Page 97 of Bruised MC Bear

He was tall—huge, really. He had long, jet-black hair which nearly reached his muscular shoulders. His striking sky-blue eyes pierced into her despite their cool hue. All the men possessing the 236-k gene had that same characteristic build, as well as hair and eye colors. She took another few seconds to assess his body language, but honestly, was caught up in his appearance more than anything. He wore a simple white linen shirt, thick gray wool sweater, and black pants. Nothing fancy, yet his clothes clung to every contour of his body. The chiseled jaw, muscular frame, powerful profile, and his strength and confidence made such a strong impression on her that she could barely look away.

“Good day, Commander Oslo,” Kiera finally managed when Coco cleared her throat behind her. She stepped forward with her right arm extended to greet him.

“If you say so,” Xander replied coldly.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You said good day. I beg to differ, but such is the plight of our kind. Please, sit. I have a full schedule today.” He refused her handshake, and instead, motioned at the other end of the table. All of a sudden, his attention turned to Coco.

“Wait,” he said, narrowing his eyes as he gave her a sideways glance. “Why the hell are you here?”

Coco stepped forward. “That’s no way to address a familiar, young man. And might I add, the meeting has not yet begun, and you’ve already been unacceptably rude to the Chosen, one witch you need to give your trust before this year’s first winter storm.”

“Trust a witch? That will never happen. So, you’re her familiar?”

“I am.”

“Your being part-shapeshifter will earn you no favors with me.” He shook his head. “As far as I’m concerned, your kind is part-shifter, part-witch, part-immortal, and all traitor.”

Coco glared at him, ready to pounce. “Watch that acid tongue, young man, before I remove it from your mouth with a single utterance,” she threatened.

“This is the reason I will not sit at the table of a familiar.” He took in two short breaths as though sniffing the air. “Look around. Your sorcery fills the air in this entire room.”

Coco crossed the space between them and Xander, and stood inches away from him, grimacing. “And how would you know that?”

He held his ground. “I can feel it. I can smell it, and it reeks of wickedness. How old are you, immortal shifter witch?”

“Did your parents never teach you that asking a lady her age is impolite and distasteful?”

“You are no lady, witch. Tell me your age,” Xander demanded. “I would bet you were around before the first ravager attacked the city of Chicago.”

Trying to regain control, Kiera stepped up to them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders to pull them apart. The moment she did, an energy flowed from him and hit her body like a jolt of electricity, causing her to jump backward so far that she almost lost her balance.

Seeming only slightly surprised by Kiera’s reaction, Commander Oslo smiled stiffly. “Let the Regent know I will not participate in any meeting where your familiar is in attendance. I have no issue with you, but she fills this room with an ancient evil.”

Pivoting around on one heel, he moved off toward the rear entrance.

“Wait!” Kiera called to him. “Please, Commander Oslo. We should take this opportunity to speak today.”

Commander Oslo glanced back at her after taking a few steps. “I agree…just not with your familiar present.”

Kiera was not ready to give up on this meeting just yet. Why was the Commander so concerned about Coco? And what was that force he gave off? Ending this meeting prematurely surely would not provide her with any answers. She turned to Coco and pulled her a few yards away from Xander so they could speak quietly. “I didn’t expect his reaction to you, dear.”

Coco smirked. “I’m not surprised by him. I’m only curious about you.” She leaned forward and whispered, “What did you feel when you touched him?”

“I…I am not sure.”

“I sense lust, darling. Desire. That’s a first for you.”

“Please. That was nothing of the sort.”

“Then what was it?”

“I do not know. Listen. Let us set that question aside for now. For the sake of this meeting, will you wait outside?”

“Absolutely not,” she answered, raising her voice. “How dare he start this discussion by dictating who can and cannot be present? This is exactly what the Regent was—”

Kiera squeezed Coco’s elbow to calm her down. “Please, dear. We don’t have much time before the first storm. Go on. I will be all right.”