Alec wondered what happened to Kade all of a sudden. They were all having a great time when they arrived, but now, he had grown distant from everyone. He stopped participating in any of the games that the others were enjoying. He didn't respond to anyone other than King who also found his behaviour strange. On top of that, Kade hadn't once looked at Alec, it was as if he purposely avoided locking eyes with him.

"You're staring," Gabriel remarked.

"Am I?" Alec answered without any attention to his friend who was definitely amused.

"I never thought I'd see the day my friend would be in love," Gabriel jested.

Alec took his eyes off Kade and looked at the alpha of the Centauri pack. "That's a bit of an exaggeration," he said.

"Am I wrong?" Gabriel asked.

"No, you're not," Alec answered truthfully since there was no use lying to this man. "Gabriel, do you think the bond between Kade and I is a lost cause?"

"Why would you say that?" he asked.

Alec also questioned that himself. Perhaps, he knew that the hatred in Kade powerfully overwhelmed his slight desire to recognize the mating bond between them. Even now, Kade hadn't noticed it. He was completely oblivious to his own wolf calling for Alec.

"Kade's looking to avenge his family," he explained. "Do I have the right to stop him?"

"No, you don't have to right to stop him," Gabriel answered.

Alec's stomach dropped replacing the ease with a sick sensation, that crawled into him as he understood the bitter truth.

"But, you do have the freedom to seduce him," Gabriel added.

Alec's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"Kade doesn't know it yet, but he has feelings for you too," he said.

"Feelings of hatred," Alec added.

"Protectiveness," Gabriel corrected.

Alec was surprised when Kade approached them. "Is everything alright, Kade?" Gabriel asked.

"We're heading back," Kade answered.

"At least enjoy dinner," Gabriel said as he turned towards him.

"Dinner is only meant for family and friends, since we're neither, I don't find it appropriate," Kade answered sternly.

Gabriel raised brow. "Hmm," was all he responded with for a moment. "Alright then, thanks for coming. You have a great night, Kade."

Kade's piercing green eyes fell onto Alec. "Let's go," his tone austere.

Alec turned to Gabriel. "Thanks for the advice," he said. "See you around."

Gabriel put his hand on Alec's shoulder supportively. "You got me on your side," he said. "Don't ever forget that."

Alec's felt as if someone took the knife in chest and twisted it with those words. "That could be the wrong choice, Centauri," he mocked with a smile.

Gabriel dropped his hand. "I've never made the wrong choice, Waldorf," he remarked.

Alec shook his head rolling his eyes at him. "Smart-ass," he said before following Kade and the others.

They said their goodbyes and the women already exchanged numbers with Mia, hoping to meet again. Mia who held a book in her hands, followed along her brother and got in the car with them. This time, Kade drove.

Alec didn't know what this man was thinking but he was quiet the whole ride home. Mia fell asleep in the backseat, so there was only silence making the air heavy in the car. He was hesitant to ask what was wrong. He knew that the silence between them deliberate as if Kade was testing Alec's patience. But Alec was careful and didn't say a word.

They finally returned home.

All of them got out of the cars and were heading towards the house. A maid opened the door for them and Mia, Niko went inside with Dario. Kade stepped into the threshold when he stopped in his tracks and turned towards Alec and Vadik.

"There's no need for you two to come inside," Kade's tone was unemotional.

Alec and Vadik exchanged a look.

"What are you saying, Kade?" Mia asked hearing her brother and she came up to the door.

Kade's eyes stayed on Alec. "You're free to go," he announced.

Alec frowned. "Are you saying that you're giving up on your vendetta?" he asked.

A dangerously strong turmoil lingered in Kade's eyes. "I'm saying that I spared your life," he corrected grimly. "Leave before I change my mind."

"Kade, are you sure about this?" Dario asked.

"What are you doing, Kade?" Nikolai asked as well.

Kade didn't bother answering anyone's questions. He kept his piercing gaze on Alec as he shut the door on their face.

Vadik and Alec were left alone outside wondering what the hell just happened. Unless, Kade sensed the bond between them and denied it, that's why he was rejecting Alec now and sending him away.

"Come on, Alec," Vadik said. "We should go before he changes his mind."

Alec hadn't meant to follow his brother. He desired to storm into the house and get his answers for why Kade was acting strange all of a sudden. The man was built around his revenge but he dropped it so easily. What could be the reason apart from the obvious mating bond between them?

Alec sat in the truck with his brother who drove them off the property and back into the city. "Stop the car," he said. Vadik listened and he pulled up to the curb letting Alec out of the truck.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"You head home," Alec said. "I need some fresh air."

Vadik didn't believe him but he didn't raise any questions. "Are you okay, brother?" he said carefully.

Alec didn't answer and shut the door. Vadik drove off moments later leaving his brother all alone on the side of the busy city. He didn't bother with the people around him and went into Xeon all by himself. The red neon lights and blaring music drowned away the voices in his head. He took a seat at the bar and enjoyed a few drinks. A few people flirted with him but his dead eyes were enough to let them know he wasn't interested.

Around midnight, he left the club and walked down the empty streets that were barely visible from the dim lights lined along the roads. He could hear the commotion nearing him from ahead, but he didn't bother with it, until someone slammed into his shoulder.

"Watch where you're going!" A man cursed loudly before he shoved Alec back.

Alec looked down at the meaty hand that was still gripping the lapel of his leather jacket. He smelt the booze on the six men and the cigarettes they were probably smoking earlier, it lingered on their coats.

"Hey, that's Alexander Waldorf," another man said.

The one holding Alec sneered. "No wonder I smelled trash," he said and the others laughed. "Your father was a criminal and a sore loser for dying without any honour. You're probably the same. A swine just like your father."

Alec didn't waste his time and punched the man right in the nose breaking it from the shattering force. The man toppled back grabbing his bloody nose.

"Do you know who we are?" Another one of them said. "We're part of the Raiders."

Alec heard that name before, it was a small gang formed from the Xeon nightclub. They were supposed to act as security for the club but soon ended up as an outlet for thieves and drug dealers to prosper.

"Grab him!" The bloody nose one said.

The four of them obeyed and grabbed Alec taking him to the back of the alley. He didn't know what they were hoping to accomplish by bringing him here. He stood in front of them as they took out their blades and surrounded them. Yet again, he found himself in a circle with animals that only knew survival through a fight.

Did he even want to fight them? Alec thought to himself. He had weapons strapped to his body and could easily shoot all six of them in the face. But something stopped his arm from reaching for his gun hooked onto his belt. What stopped Alec right now?

The one with the bloody nose punched Alec in the stomach and he didn't attempt to dodge it. He let the thugs have their way. Perhaps, this was what Alec sought tonight. A fight that was just about instinct or hatred.

One of them swung their knife, cutting Alec's shoulder. The burn of the sharp blade woke the animal inside Alec. He grabbed the man's arm with the knife and twisted it to an abnormal angle, which was enough to break it in half. The man screamed in pain and dropped to the floor.

The others charged for him, but Alec was done for tonight. Awakening the killer that was dormant inside him at all times appeared. He grabbed the one with the broken nose and slammed him against the dumpster knocking him unconscious immediately. The other two were smart to attack together but Alec was faster. He dodged the first man and let them slam into each other. Alec bent over them and kicked the first one in the groin and then the other one in the face. The four thugs didn't bother getting up this time.

Alec fixed his jacket before leaving the alley with his bloody arm, busted lip and bruised rib cage. However, he couldn't feel any of that. The sensation of pain numbed a long time ago, which was a courtesy for being born as a Waldorf. Blood and pain shouldn't bother a Waldorf, those were his father's kind words.

"Alec," a voice he recognized called out for him.

Alec looked up and saw his brother who hadn't gone home. "I told you to leave me alone," he grumbled.

"Never happening," Vadik said as he saw his brother's wounds. "You're bleeding a lot. What the hell were you thinking?" Alec shrugged off his brother's concern. "Damn it, Alec. You're coming to the hospital with me."

"No, I'm not," Alec snapped.

"Yes, you fucking are," Vadik dragged his brother into the car.

-Kade's POV-

"Why did you let them leave?" Dario asked.

Kade didn't see his family that stood in front of him. He could only see the anguish in Alec's eyes. He didn't know why Alec had that expression when he was closing the door, it spoke to Kade, like it was telling him that freedom was worse than facing Kade's wrath. He thought that the Waldorf brothers would be happy to hear that they were free to go. He raked his hair out of frustration as he remembered that Dario asked something.

"Alec and Vadik don't deserve to die for what their father did," he answered. "I was wrong."

"Who are you and what did you do with the real Kade Guerriero?" Niko remarked.

Kade left for the stairs.

"Does that mean, you forgive them?" Mia asked.

He turned and met his sister's eyes with guilt overwhelming him. "I will never forgive the Waldorf pack for what they did," Kade told her. But he just couldn't kill Alec with his own hands. Everything in his body forbid him, it was as if he was possessed by this unknown magic that bound him to Alexander. A dangerous curse, that he could never cause any harm to that man.

Kade went to his office alone.

He shut the door behind him and closed himself in. The lonely lamp on the table was the only light in the room. He moved around the chairs and went to the table that his father sat. He leaned on the edge and saw his father standing in front of him. He failed his father again. Kade couldn't avenge his family. He had no right to be in this room or to be called a Guerriero.

In the dark room, Kade couldn't breathe, it was like the shackles around his throat tightened each time he inhaled. He had to drop this madness and move on. He couldn't do this anymore. He'll never talk to Alec again and he's never going to meet those brothers. Kade would return to Italy once and for all. He'd lock up this house and take Mia back to their country where they belonged.

There was a knock on the door.

"I want to be alone," Kade said curtly turning his back to the door so no one would see the expression on his face right now.

The door opened despite his wishes. It was Dario. "It's Alec," he started with earning Kade's attention immediately. "He was attacked."

Kade's instinct spiked as if he was the one targeted. He desired to ask if he was okay or if he was dead, but he bit back the unreasonable craze inside him. "Where is he?" he asked sternly.

"Hospital," Dario answered.

"Get the car," Kade growled as he grabbed the gun off the table.

They both left the house and got in the car that arrived. Kade was simmering with rage at the thought of Alec in the hospital. Who could have done this? Frankly, there was probably many enemies pining after Alec to kill him. Kade wasn't the only one in that category.

Agitation boiled inside him like a volcano. He stepped down on the gas, passing traffics lights and other slow cars, arriving at the hospital quickly. He parked the car and stormed into the hospital wing where he spotted Vadik in the hallway of the VIP ward.

"Vadik," Kade called out.

Vadik's mismatched eyes landed on them and widened. "How are you two here?" he astonished because he probably didn't understand how they found out about the attack.

"Don't worry about that," Dario answered nonchalantly. "Where's Alec?"

"In the room-" Vadik pointed ahead- "getting stitches."

Kade didn't bother hearing anything else and went to the room. He pushed the door opened found Alec sitting on the bed with a doctor bandaging his right shoulder. His torso bare, it had a huge purplish-blue bruise across his rib cage. There was blood on his lip and his shirt that was on the side was drenched with that crimson shade. Kade fisted his hands, digging his nails into his taut palms. A dangerous need to kill whoever caused Alec pain overcame Kade. The smell of Alec's blood was the only thing keeping him in this room and the fact that Alec wasn't dead.

"Can you leave us, Dr. Stone," Alec told the doctor.

She left without complaint but gave a stern look to Alec like she told him to behave after getting stitches. The door behind her closed and it was like Kade could breathe again. Dario and Vadik came into the room after seeing the doctor leave.

"What are you doing here?" Alec asked.

Kade ignored him. "How'd this happen?" he asked what was necessary. "Did Giovanni send his men after you?"

"No, he didn't," Alec answered and his indifferent tone irked Kade.

"Who did this to you?" Kade said while trying to get Alec to focus on him alone.

"A bunch of thugs, it's not a big deal," Alec said.

"Who?" Kade growled, his tone inching towards vengeful.

"Men from the Raiders gang," Alec answered understanding Kade's unsettled mood.

"Don't they protect the Xeon nightclub," Dario said.

Kade didn't give a fuck who these men were. He turned to Dario. "I want each and every one of them now," he commanded.

Dario gave a nod. "I'm coming with you," Vadik said joining him as they left together.

The moment they left, the tension in the air doubled, it was as if there was a thick fog swallowing both of them into its mirage.

"How could you let this happen?" Kade asked as he crossed his arms otherwise he would've reached out and touched Alec.

"Why do you care?" Alec said coldly which wasn't like him at all.

Something was wrong, Kade thought. Alec wasn't acting like himself. They spent only a little time together but Kade understood that Alec wasn't one take a fight lightly. "Unless," it clicked to him right then and there. "You were looking for a fight."

The control on Alec's face dropped and his blue eyes were bright like two hot flames. "Like I said, why the fuck do you care?" His lips pulled back in a grim sneer.

Kade's blood pumped through his veins at an incredible speed when he saw the rage in Alec's blue eyes. "Don't use that tone with me," he grumbled back.

Alec growled a curse that had to be Russian. He raked his hair back with his injured arm, he must've forgot about it, because he let out a curt wince from lifting it too high. "Leave me alone, Kade," he said then.

"What would compel you to let these men beat you up?" Kade asked. "What did you want to accomplish?"

"You know," Alec said bitterly.

Kade stared at his tortured blue eyes. "Pain, you were looking for pain," he answered. "You think this will solve your problems."

"I'll keep trying until it does," Alec scoffed.

Kade grabbed Alec's arm. "No one touches you," he grumbled darkly, fierceness overflowing his green eyes. "No one makes you bleed."

"Unless it's you?" Alec remarked.

"You're finally getting it," Kade said, his tone as cold as ice but it was slick as flames against their skin.

"Screw you," Alec broke free turning away.

Anger took over and his control broke. Kade slammed him against the wall, their faces inches apart that their lips could touch. "You won't do anything like this again," he forewarned.

"Or what?" Alec challenged.

Kade slammed their lips together, taking in the heat and lust that was consuming him. He ached to devour Alec; make him his own forever. Fuck, this arousal that pumped through his veins was enough to kill an army. He angled his face, letting his tongue go deeper into Alec's mouth as both of them pulled closer and harder. His hands ranked into Alec's dark hair, he fisted the short length under his fingers and pressed his hips into him. A carnal part of him radiated violently, it told him to keep Alec under him and control him until both of them were lost to this sensual storm between them.

He broke the kiss, pulling away his lips, so he could drag them down the length of Alec's corded throat. The cut on Alec's lip started to bleed again and it heated the arousal in Kade. He ran his tongue along the racing pulse, it told him that Alec was aroused just as much as him. The need to mark his teeth into his pale neck was ravenous, like the vicious animal inside him stepped forth and ached to mark his prey.

Kade's ran his sharp teeth along Alec's neck and he moaned in response. The erotic sound intoxicated Kade into a dark and hot nightmare, that was keeping him from thinking straight. He stood with his body against Alec, the heat from him beckoned Kade to press closer and take this tantalizing sensation all for himself like a greedy thief.

He tried and tried but he couldn't separate himself from Alec. His lips craved the taste this entire time and now that he tasted them, it was impossible to let go. He locked their lips together again, opening his mouth wider, he plunged his tongue violently against Alec. Fuck, what was he going to do? He could get addicted to this and he shouldn't allow that to happen. But Kade wasn't pulling away. The soft, alluring caress of Alec's lips against his own was enough to make his knees buckle. The hunger in him was overwhelming, and it wasn't helping that Kade's wolf was just as desperate to take a bite out of this man who was melting under their touch.

Alec pulled away first to breathe, which they hadn't done in a minute or two. Both of them were breathless and their chests rose and fell at a fast pace. Kade wasn't even entirely sure he was breathing or not. His focus was entirely fixated on Alec whose eyes were blazing with an intense passion over what they just shared.

Kade's passion soon turned to anger as realization seeped into him. He wished that Alec could have punched him or shoved him away. Why did Alec kiss him back? What was the reason that their kiss shattered away the ice built around Kade's heart?

Kade was about to apologize and tell Alec that he never meant for all this to happen. But his phone in his pocket rang and he cursed under his ragged breath. Alec dropped his head against the wall behind him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket without stepping away from Alec. He didn't separate himself from him just yet. He kept his eyes on Alec's bruised lips and the red mark on his throat.

"What?" he answered.

"We have the men who hurt Alec locked in the cellar," Dario informed.

"I'm coming," Kade replied, his tone guttural. He cut the phone and dropped his arm that caged Alec.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket as he stared at those blue eyes, they weren't brightened with arousal like earlier. They had toughened and put that wall of distance between them, it irked Kade to the point that he almost wished they hadn't broken the kiss.

However, after the initial hunger that he felt. Now, a surge of guilt stronger than the waves of an angry ocean consumed Kade, taking him into this spiral of shame. He shouldn't have kissed Alec no matter how fierce the desire was in him. Staring at him now, all Kade wanted was to bring him back in his arms and hold him. But he couldn't do that. The control that he spent years training to harness had broken in seconds in front of Alec. Kade was a disgrace to his family all over again.

"What are you going to do with those men, Kade?" Alec broke the dense tension between them.

Kade straightened to his powerful height. "I'm gonna fucking kill them," he gritted out before leaving the room.

Every inch of his body begged him not to leave Alec all alone. But he had no choice. He had to fight his wolf and himself just to put some distance between them, so he could think clearly. And the perfect way to clear his mind was to kill a few lowlife thugs.

Kade returned home and went straight through the foyer towards the basement where Dario had locked up the targets. He climbed down the stairs and arrived in the corridor where the guards greeted him. He passed them to the room where Dario stood before a few men who was handcuffed and kneeling on the floor pissing their pants out of fear. Nikolai who stood waiting for him at the door was with Alec's little brother.

Niko saw Kade and opened the door, both of them exchanged a look just before Kade entered the room alone.

"We swear, we didn't know?" One of them said, he had a broken nose, since there was a huge purple bruise and loads of blood.

"Didn't know what?" Kade pulled a chair and took a seat in front of them.

They all flinched back in fear.

"I asked a question," Kade gritted out.

"We didn't know that Waldorf was under your protection," the man said.

Kade scowled. "He's not," he corrected.

The man looked up confused. "Then why are you doing this?" he asked.

Kade leaned forward taking the gun strapped to his back and bringing it forth. He wondered about the reason for him to act this possessive over someone he should hate. He pointed the gun to the man in front of him and shot the first bullet in his skull. He got up from his seat and did the same to the other three. He killed without remorse, which only meant that it was still innate to feed the predator in him, he just couldn't kill Alexander Waldorf.

"Clean this up," he ordered the guards when he stepped over the bloody bodies. He left the room and saw Vadik. "Why are you still in my house?"

"I was just wondering why you took revenge for my brother?" Vadik's eyes brimmed with amusement.

"Niko, make sure this one leaves before I change my mind and return his corpse to his brother," Kade said leaving them and getting into the elevator alone. He arrived on the second floor.

"Kade," Mia's soft voice stopped him in his tracks. "I was looking for you."

Kade tugged on his blazer hoping that his sister didn't see the splotches of blood on his shirt. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I heard what happened to Alec," she said, her green eyes full with concern. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine," he said through clenched teeth.

"Are you okay?" she raised the question carefully.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he retorted avoiding his sister's inquisitive eyes.

"Well, I only thought that you must be angry enough to drop everything and go after Alec," Mia said.

Kade stiffened; every fibre of his body, each muscle and bone remembered the kiss he shared with Alec. "It doesn't matter," he said turning away from her.

"It does, Kade," Mia said. "You care for him."

"No, I don't," he snapped at her.

Mia didn't believe him. "Then why'd you go after him?"

"It doesn't matter," he said storming off to his office.

Mia followed him there. "How long are you going to let the death of our family stop you from living your life?" she asked.

Kade put his hands on the table. "I don't have the luxury to do that, Mia," he told her.

"Yes, you do," Mia said.

"No, I don't!" he shouted. "Our family was killed and I failed to protect them and even avenge them."

Mia's eyes saddened and it only angered Kade more. "You didn't fail at anything," she said.

Kade's blood turned black with the poison dripping out of his heart. He had to sacrifice himself just to fight to the top. He thought that selling his soul to the dark side would grant him satisfaction. But he stood here, hearing his sister's scorn, only to remind himself that he was struggling to keep his head above the water drowning him.

"You deserve to be happy, brother," Mia said.

Kade wasn't deserving of happiness. He failed his family, so he should suffer in this alone. "That's not possible for me," he told her the truth that he wholeheartedly believed.

"You never know what our goddess has planned for you," Mia said as she went to the door. "She may have already picked your mate and he could be closer than you think." She left without another word and shut the door.

Kade stood alone in his office. A storm brewed outside his house, the thick black clouds rumbled above and flashes of blue filled the room. It was easy for anyone to judge him and tell him that he may be on the wrong path. But he knew his truth better than anyone. He thought that if he killed every single Waldorf then he could face his parents in death too. Then why did Alec's face come to his mind when Mia mentioned the damned word mate.

Anger blazed within him and he lashed out onto the table. He threw everything off of it and it all hit the floor. The lamp shattered onto the floor with all the other papers and mechanics. This neat office wasn't who he was. He was broken as the glass on the floor. The control he built was gone and he couldn't bother pretending anymore. The raw desire that coursed through him ached to go to Alec and feel him under his skin. He craved the taste of his lips again. The scent of their arousal spiralling around him, consuming him to the depths of passion.

Stop! Stop! Please, just stop, Kade begged.

But the desire was too strong and the guilt in his heart battled him. Unable to take on his own thoughts and the ghosts of his family, he grabbed the oak table and slammed it across the room, breaking it in half. The thunder that roared outside the room muffled the sound of the table breaking and all the other things, so no one heard him losing his mind in here.

After a long while, Kade was sitting on the floor of his father's office that was destroyed, just like his own soul and heart. No one could save him from this dark prison. Not even their goddess. 

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