I woke up with from a nightmare with an unsettled feeling in my stomach, something was wrong but I didn't know what. I tried to get myself to relax but as more time ticked by the more certain I became that there was trouble in the air. My eyes raked over my bedroom that was nothing but soft breathing and darkness. At the moment I was a tangle of arms and legs. Dimitri nuzzled his face into my shoulder, letting out a sound of contentment in his sleep. I wanted to sink back into the comfort of the warm bodies the enveloped me from both sides but it felt like I was being suffocated. I shifted on the bed doing my best to not wake either of them.

A hand rubbed my stomach before drifting down to my thigh, leaving a trail of fire, "Kiska..." Viktor nipped at my ear with his teeth, "Where do you think you are going?"

"I'll be right back. I just need to talk to Benjin. I want him to double check the defenses of the tower make sure we've covered all our weak points." I went to pull away from his touch, which received a low rumble from his chest and another nip at my ear. This time his teeth poked harder into the sensitive flesh as he pulled me harder against him, letting me feel his growing arousal against my hip, "During the day we share you with Benjin and the others. When sun goes down you belong to only us. That was the deal." It was true that was a deal that I had made with Dimitri and Viktor in the beginning, and they had made it worth my while.

My wolf was as unsettled as I was at the moment,"Viktor..."

Dimitri moved closer to me, wrapping his arm around my waist, "It was deal, Zaika. Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Tonight we all rest." Their arms anchored me to the bed, caging me between the two of them. It felt right to be between them, their touches taking away the heaviness in my mind but the unsettled feeling in my stomach only continued to grow.

My beast let her anxiety known with a low rumble, "Something isn't right. I can feel it, Viktor."

"Where do you feel it, kitten?" Dimitri asked in a gentle tone, wanting to listen to me. He was such a good listener, out of the both of them he was the thinker and Viktor was more of the doer. Together they were a perfect set and I was blessed to have them by my side.

I grabbed his hand and placed it on my stomach, giving it a hard squeeze, "Here. I feel it here."

"Mmm, I see. That is a problem. Fine, I check but you stay here with Dimitri and rest." Viktor dropped a sweet kiss to my forehead as he pulled away with every intention I was sure of double checking everything to make sure to set me at ease.

I let Dimitri pull me against his chest, the heat of his body helping to ease some of the tension that had built up in my muscles. He peppered my shoulder with light kisses, sending tickling sensations across my skin. I squirmed against him, letting out a little laughing whimper, "Dimitri, stop it. You know I hate that." He kept at it, holding me so that I couldn't escape his touch. Not that I truly wanted to.

"Brother." Viktor chided lightly, "Our Kitten needs her rest, don't get her riled up now or she'll never go back to sleep."

"I'm sure I know a few ways to put her back to sleep." Dimitri's voice dropped lower, his hand sliding up my inner thigh, cupping me. I let out a gasp, the heat of his palm sent a pleasurable warmth into my lower abdomen. I arched back into his chest, one touch and I was putty in his hand, literally. They were the perfect distraction in moments when my mind was trying to overthink everything.

Viktor moved in from the other side, hand palming my breast as the pad of his thumb circled my nipple, "Mmm. I can think of a few ways we could put her back to sleep." I bit into my lip, holding back a moan. I loved the feeling of there hands moving over my skin, more fuel for the flames of desire that were building inside of me. I let out a breathy gasp as Dimitri reached up between my breast and tweaked my other nipple.

"Hold that thought, Brother. I must put Kiska's mind at ease before we can put her body at ease." I found myself pouting as Viktor pulled away, leaving me hot and bothered. I didn't like the fact that they both enjoyed teasing me like this. Of course they always made it worth my while in the end, but the in between part was not my cup of tea.

Dimitri gave a low chuckle, smoothing his hand over my stomach, "Okay. I behave myself for now."I gave a growl of frustration, trying to put distance between our bodies. If they were going to make me wait than they could both wait to touch me.

Viktor leaned toward me again, lips hovering over mine, "I will be quick, my greedy little kitten."

"Our, greedy little kitten." Dimitri corrected, pulling me back against him so I could feel the stiffness of his arousal pressing into my lower back.

Our door banged opened, sending the twins quickly into action. They lept up from the bed as if there hadn't been a pause between the thought and the action. They were letting out vicious growls, blocking me from the view of the intruder. I could tell from the scent that wafted into the room who it was, relaxing instantly, "Enough. It's just Benjin. And he better have a damn good reason for barging in here so unannounced. " I remarked pointedly, feeling rather annoyed that our intimate moment had been so rudely interrupted.

"Sutton is gone." Benjin words were almost a growl as he attempted to control his emotions. His words ushered in a tense silence in their wake, my body stiffening as they sunk in. Sutton was gone? Someone had come into my house and taken what belonged to me, right out from under my nose? My snarl ripped through the room, canines filling out my mouth. The uneasy feeling I had woken up to had proven to be justified.

I rose up from the bed, pushing the twins out of my way, "What do you mean she's gone? How the hell is that even possible?" I questioned through gritted teeth. I felt my wolf pushing to be released. She would find Sutton, it would be no problem for her. I did my best to keep my emotions under control, remembering the destruction she had caused the last time that I had let them get the better of me.

"I suspect Revan got some help from the inside."

Someone had betrayed me?And not just anyone but one of my own? I clenched my hands into tight fists at my side, claws stabbing into the soft flesh of my palms as my wolf snarled viciously at the thought, wanting to reign down her fury on the Judas. We would find them and kill them slow, make an example of them before everyone so that even the whisper of a betraying thought would leave them in terror.

"Bring me her mate."

There was more silence, "Can't. Ajax has taken off after her, killed a couple of the guards that tried to stop him."

"Is everyone around me completely fucking incompetent?" The bones in my jaw popped loudly. I was ten seconds away from losing myself to my beast. I needed time to think up some kind of plan of attack but every moment we stood around with our heads up our asses, Sutton was that much closer to becoming fodder for one of Revan's fucking messages. I had moved from angry to straight murderous. I needed to bring the situation back in under my control before I completely lost it.

I started to pace back and forth like a beast in a cage. I needed to kill something. I needed to destroy something with my hands. Dimitri grabbed onto my arm, and I growled at him on reflex before holding myself still under his hand. His touch was gentle, the pad of his thumb stroking lightly but his eyes were made of stone holding my gaze, "Emotions make for quick reactions and bad plans. This is what Revan wants. Sutton needs you to calm down. She needs you to think smart if you want to save her." His words were true. I was letting my emotions lead me and that would only lead to mistakes. I needed to be smart, because I had to save Sutton. I needed to save her. I took in a deep breath through my nose, holding it for a moment before releasing it out of my mouth.

Inhale. Exhale.

Inhale. Exhale.

My wolf was still hungry for Revan's flesh but my mind began to clear, allowing my thoughts to become more connected. I leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, "I want you both to go ahead. I need you to make sure, Sutton lives long enough for me to get there and tear this bastard to pieces." It was the best bet. The two of them would be able to move faster alone than they would with the entire army I was going to bring to Revan's door.

"We follow after our wild brother, make sure he he doesn't kill Revan before you get there." Viktor remarked, nodding his head at Dimitri. They locked gazes, communicating with each other silently before finally breaking away. They wasted no time getting dressed.

Viktor grabbed the pair of jeans he had been wearing earlier, slipping his legs into them quickly. Dimitri threw him a shirt before pulling his own on over his head and down his wide chest. There movements were rushed and they spoke to each other in russian as they strapped themselves up with silver knives. I only understood a couple of the words, but I didn't need to because it was clear that they were deadly serious about rescuing Sutton.

Dimitri moved to me, "We will bring Sutton home." He pulled me into his arms.

"Alive." Viktor finished as he stepped up behind me. I didn't like the thought of separating from them at a time like this but I trusted them completely, they had never let me down. They each took a turn hugging me goodbye, breathing my scent in deeply before they left the safety of our Den.

My nerves became more unsettled, the heavy feeling in my stomach growing as I marched across the room to the closet, grabbing my black silk robe. Benjin stood silently by the door his eyes turned from my naked body. He may have seen it a thousand times but he it was his way of showing respect to the twins.

"I want you to call Lilith. Tell her that we are moving on Revan and if she want's any part of his territory when this is over that she better lend me all the able bodies she has." I ordered to Benjin as I slipped my arms through the holes of the sleeves and pulling it up over my shoulders.

There was small pause before he responded, "And what about Madam Lao?"

I stiffened at his question, growling low. I had wanted to forget about that woman but she made sure that I couldn't forget her or her slum dogs. They couldn't be counted out if I wanted to lay waste to Revan and his followers. She had the numbers, more than Lilith and I combined. Plus, I had promised her that I wouldn't let anything happen to Sutton and I had failed to keep up my part of our bargain. I wasn't going to send Benjin to deal with that, she'd probably kill him to prove a point. No, I would have to face her on my own and humble myself. I could only hope she wouldn't go into outright war with me.

My wolf growled at the thought. She didn't like the thought of us submitting to anyone but it might be what was needed to bring Sutton back. I cinched the tie on my robe tightly, pulling my hair free, "You let me worry about The Madam. You just take care of Lilith. If she needs more incentive than territory offer one my top girls to sweeten the deal. You know she likes blondes." I remarked dryly, turning my eyes to the wall of glass before that overlooked my kingdom.

Tonight It was going to watch it burn under the fury of it's queen.

*****************

In less than an hour to my men had moved through my side of the city dealing with any loyalists to Revan's cause. Their businesses and homes were burned to the grounded, leaving only ashes behind. My streets were be painted red with their pureblood and the halls of my tower would be decorated with their severed heads. I wanted tonight's violence to be remembered for years to come. 

Benjin sat quietly next to me, eyes focused on the orange glow on the horizon, "Sutton will be okay. She's a tough girl, we made sure of that." I had been trying to keep a lid on my emotions but I knew my anxiety and anger were stinking up the car.

I let my head drop onto his shoulder, closing my eyes tightly, "You mean you made sure of that. All I did was make sure to paint the target on her back." Benjin had been the one who had rescued me out of the gutter as a young girl. He had raised me like his own, taught me how to survive in a cruel world that had turned it's back on me. I promised myself once I began to build my empire that I would never go back to struggling like I had. I knew what it was fight tooth and claw for my place in the world and I had earned my crown.

"If you looking for pity you'll have to go somewhere else, I'm all out." His words had my lips pulling up in one corner. Benjin would always be Benjin. He never was nor would he ever be a man of gentle words or sympathetic feelings. He was a man that believed in actions, because those spoke louder than words ever could.

I let out a sigh, lifting my head from his shoulder, "I don't want anyone's pity. All I want is blood."

He met my stare with his eye, "Now, blood...I can get you some of that." He placed his hand on my shoulder, "We are going to make sure that Revan pays for every single bruise he put on our girl." The SUV rolled to a stop and he gave it a firm squeeze before he pulled away. The moment was over. It was time to put my war mask back on. I had to become the queen once again and put the gutter snipe back on the shelf.

We exited the backseat, the sound of death screams surrounding us from every direction. Somewhere in the chaos was Sutton, hopefully still breathing. My wolf whimpered at the thought of her being dead. The beast would be completely inconsolable if we didn't find the mouthy mongrel alive. She was our blood now for better or worse. We had claimed her, put our mark upon her skin. Even without the mark she would remain a part of our family. She had weaseled her way straight into our heart with her sharp tongue and iron clad will.

Sutton was irreplaceable.

"Doyen Octavia." A voice called out to me. I turned at the sound to find a pack of warrior women moving towards our small convoy of vehicles.The girl in front separated from the pack, approaching me with a calm demeanor, curly hair hanging around her head like a lion's mane. There was blood spatter on her face which was painted up with tribal war art. Behind two others broke away, following with the same stride, faces made up the same way.

Benjin stiffened up next to me, "These are Madam Lao's girls." He whispered in a low voice.

"Madam Lao is waiting for you." I was surprised and irritated by their words. I had every intention of calling her when we arrived, and allow her to come in behind and sweep up the leftovers but somehow she had been prepared. She had gotten to Revan's territory before I had. I was curious as to how she had found out and mobilized her large force as quickly as she had. This woman was unbelieveable.

They stood patiently waiting for me to follow them. My tongue clicked off the roof of my mouth in frustration. I didn't have time for this. I needed to be out there looking for Sutton and Revan. I should already have the bastards blood dripping from my hands as I ripped him limb from limb. I tossed a look towards Benjin, who was staring down the females with a scowl, "Go find Dimitri and Viktor. Report back to me once you have."

He turned his face toward me with a skeptical look, it was clear he did not trust these females. I had to assume whatever experience he'd had with them hadn't been a good one. I rolled my eyes, "I'll be fine. I can handle a couple of females on my own."

He hesitated for a moment, looking the females over before he pulled away, disappearing into the darkness of a nearby alleyway.I moved towards the head female, noting that how her muscles tensed only slightly. She obviously didn't have her emotions as schooled as her Madam, "Lead the way." I hissed between my teeth, doing my best not to snap at her. I was already in deep enough with Lao. I didn't need to piss the woman off anymore by messing with one of her girls.

I followed behind the leader, the other two following behind me. I didn't like having them at my back and neither did my wolf. She was throwing her dominance around wildly, letting them know she wouldn't go down easy if they tried to take her on. They walked me down a couple of Alleyways, that cut through the chaos, and then up a shaky fire escape to the roof of a rundown apartment building.

"Mama, we brought you Doyen Octavia as asked."

"Thank you, Quinta. Go join rest of girls. Mama will join soon." She replied with her back to us, her focus was on the city burning below. The three of them bowed at her back before leaving. I approached her slowly, hands fisted at my sides.

I watched Madam Lao as she stared down at the city below us the glow of the of flames dancing over the angles of her face, casting shadows. The golden dust in her dark hair made looked like glowing embers. It was as if she had been a creature born from the fire instead of the moon. Her expression was satisfied as I moved closer. There wasn't a twitch on her face that betrayed her emotions. Just that soft, satisfied mask as if she had won. She had worn it in my office as well. Not once did it fail and I had wanted to hurt her deep, dig under it all until I tore that fucking mask off.

Nothing I had said rattled her, nothing I did moved her. She sat still and unmoving in the face of my wrath. Her expression bored with a hint of a smile. I ground my teeth together. The anxiety was tearing me apart. I wanted to dig my claws into my stomach and rip it out.

"I feel you thinking. Feel your emotions." Her voice was soft and I glowered at her. My beast baring her teeth. She wanted a fight. Wanted blood for the wrong done to her and her own. "Come. Come. Stand." She gracefully pulled one hand out of the sleeve of her draping golden robe and gestured beside her.

I fought back my irritation and my agitation and slowly moved to stand beside her on her small stage. I looked over the city. Could smell the smoke on the breeze and could see the flames as they snapped towards the moon. There were feral snarls and howls that sang a song of vengance and my eyes widened at the sheer size of Madame Lao's capabilities. She had said one word and her army was burning the pureblood elitists territory to ashes.

"You wear emotions on sleeve. I see in eyes and on mouth." The advice was unneeded and unwanted and I gave a low growl of warning.

"Says the woman who feels nothing at all." She felt nothing. No emotion was ever shown except for that satisfied peaceful look on her face. You couldn't decipher what she was thinking. You couldn't anticipate her moves. She was dangerous that way and I hated dangerous.

"I feel. I hide better. You need hide better too..." Her voice trailed off before she glanced at me. "Before they tear you apart." I gave a deep snarl to her words. My beast aching for a fight."Calm down. Hide it deep." She turned back to the burning city. "I not like my mask, Ogteeva." The butchering of my name made my wince and grit my teeth. 

"I scared for my girl. Scared for my boys. I do not like to send out and not have come back. They my children." There was a slight melancholic tone to her voice. "I have mate once. He have gleaming tower like you. He so handsome an' strong. Like your boys." There was a flash of a sweet smile on her face before it disappeared quickly.

 "Someone saw his emotions... Used them... Twisted them... He die. His empire fall. I left in ruins." She stared at the fires. The glow reflecting in her eyes as they widened. "They took my boys an' my sweet little girl an' they burn them... in front of me." Her shoulders slumped slightly before she leaned forward and grasped the edge of the brick wall in her hands. Her black claws digging into the bricks with ease. I almost felt my mouth drop open at the sudden stomach churning emotions that filled me as I watched her.

 "I tear down empire. The next one too. I burned them all to ashes. An' now I burn his too." She drug her claws through the bricks, the hardness falling easily to the claws like butter to a hot knife. The sight of them made me a bit wary. "I look at my prince. My boy. I look at him and I say geudeul moduleul jug-il." Her mask finally cracked. Her features turning sharp and angular and I took a step back, swearing I could see what looked like scales around her hairline.

 I steeled myself as I realized it was simply gold dust and pulled my shoulders back, "What does that mean?" 

I stared at her as she slowly turned. Her dark eyes dancing with the reflected flames. Her face looked more inhumane and dark than any other beast I had seen and then she grinned rows of sharp, jagged teeth lined her mouth."Kill them all." The words were almost hot on my skin and I swallowed. My beast even feeling wary of the creature we were now facing. We weren't sure if we were looking at a wolf... or a dragon.