When the Wolves Cry (Twin Flames Duet #1)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

JAX

I’m keeping my cool. I have to. I have my little wolf with me and cannot act out of rage. Even though my blood is at a full boil seeing Brutus after all this time.

The fucker is smiling, sipping on a tumbler of whiskey, and walking around the grand foyer like he’s not the biggest disgrace to human nature. A fucking cretin poisoning the Earth.

“Babe.”

My heart stops, thinking I just hallucinated my girl calling me“babe”for the first time. I retract the daggers I’m throwing at Brutus’ leathery, smug face, and look down at the siren who’s calling.

She frowns. “You’re hurting my hand.”

I instantly relax the vice-grip I wasn’t aware of. “I’m sorry, baby. I have murder on my mind.”

I bend down, and press my lips to her freshly glossed ones, letting her taste the venomous words.

She doesn’t mind. She smiles against me, teasing her tongue up the center of my lips. “Well, you are my teacher. The live stream was hot. But I may need to see it up close to really get the idea of it,” she purrs.

And the award for always making my dick harder than a diamond—goes to Tala. I just came inside of her too.

“Hmm. I’ll teach you, and guide you, and help you pull the trigger. But right now, we have to play nice, little wolf. Even if we want to snap our jaws,” I whisper.

She chomps her teeth at me. So sexually, I groan and straighten my spine before I end up taking her back for round two to see what those teeth feel like.

“Ho-ly shit!”

My lip is already twitching hearing the Southern accent.

The little hand in mine squeezes, and I take a deep breath, turn my head to the left, and fight the visceral reaction of stabbing the old dome that’s level with mine.

His hazel-brown eyes are beaming right at me, looking me up down with a smug ass smirk on his face. “You look like a mean motherfucker. You a fighter?” Brutus asks, still wearing his smile.

“Yes, sir,” feels like a hot poker on my tongue.

I have to play the game though.

His face lights up, and he lifts his tumbler with a finger pointing at me. “I hear it, boy. Where you from?”

This fucking prick.

I don’t know how long I can hold out. I’m almost positive there’s smoke pouring out of my ears and flames reflecting in my eyes. “Savannah, Georgia,” I answer honestly, hoping the fucker fits the puzzle piece together.

“No shit!” he hollers ardently, getting heads to turn with disapproving eyes. “Well, isn’t this just peachy? Savannah was home before I planted roots here.”

I want to rip his teeth out.

My brow hikes up. “What brought you all the way up north?”

His smile drops to a sliver of his teeth, thinning his eyes like I struck a nerve. “I don’t likebein’ questioned,bo-”

“I don’t either,” I interrupt. “Yet I answered and remained polite. I expect the same cordiality in return.”

The nails digging into my flesh remind me I can’t yank his eyes out right now.

He smirks arrogantly, sloshing his whiskey around with a wavering finger in my direction. “I like you. But I can’t help but notice the pretty girllatchin’ onto your hand. Who do we have here?” He directs his attention to her, shamelessly sizing her up.

Black begins clouding my vision, tunneling in on how I could ram my fingers into his mouth, curl them around his bottom teeth, and rip his jaw clean off.

I force myself to breathe and let go of her hand to brush the elegant waves from her neck, making sure he sees my collar. “Tala,” she answers placidly, then rests her little hand on my back.

He analyzes her with a shit eating grin. “Tala Huxley, the Wolf Princess. Wow! You are even prettier up close.”

Her lips curl. But she knows we have to play our roles right and relaxes her look of disgust.

“How do you know about theHuxleys?” I question.

His eyes sweep over to me. “Well, with tonight’s proceedsgoin’ to Howlin’ Haven , I wanted to see where my money wasgoin’. And boy did I become interested inpurchasin’ some art.” His attention gets stuck to something behind me, and he pats my fucking shoulder. “Good,talkin’ to you, boy. If you ever want to make some money with those fighter skills, give me a holler.” He strides off, approaching Mayor Jenkins and Deputy Mayor Cromwell with outstretched hands.

My jacket gets tugged, and knowing it’s my anxious little wolf, I crack the vexation out of my neck and look down into her worried eyes. “Do you have your cigarettes with you?” she asks urgently.

She’s never asked me that before. I don’t really smoke in front of her. “Yes, ma’am,” I answer pensively.

Gripping my hand like steel, she weaves through dresses and suits, pulling me out to the colonnade.

Flickering candelabras hang against the old stone, spearing a warm light throughout the dark hall. The cold breeze wards most away to stay indoors, but a few meat bags partake in a smoke break while scrolling their phones.

A stone gazebo sits on the far end of the courtyard, lowly illuminated with lanterns and candles. She pulls me along to it, pretty heels clicking with every step.

She stops us in the middle of the gazebo, looking too good not to touch. Tucking her hair behind her heavily pierced ear, I brush my thumb along her soft cheek. She looks up through her lashes, the flames twinkling in her pools of honey—and I forget to breathe for a moment.

My jaw tics at the sensation of her hand snaking into my pocket. She pulls out my pack of cigarettes, dipping back in for my Zippo—all while keeping her ablaze eyes on mine.

Medusa’s snakes reside behind her amber, turning me to stone every time I lock in with them.

Her fingers brush against my lips as she holds up a cigarette. Parting my mouth for her, she gently tucks the filter in between my lips.

The metal Zippo clinks as she flips it open, and sparks turn to flame as she strikes the wheel. While burning the end of the paper poison, shadows dance across her symmetrical face in the most deliciously haunting way that I want scorched into my retinas.

I take a drag, the red glow washing over her while she intently watches the cherry burn brighter, her little hand placing my pack back in my pocket.

Before I fully exhale, her cold hand wraps around the back of my neck, ushering me to bend down. Her glossy lips part as they meet mine, and the light, cool suction of her inhaling tingles against my lips.

Exhaling against her, smoke transfers from my lungs to hers, connecting us through poison.

Her warm breath fans against the facial hair on my upper lip, and smoke rolls out of her nose, looming around our faces and turning cloudy in the bands of light.

The silky wetness of her tongue skims over the center of my lips as she wets her own, and my heart begins thundering in anticipation. Instead of giving me what I crave, her lips press against mine—and she pulls away.

I’m going to end up in a goddamn straight jacket from how insane she makes me.

She tucks the cigarette back in between my tingling lips and takes her coat from me, slipping it on casually and pulling her phone out to text someone. “I’m asking my dad if he knows about that.”

Filling my lungs with chemicals, I pry the cigarette from my lips, marveling at the structure of her face in the cool light of her screen. “You guys have never received any donations from this shit?” I ask, smoke rolling out my mouth.

She shakes her head, a raven wave falling over her eye. “Never. My dad keeps it afloat with visitor passes and field trips.”

“Hmm. Oddly convenient timing.”

“That’s where my head is at too.” She holds her phone up to her ear, looking back up at me with her pools of burning gold. “I don’t know where Nadia and Maverick went.”

“They’re shoving their faces in the dining room, mija.”

She slowly blinks, retracting her phone from her ear and ending the call. She mouths, “I keep forgetting he’s here.”

I don’t. I didn’t really give a shit if he heard us fucking. But she feels indifferent. I guess mentioning murder a bit ago got her so excited she forgot about him again.

Putting the cherry out on the bottom of my shoe, I fetch out my pack and drop the filter inside it. “I need you to be a good girl and stay by Maverick’s side while I’m upstairs with them. I don’t know if Brutus will be up there with us, or downstairs with you,” I say irritably, shoving the pack back into my pocket and grabbing her hand.

She frowns, face tightening in angst with a whimper. She doesn’t say anything, just keeps her steps in line with mine and attempts to relax the muscles in her face.

Walking back inside to the chattering and clicking of heels, Mayor Jenkins approaches us with a sinister smile.

His salt and pepper hair is combed back, appearing to be a gentleman. But the wrinkles mapping his face and deepening his sage green eyes are beyond that of aging.

He stops in front of us, placing a hand on Tala’s elbow and greedily sizing her up. “You look exquisite, Ms. Huxley! Wow,” he breathes mirthfully.

My lip twitches, and she pastes a pretty smile on for him, nonchalantly leaning into me to get his hand off her. “Thank you. Jax picked the dress out himself,” she hums, the sound so fucking sweet.

He looks up at me, forcing the smile to stay intact. “Jax Scythe, the Reaper. I watched that fight of yours and I was impressed. I actually have a proposal for you. I was wanting to discuss it over crystal, but I’m afraid my presence is required elsewhere tonight. So, we’ll have to reschedule that sometime soon.”

Interesting. What could be more important than his precious gala?

“I’ll keep my eyes on him,” Leon rushes silently.

I give Jenkins a curt nod. “You have my email.”

“Phew,” he recoils, brows pinched loosely. “Your voice is as dangerous as you are… Anyways, you’ll be hearing from me shortly. In the meantime, the ballroom is about cleared out now. So please, enjoy some drinks and dance the night away, you two.” He walks away with a dissolving smile, fading in with the cluster fuck of live meat bags surrounding us.

What are you up to, you old shit?

Tala’s pretty hand flashes out, whisking a flute full of champagne off the tray passing by, and we continue on through the grand foyer.

She’s ecstatic that I’m not going upstairs. She doesn’t have to say it, her eyes are lighting her face up and she’s flashing her pearly smile at all the faces we pass.

She’s enchanting, drawing the attention of men and women who want to know more about TalaAkiraHuxley and what it was like being raised with the wolves.

There’s not a single soul that’s not wrapped around her finger, hanging onto every word that filters past her pouty, cherry lips. It’s not solely her divine appearance that collects their interest.

She’s just magnificent.

She speaks self-assuredly and slow enough to keep her words clear. She smiles and uses her hand when talking, creating a friendly and alluring aura around her. And her eyes.

God, her eyes.

The unique shape and twinkling gold make her appear as if she looks at everyone like she’s in love.

It’s making me a little jealous.

Before I can blink, I’m sliding my hand across her back and pulling her away from the old man that started ogling her tits a bit too much. “May I have this dance?” I ask, flashing her a sharp smile.

Her warm eyes light up, but before she can respond, Leon says, “I lost both Jenkins and Brutus roughly four minutes ago when they stepped out of camera range.”

Fuck.

I’ve been so spellbound. I had completely forgotten about the reason for even coming. That’s no good.