“So that’s it? She goes or I go?”
Sorry nods.
“And I guess…you all came to some sort of agreement when I was out? Like a fucking pact? Because you know what that is, brother?”
“Yeah. We know.”
“It’s treason. A blood challenge.”
“You might call it that. Or maybe it’s just your packmates having their leader’s back.”
“Nash?” I say, raising my voice. “You in on this bullshit?”
There’s a heavy silence, then Nash says, “I’m in.”
Course I don’t bother asking Mia. She’s made her opinion about Lily more than clear.
“Well, fuck every single one of you.”
But the truth is I know they’re right. And I know what they’re doing. They’re making the choice easier by seeming to take it out of my hands. So I have someone to be pissed at besides myself.
***
“Jesus fucking hell,” Mia whispers as we pull up outside Lily’s apartment.
Nash drives down an alley and parks the van in a shadowed corner where we can still see the apartment. The entire building’s on fire. Flames lift into the rain-shrouded sky. A couple of fire crews are busy dousing the fire with water cannons. Flashing red lights illuminate a crowd of curious onlookers, and sirens wail into the night.
“Can’t stick around, prez,” Nash says, turning to look at me. “Place is a literal heat score.”
Sorry slides open the side door. Cool air rushes in.
Lily moans, lifts her head. For a second I see the panic in her eyes. She thinks the cult fanatics have abducted her again. Then she sees me, and the look she gives me…fuck. I’ve had a lot of shitty looks thrown my way. But this one? The betrayal and hatred? Nothing even comes close. My wolf paces in his cage. This feels wrong. All of it. But there’s no right answer. That’s the world of Skins: fucked if you do and fucked if you don’t.
Or maybe that’s just the world of an alpha.
“Make it quick,” Mia says, and something in her voice makes Lily sob.
I crawl to my bloodmate. Grab her bound wrists. Drag her out of the van.
She won’t even look at me.
Rain pelts my skin. I look down the alley, and the thought of running with her hits me.
If she is what I think she is…we could run.
But they’d find us. They can track her scent.
Make it quick? Yeah. Wonder who that’s supposed to be easier on? Her or me?
“You’re not worth it, Lily,” I say, gripping her cheeks and tilting her head to mine. “You hear me? Not worth it by a long shot. You better run and never look back. That’s the only hope your kind has. Because I swear: you come near me and my pack again, I’ll let Mia swallow you fucking whole.”
Mia sticks her head out the passenger window, looses her long, forked tongue and hisses in triumph.
Lily doesn’t move. Doesn’t say a word.
Doesn’t even look at me. Just stares at her burning apartment.
The rain’s slicking down her hair and it reminds me of how we held one another in the shower—
I shake my head and murder the thought. My heart hardens. Yeah. Sometimes an MC Prez has to be hard. Ruthless. Sometimes he has to make tough decisions; sacrifice personal need for the good of his pack.
“I need a phone,” Lily says, her voice cool and calm.
“What?”
“A phone. I need to—”
“C’mon Prez,” Sorry growls from inside the van.
“Just get her a fucking phone!” I yell.
Fuck this. I’m starting to lose it.
I want Lily to look at me.
Want to see the hatred in her eyes.
I can feed on that hatred.
It’ll keep me going. For a while.
Sorry hands Lily his phone. She dials, puts the phone to her ear.
A few second’s later she says, “Connor? Hi. It’s Lily. Connor I…I’m in trouble. No, I’m okay, Ha, yeah. No really. I’m okay. It’s just…my apartment. It’s on fire and I…yeah. Fire. I’m outside…but I’m okay. Thank you so much. I’m sorry. Yes. I’ll be here. Thank you.”
Lily hands the phone back to Sorry. Lifts her head to me. Looks me straight in the eye. She’s not crying. Her shoulders are back, her chin high. She reaches out, brushes her fingertips across my cheek, then says, real quiet, “Mia’s right. You’re more than another biker asshole, Aaron. You’re a coward.”
Before I can say a word my bloodmate turns, strides out of the alley and toward the flames.
END BOOK 1
THE LORD OF NEAR AND NIGH
PUREBLOOD PREDATOR MC BOOK 2
AVAILABLE NOW!
EXCERPT BOOK 2
THE LORD OF NEAR AND NIGH
PUREBLOOD PREDATOR MC
Life sweeps you up in its day-to-day bullshit and you lose sight of the big picture.
Forget who you are. What’s important.
Like murder.
Soren comes in quick and low, like the sneaky pussycat motherfucker he is. The grass beneath my feet is moist with dew. Slippery. I dig my claws into the dirt and pivot left, smashing my fist down, hoping to catch Soren on the back of the head as he whips past. Pain stabs in my left calf as Soren’s teeth tear into my flesh.
Bastard’s trying to hamstring me. And I tell you what: an inch lower and he would’ve, and I’d be on the ground right now, deciding whether to scream yield or let this pretentious Euro-dick rip my throat out.
No way I’m yielding. Not to this LA asshole. Not to no one.
Either way, whether I yield or die, Soren the pussycat becomes alpha of my pack.
And that’s not happening.
Not that my pack is mad impressive these days. Mia’s living in a constant cloud of bitch. Nash is so ramped up on blow he could boost a dead battery. And Sorry? Sorry’s my kid brother, but damned if it doesn’t feel like something dark’s needling at him.
A few screams and boos and cheers as the crowd sees Soren take a bite of me. They sound distant, their faces an unfocused blur as Soren and me circle one another, eyeing for an advantage.
There’s nine Purebloods surrounding us. Nine tough-as-hell apex predator motherfuckers. That’s nearly the entire West Coast contingent of the Pureblood Predators MC. Waiting to see who survives this death-match to learn who their new alpha is.
“You’ve gotten slow and stupid and fat,” Soren sneers, his cat fangs shining in the moonlight. He makes a run at me, then spins to the side at the last minute. “Like an American.”
It’s bullshit and he knows it. He’s trying to get under my skin. But in the back of my mind I think: I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired. And that thought might be deadly. Might mean the end of me.
Because that’s doubt, and doubt will kill you quicker than anything.
Soren smiles. He senses it.
“Slow and fat and soft,” he continues. “I’ve fucked Skin bitches with more fight than you.”
My wolf rears up, smashing against his cage, and without even thinking I bare my teeth and growl.
Soren laughs. He’s winning the mental game.
“That your little doggy, Aaron? Little doggy come out to play fetch?”
I lunge at him. It’s a wild move. Soren pivots, easily avoids my claws and says, “Heard about your Skin bitch. You settling down? Trading your bike for a mini-van? Your MC cut for a fucking change table?”
THIS BOOK IS dedicated to my family. Forever.
ABOUT AUTHOR MAY ELLIS DANIELS
Hello everyone. First, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to my family and fans for making this writing life possible. I write contemporary and paranormal romance with smoking hot bad dudes, strong females and lots of action. When not writing I enjoy hiking in the Pacific Northwest with my beautiful family, craft brews, and fast bikes. Stay sane!
- May Ellis Daniels
ovel (Pureblood Predator MC Book 1)
The All Encompassing: Shifter MC Novel (Pureblood Predator MC Book 1) Page 37