The Brothers and I

Chapter 34

"Marcus doesn't appreciate anyone touching what is his"

Spinning around with a hand over my chest, my breath stalled when my gaze collided with a pair of icy blue ones. A colour so similar to his older brother's electric blue but unlike Alex, these eyes did not bubble with hatred or malice but held a hint of mischievous humour behind them.

Kole tilted his head to the side, blue eyes narrowed in curious expectation. Still caught up in my initial shock, all I could do was respond with a blank stare. Besides, I was also painfully aware of the fact that I was found snooping through his brother's things. Marcus's things. Ofcourse the mysterious, creepy office belonged to the dark and broody Alpha! Shifting nervously on my feet, my cheeks grew hot with embarrassment as the seconds ticked by. But Kole on the other hand, seemed immensely entertained as he chuckled lightly before taking a few steps in my direction and closing the gap between us.

Just as he encroached into my personal space, I snapped to attention and hastily took a few steps back, placing some distance between us. And although he watched my every move, my retreat didn't seem to faze him as he reached out for the blade and held it between his fingers before unsheathing it.

Twirling the blade, he studied it with a fond look on his face. His tone was one of reverence when he spoke. "This blade happened to cut the head of an Elven Prince." Holding the blade higher, his gaze returned to my shocked face, a smirk playing across his lips before he continued, "But technically he wasn't really a Prince. Just a bastard child of Elven Royalty but he definitely deserved what he got. Fucking prick." Laughing indulgently, he held the blade towards me, his voice electrified with excitement. Like a child who sought approval from the adults for his stick figure drawings, his eyes eagerly searched mine. "Look... It still has some blood on it!"

Warily, I studied him before focusing on the brownish-red streaks that ran across the blade. Swallowing back the disgust, I tried hard to think of a response. What the fuck do you say when you learn that your so-called mates get a thrill from decapitation and that Elves actually exist in the same sentence?!! Deciding not to discuss their morbid methods in assassinations, I went with the simpler topic.

"Uh... Elves?"

A hearty laugh left him as he sheathed the sword and placed it carefully back on its stand. "Oh yeah. Total dicks but they put on some of the best orgies you will ever find in this side of the world. Goes on for days." His eyes took on a far-off look as if in reminiscence of said-days. Somehow that look seemed to trigger an odd pang of irritation as I pictured him fucking some pointy-eared-bitch. My jaw clenched with the effort to hold back a nasty retort. Instead I stared at him in open revulsion. But Kole didn't seem to notice as he smiled, his tone taking on a salacious note. "And you know what the best part about those parties are?"

He looked at me then, his blue eyes taking on a golden hue as he seductively added, "Anything goes."

And just like that, I realised that I had nailed my first impression of him. He was definitely the wild, bad boy that women fell for alright. And that confirmation only served to fuel my distaste even further. With a hard glare and an icy tone to match, I fired back at his smug face. "Well.. if they let a flea-infested sleazeball like you join in on their fun then I can only assume that they have zero standards."

His grin fell, his face appearing stunned at my response. And for a moment I panicked, thinking I had crossed the line. Kole may not have done anything to me directly but I still had a healthy fear of the terrible four. So I was surprised when Kole chuckled good-naturedly and strangely I felt myself relax at the sound. Had this happened two days ago when I was clueless about mates and bonds, I would have never let my guard down. But armed with the knowledge that the terrible four would never dare kill me without risking their wolves, I felt less afraid and more confident in my approach. Guess knowledge is power after all.