly at Lacie’s date, giving him a sexy smile, which made the shifter stop midsentence, checking her out in typical shifter fashion. Light’s eyebrow arched with a look in her eyes that he knew all too well, a look he used on many women. A look that said, “Once you fuck me, you won’t remember your name or hers.”

The bear-shifter swallowed hard. Light laughed at the expression on his face before turning on her heels, strutting through the glitter of the party. His cock jerked. Holy hell, what a fucking strut; it was sensuous like a stripper. Ryker had seen her at a couple of events and, though she was captivatingly beautiful, she wasn’t his type. He liked his women demure and submissive. From what he heard about her erratic party girl lifestyle, Lightning Credence was a pit bull in a dress. Yet there was something about her scent that pulled on his cock like a leash, commanding him to stop and pay attention.

He watched her flag down a waiter. “Do you have anything stronger than this?” she drawled, holding up her empty glass. The waiter nodded no. “It figures,” she grumbled. “With the amount of money floating around this place, would it have killed Mr. Alfero to have an open bar?”

God, she was beautiful… stunning if she wasn’t half drunk. He silently took several long steps toward her while she appraised the guests. He slid behind her.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he murmured.

She turned, slamming right into his chest. Her eyes widened at the sight of him.

He continued. “Champagne is not strong enough for Lightning Credence?”

Her hazel, almond-shaped eyes blinked rapidly. He heard her heart race as she pulled her long, jet-black hair away from her neck. He swallowed hard when her hair slid across his hand. The image of her hair gliding across his body as she slipped her head between his thighs flashed through his head.