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Leo

S churke Wolf, my alias, the name the cartel world knows me by. I rule the United Kingdom from the underground, with ties and allies in Italy, Germany, and most European countries. Power and money, I have it all. The humans look to their king and prime minister, and the supernatural species looks to Alejandro, but from the shadows, England is mine.

Humans work for me, and although they don’t know who I am exactly, they sense the power that I hold. They can feel it when in my presence and know I am not to be trifled with. I am feared by all, and there are not many who can look me in the eye.

My most trusted men from my pack are also part of my cartel, but I always made it clear that if they want to step back from the front lines, they are welcome to because in this world, death is always hanging over you. Luckily, being a werewolf makes us pretty much invincible when it comes to dealing with humans. But even then, the risk of the unknown is always there, and I do not want my people to be left without their mates because of my own ambitions. Nothing happens without my knowledge, and if someone ever tries to double cross me, then I fucking take care of them.

I now wear a dark grey suit, a black shirt, and smart boots as I head to one of my underground warehouses. The drugs have finally arrived, and I am here to take a look at them myself. I am flanked by my most trusted; the Six as they are referred to. Ace, Shane, Dan, Jin, Li, and Jax. I don’t trust easily, but these six, I grew up with them, and I know they are ideal for this job. They go by aliases here, just like most of us. Within the pack, we don’t really show that we talk much. I prefer not to mix the two identities. Only Ace and Jax live at the pack, whilst the other four live in the city.

I slow down as I look at the crates in front of me. The LSD has been separated from the fruit they had been compiled with, and I look at the endless packets in the assorted crates, letting out a low whistle. We did it. One huge, risky, shipment, but with the correct planned journey that I had mapped, they got into the UK without being discovered by border control. I crouch down by one of the crates, opening one of the clear packs and take a pinch in my fingers. I sniff it; it is clean. The very best that money can buy.

“Check every individual packet and get it to Seven X. Open the market for our buyers a week from now,” I command, turning around. Those who that was directed at know the location of that site. The less who know where I am keeping it, the better.

“Understood. We’ve already begun getting everything in place,” Snider, one of my human Lieutenants, speaks.

“Perfect,” I reply, about to say something else when I suddenly feel a wave of unease wash through me. Something is wrong. I look up sharply scanning the place, but it is completely secure. Only a few I trust are in here and it is heavy with security.

Check if this place is secure, I command through the link. A few minutes later, they tell me all is fine. What is this feeling?

“Everything okay, boss?” Snider asks.

“Get them to Seven X now via separate routes as planned,” I say, pocketing the packet I had opened.

“Understood!” He moves away, and I take my phone out. No phones work in here and I’m not about to lower my defences. Is something wrong at home? Azura comes to my mind and that unease grows.

Noir, call Emmet, I command one of the men who is standing guard outside.

Yes, boss. After a moment, he says, He isn’t answering, Alpha.

Fine.

I frown. That feeling isn’t going away, and I wonder if something has happened to her. Has that bastard found a way into the pack?

“I’m leaving. Take care of the rest,” I tell the Six before I walk past them.

As much as I want to oversee this myself, I have to go back. I need to make sure she is fucking okay. Stepping out into the underground carpark, I get into my car, commanding my driver to get moving and close the screen between us so he can’t overhear before ringing Eric.

“Hey, Alpha.”

“Where are you?” I ask coldly.

“I, uh, was just at Emmet’s floor and am heading down now. Everything okay?” He sounds tense.

“How about you answer that?”

He sighs, “Emmet told you?”

“Emmet didn’t even answer my call. What the fuck is going on?”

“He and Azura, the visitor, got into a physical fight.”

Fight. A flash of anger ripples through me, and my eyes blaze steel blue.

Drive faster, I growl to the driver through the link.

“Details.” My voice is calm, but anger is pulsating through me.

“I don’t know the details, but Emmet said she insulted you and this pack. It got physical, and she did a number on his face whilst he also landed a few on her. They are both pretty bruised up... but he shouldn’t have hit her.” His voice is quiet in that last sentence. No, he fucking shouldn’t have.

My eyes blaze, my heart is thundering, and the anger that is raging through me is blinding. Bruised up.

“Alpha?” I swallow hard, ending the call.

“Stop the car.” He instantly brakes, and I get out just as he opens his door quickly.

“Boss, is everything okay?”

I don’t reply, getting into the driver’s seat and slamming the door shut behind me, I start the car, hitting the gas as I pick up speed.

He shouldn’t have touched her. I don’t give a fuck what she said, she is there under my fucking protection. My head is fucking pounding with uncontrollable rage that I am trying to control so I don’t end up fucking ripping the steering wheel right off, trying to comprehend what Eric had said.

Azura isn’t the type to insult our pack. She’s never looked down on us or me for that matter. Sure, she’s lost her temper, but that was if she was triggered, which means Emmet must have said something. His hatred for the Elite is not something I am fucking blind to. He is one of the few who understands my hatred... but if that is the case, it means he must have found out exactly who Azura is.

I am driving this thing as fast as it will fucking go, a blur in comparison to everything around me.

Tell me exactly what happened, I command Eric the moment I am in range.

Sure, I found them around the side of the apartment block when Azura was on top of him ready to punch him and I broke them apart… he begins to explain.

It takes me less than half an hour to get back, half the time it should have fucking taken. Getting out, I head upstairs and into my office, pulling my jacket off.

She…

She what? I ask coldly.

She then said he hurt Jackie and wanted her to tell me the truth. He sounds tense and his words surprise me, too. Emmet hurting Jackie? Sure, he has a temper, but he wouldn’t hurt her…

Continue.

I know he doesn’t want to speak up as he and Emmet have enough issues between them, never seeing eye to eye. Although both had tried for the Delta position, I gave it to Emmet… but even then, I found myself asking Eric to deal with a lot more. It should have been Eric. He had been more Delta material, but it was Emmet I ultimately wanted closer to Marcel, and when he had needed a new Delta when his last one retired, I suggested Emmet.

Well, Jackie denied it, and when I was leaving, I just saw Jackie take Emmet inside and say goodbye to Azura before shutting the door, he briefs me as I head out of the office, tossing my jacket onto the sofa. I pause, furrowing my brows.

She just took Emmet inside?

Yeah.

Yet Azura had bruises and grazes?

Yes.

But Jackie as a doctor didn’t check her… even if someone went against her Alpha or mate, Jackie is the type of person who would still tend to the sick or injured, no matter who they are…

Get the CCTV footage sent to me from the fight, I say before ending the link.

I stop for a second outside Corrado’s bedroom, opening the door slightly to see he is fast asleep with Winona sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard asleep, too. He is safe. I close the door silently and leave the apartment, heading straight for Azura’s as I undo my shirt cuffs, rolling the sleeves of my black shirt up. I raise my hand and knock hard.

Nothing.

I knock again. Nothing.

Fuck, I don’t care, I’m going in.

I enter a code on my smart watch before I hold it against the scanner and hear the lock click open. I step into the apartment, shutting the door behind me. Her scent fills my senses and I head to her bedroom. Why didn’t she fucking answer?

I knock on the door trying to control the anger and restlessness that is now not only mine… I feel him prowling in my mind, his urgency and concern for the mate that I deprived the both of us of. I knock again, frowning.

“Azura. Fuck, open the door.”

She is here. I can fucking smell her. Is she in the bathroom?

I push the door open, just as the bathroom door opens, and I come face to face with none other than the she-devil herself. Oh, and right now… she is the image of pure sin in nothing but a black lace bra and a tiny pair of underwear. She freezes in surprise, staring at me for a moment, her heart thundering. Pleasure fucking rushes south, and I feel myself harden as my eyes rake over her. At least she is fucking here…

I let my gaze trail over her once again but this time I see past those gorgeous curves of hers… taking in the bruises on her legs, arm, shoulder, and even her cheek. My eyes flash with anger at the same time reality seems to hit her. She quickly grabs a discarded towel and wraps it clumsily around her shoulders, although it barely covers her panties. She then gives me a scathing glare.

“Have you ever heard of knocking?” She growls. She sure didn’t lose her spark.

“I did. Several fucking times. You didn’t answer,” I reply arrogantly.

“For a reason,” she retorts as she slowly eases the towel off her shoulders and frees her arms. Wrapping it around her chest, she walks over to the wardrobe and grabs an oversized shirt. My eyes are on her back. I can see the curve of her ass from under the towel and the painful scrape that is slightly bloody on her left cheek. It only makes my anger grow; this hadn’t been a small fucking scuffle. Emmet had aimed to hurt her. She pulls the grey t-shirt over her head, and lets the towel fall as she turns back to me. “Why are you here?” She asks, sounding almost accusing.

“You know why,” I reply coldly, walking over to her. Her eyes flash defensively as I approach. The urge to fuck her is intense, but instead, I cage her between my arms, her back pressed against the wardrobe behind her. My eyes scan her face. She has another bruise under her jaw and on her neck…

I clench my teeth, masking my emotions. Raising my hand, I run my fingers down her cheek, making her tense. These tingles rushing through us both... I had weakened them, but they are still here. Her heart is racing as I continue to run my hand down her neck.

I am beyond fuming and what fucking gets to me the most is she is supposed to be safe here with me.

“Want to share what exactly happened, little she-wolf?” I ask, dangerously quiet. I look into those fucking beautiful eyes of hers and see she is hesitating as if she doesn’t think she should tell me. There is no anger in them, so despite the fight, she is calm. Then again, she might just be hiding her emotions… but it is her words that fucking surprise me.

“Will you believe me?”

I frown. What does she even mean by that?

She is serious. Gone is the woman who is not afraid to unleash hell. Whatever had happened had shaken her. There is a vulnerability in her eyes that is throwing me off, reminding me of that night that I rejected her and forced myself to fucking turn away from her.

“Try me.”