Enemy of my Enemy

𝕾𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

For the record, it was Bianca who had decided he should drag her out by her hair. He'd had no choice in the matter.

Grayson didn't know what it was like to suffer from an alpha's claws. Until he'd become the leader of his pack, he'd never had a single encounter with an alpha before- Vincent Briare had had this habit of pretending he didn't have a son, which was the reason why many of his old associates had been shocked to find out that he'd been usurped from his throne by a kid they hadn't even known existed. On the one particular occasion his dad had paid enough attention to him to fight him- Which was the very same occasion where he'd ended up dead- Grayson had approached him only after making sure every visible patch of his skin, save for his face, had been covered in protective leather. He'd known about the poisonous effects an alpha's bite or claws could have on an ordinary wolf, and he hadn't been that eager to test those effects out.

The same, unfortunately, couldn't be said for Bianca Blackburn, who seemed to have no limits she wouldn't climb over to get what she wanted. Grayson had felt how hot her skin was when he'd touched the side of her face. Black blood had started dripping out of the cut his claw had made, and he'd only been able to breathe properly after the blackness had transitioned into a crimson red hue. Bianca had smeared bits of the blood down her face- for dramatic effect, she'd informed him. Then, she'd proceeded to hobble onto her feet and give him instructions on what to do next.

He'd called Reyes, telling him to come to his office. Grayson and Bianca had waited a few more minutes, then had ventured out of the room. With his fist wrapped around a large portion of her tangled dark hair, he'd tried to make it seem as though he was dragging her along.

To her credit, she completely sold the act for him. She stumbled over her own feet more than once, and kept letting out these pained gasps which did an absolutely amazing job of convincing not only the guards standing in the corridors, but also Grayson himself, that she really was on the verge of losing herself.

Grayson shoved open the door to his office using his shoulder, then let go of Bianca with a very small push. She went flying, landing on the floor crumpled and barely moving. She'd warned him beforehand that she was an excellent method actor, even if she did say so herself, and Grayson had been tempted to laugh in her face. What would someone like her know about acting?

But now, as she somehow forced herself to cough up blood on his carpet, he was finding it very hard to believe this was all just pretend.

"What's..." Reyes stared at Bianca for a few seconds, then seemed to remember Grayson was standing not three feet away from him. "What did you need me for, boss?"

"Extend a dinner invitation to The Six," Grayson answered. He tried his best to direct his gaze towards anywhere but Bianca's crippled form. "Tell them Grayson Briare and Lorenzo's daughter would like to talk with them."

"Boss?" Reyes frowned. "Just what exactly are you planning?"

"I'm taking your advice, Reyes." Grayson sank into his chair. "I'm going to be showing every one of our potential allies the reason they should be giving a damn about this situation."

"And... What reason would that be?"

Grayson smiled. "Bianca Blackburn is capable of being defeated. The same rules apply to Lorenzo, too."

Hunger glinted in Reyes's eyes, and the fire in his pupils reminded Grayson of why he'd chosen Roman Reyes to be his second in command when he'd taken over. "What did you do to her?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, Reyes kneeled down next to Bianca and tucked a fallen lock of her hair back into place. In doing so, her new gruesome scar was revealed.

Revolting heat rose up in Grayson's chest, and he wondered for a moment, horrifically, if what he was feeling right now was jealousy.

"An alpha's mark," Reyes breathed, tracing the scar with his knuckles.

Grayson's grip on the arm of his chair grew considerably tighter.

"Would you look at that, princess? We match." Reyes pulled up the sleeve of his shirt to show off the palm length line that traveled from his wrist to the inside of his elbow. Grayson had been there when Vincent had done this to Reyes- Reyes had been nineteen back then, meaning Grayson had been younger than Bianca right now- And for months after that, Grayson hadn't been able to look at Reyes without feeling an overwhelming sense of sympathy for him.

And yet now, the only feeling Grayson could experience was pleasure at the thought of wrapping his hands around Reyes and choking him to death for calling Bianca 'princess'.

Fuck, he needed to stop this. He needed to get Bianca out of his mind. It was too dangerous for everyone if he were to try acting on his twisted emotions for her.

"I'll send the word out," Reyes grinned up at Grayson. "Look how well everything's turning out. You should listen to me more often, boss."

"Don't press your luck," Grayson gritted through his teeth.