Malakai stood with his hand resting on the doorframe as he leaned toward her. Her teeth ground together as her heart thumped out a few extra beats.
“Malakai!” she greeted a little too cheerfully.
She was never outwardly rude to him, but she wasn’t exactly friendly either. She preferred not to encourage his pursuit of her or make him suspicious.
Gathering herself, she compelled herself to relax as she continued. “What brings you by today?”
“Elexiandra,” he drawled in a tone that made her skin crawl. “It’s a pleasure to be blessed with your presence twice in one day.”
Somehow, Lexi managed to keep her smile in place, but she wanted to slam the door in his arrogant face. She didn’t reply as Sahira came to stand beside her.
“Hello, Sahira,” Malakai greeted.
“Malakai,” Sahira replied in a clipped tone.
Malakai didn’t notice the tension in Sahira’s voice as his eyes remained riveted on Lexi. When his gaze ran hungrily over her, Lexi managed to stop herself from crossing her arms over her chest.
However, making her uncomfortable was exactly what he meant to do. Instead of cowering, she lifted her chin and met his brown eyes when they finally returned to hers.
“What can I do for you, Malakai?” she demanded.
His smile caused her hands to fist. Malakai believed she would be his, and since her father’s death, she’d believed it too, but no more. She would lose everything before she ever allowed him to claim her as his wife.
Malakai’s smile widened as his hand fell away from the door. If she hadn’t known better, she might suspect he’d read her mind and found it amusing. However, vampires didn’t possess that ability.
“Have you seen a dark fae around here?” he inquired.
“We haven’t seen anyone around here,” Sahira said.
“This one is injured.”
“Which would make him more noticeable.”
Malakai’s eyes narrowed on Sahira, and Lexi almost laughed, but her amusement lodged in her throat when Cole and his brother strode into view.
Can this get any worse?
But even as the thought ran through her mind, excitement hummed across her veins, and a big smile spread across her lips before she could stop it. Seeing her reaction, Malakai stiffened and looked over his shoulder as Cole and Brokk climbed the steps.
They were here, hunting their brother, and she was harboring the fugitive, but she couldn’t find it in her to be frightened when Cole’s Persian blue eyes landed on her. A small smile curved the corner of Cole’s mouth before Malakai stepped in front of him and slammed his palm into the doorframe.
Unprepared for the motion, Lexi couldn’t stop herself from jumping at the sound. Exasperated by his intimidation tactics, she scowled at Malakai as he leaned closer. The malicious gleam in his eyes caused her stomach to roll, but she refused to back down from his intimidation tactics.
“Back off,” Cole said, and clasping Malakai’s shoulder, he pulled him back a step.
For a second, Lexi believed Malakai was going to shove him as they glared at each other. They were two extremely powerful beings, but Malakai had to know he would lose in a fight against Cole.
He didn’t seem aware of this as his hand fisted.
• • •
Cole braced himself for Malakai’s attack; he would welcome the chance to beat this asshole into a bloody pulp. Malakai believed that because he worked for the Lord, he could do whatever he wanted. He was in for a rude awakening.
“I said,” Cole bit out, “back off.”
Brokk shifted behind him, but Cole didn’t look at his brother. Brokk wouldn’t interfere unless he believed Cole might lose. There was no chance of that happening.
Malakai’s eyes turned red. “Are you interfering in an investigation that the Lord of the Shadow Realms ordered me to undertake to find your treasonous brother?”
Stepping closer, Cole used his superior size to force Malakai back. “I am interfering in nothing. I’m telling you that harassing the daughter of a man who died for our cause will not be tolerated.”
“I will inform the Lord of your insubordination.”
“Go ahead. You are a lieutenant in his army, and I am a general. You served under me in the war, and we know which of us means more to him. We have helped to track Orin, but his trail has grown cold. It’s time to move on.”
“I’m sure the lycans hunting him with me will disagree with you,” Malakai said.
“Perhaps, but you’ll have to hunt them down to ask them. They left.”
Malakai looked as if Cole had punched him in his too handsome face. “No, they didn’t.”
“They’re gone,” Brokk said. “If I were a betting man, I’d say they’re probably already having a drink somewhere.”
“They didn’t care if you reported them either,” Cole said.
Red crept up Malakai’s neck as he searched for the lycans and found nothing. Cole didn’t know if he was more embarrassed or incensed by this revelation, but he found Malakai’s discomfort amusing.
Cole waited for him to launch a punch, but instead, the vamp turned toward Lexi and gave a small bow. “I will see you soon.”
The shoulder beneath Cole’s hand vanished as Malakai teleported away. Cole’s hand fell to his side, and he turned to find a pale Lexi staring at the spot where Malakai had stood.
Then, her eyes met his and she smiled.