Nikolai had his face set in a grim expression as he stepped out, ready to face his first opponent.
They called him Hellhound, because he was out for blood and never let go once he caught a trail.
He always eased them in, too, letting the other alpha get a shot or two. Then he swept the floor with them and barely broke a sweat.
Nikolai moved like a ghost, circling around his opponent, his fists moving so fast the man had no chance to react.
Every kick and jab sent blood splattering across the concrete below them.
Nikolai stayed focused, his expression never changing as he systematically took out all of his opponent’s weak points, sniffing them out like a hound.
Both opponents were breathing heavily, chests heaving, eyes narrowed. It looked like a fair fight on the outside.
It wasn’t.
Two more hits and the alpha went down in a spray of blood that had the crowd cheering.
Watching him fight was truly like a work of art.
The other two fights went the same, ending in a spray of blood and an alpha dropping. The crowd was going wild and Nikolai looked more alive than he had in weeks.
Hopefully this would clear his head for the job ahead, because in a few days’ time, I’d have more than enough information for us to hunt down our next target.
Chapter
Ten
Aries
Club 21 was already packed by the time I walked in Friday night. Silva eyed me as I slid into a barstool. She let the other bartender take over as she propped a hip against the bar and waited for me to settle.
“Rough day?”
I shrugged. “Bad sleep again.”
“Ah,” she said with a chuckle, “so the knock-me-out special.”
She snagged a glass and started to mix up my drink. I was so out of it I startled when someone slid into the barstool next to me. I glanced over to find Lexi giving me that same assessing look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked immediately.
We’d been friends long enough that it wasn’t a surprise she could see right through any barriers I put up.
“I’m assuming it’s not trouble with the newbies,” she prompted when I didn’t answer right away.
“No, they’re actually really great,” I admitted. “I did some one-on-one training with them today, and they’re ready to takehold of a new life. If you haven’t chosen jobs for them already, I think I’d like to open up some positions over at the gym. It’s in the budget.”
Her face lit up. “That would be perfect, because I was struggling to figure out a place they could go that wouldn’t be overwhelming. They both seemed a little shell-shocked still.”
I had employees to cover the gym overnight, making sure it was open twenty-four hours, but during the day it was usually just me. Maybe I could use a break here and there.
“Now, stop avoiding and tell me what the fuck is wrong,” Lexi said, raising an eyebrow.
I let out a sigh knowing she’d already won. These two wouldn’t let me get away with being evasive.
“The past just loves to keep me awake at night,” I said, shaking my head. “And the new beta, Leon? His scent hit me and I think I’m spiraling a little bit.”
“Like… scent matches?” Lexi asked, blinking at me as she processed that.
