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e next silver bullet g
shing away the grime of the city but doing nothing to cleanse the stench of violence. I stood in the deed like wet earth, raw meat, and suppressed fury. Their alpha, a hulking brute named Kael,
They did not shiver. They did not breathe. They smelled like old copper and the sharp, metalli
mitive," Julian murmured. His voice
gh,"
both sides flinch. I did not have claws. I did not have fangs. I was mere
Thread
I see the intricate, glowing web of magic that connects ever
ynchronized heartbeats. Julian, however, was a different story. Thick, tar black ropes of deceit twisted around
apped a piece of heavy parchment onto the wet metal. "You claimed your coven had noth
ing smile. "And I mea
his neck thickened, thr
ing," I sta
yellow. The golden threads connecting him to his men
stark white in the gloom. "Careful, little huma
uth for the binding contract. You stole the weapons. Admit it, pay the restitution to the pack, and
as void. The vampire coven was outnumbered. Julian knew it.
k the weapons. Deduct the valu
t, lowering his gun
t," I o
d. I grabbed the unseen magical energy pulsing around us. I visualized a glowing golden thread pulling from
e parchment, glowing hot before settling into deep, permanent crimson. The contract was sealed. It was
I folded the heavy parchment and
and vanished into the shadows of their respec
nergy. My hands trembled slightly as I walked out of the alle
idea that their politicians, their bankers, and their landlords were apex predators. The monster syndic
ing valuable only meant I was a target. Every day I spent in this city was a gamble. I needed one massive
a forgotten street. The stairwell smelled of dust, dried sage, and chea
my door.
ed on the doorframe were dor
into my coat pocket and gripped the cold handle of my silver dagger. It
open. It swung sil
d like battery acid and old, dried blood. The shadows in the corner of the room see
my worn leath
ing. His face was obscured by the dim lighting, but his presence was suffocating. He
door open for a quick escape
," I said, forcing my
an replied. His voice was a low rumble that vibra
are
ved hands on my scratched wooden desk. "I have a job for yo
ted my Thread Binding sight,
th
nough to obscure any strings of truth or deceit. H
lied smoothly. "You can
ached down and placed a heavy metal briefcase on th
re wealth than I had seen in my life. It was enough to
d myself to look up at his sh
filtrate the House o
syndicate in the territory. They were the apex of the apex. They owned the banks,
infiltrates Malphas. Their security is flawless
ed, ignoring my panic. "You have the credentials. You have the neutral reputation. You wil
skin that contained the supernatural debts of every major power
or that, Silas Malphas wil
m terrified even the oldest vampires. He was known for his cold, calculated
are a Thread Binder. You can see the traps before they
back toward the open door. "K
room stretched and warped around hi
niable. "You accept the contract, or you do not leave this room ali
the man. He was powerful enough to kill
deadliest syndicate in the world. But inside the House of Malphas, I might find a way
not look at the gold. I looked di
able account by midnight," I demanded, keeping my voice h
It was a dry, ho
lder, dropping it next to the briefcase. "Your new credent
heavy, pressing down on my lun
ent whispered. "He is a monster in every sense of th
d vanished into the gloom. The unna
on my desk. My hands were shaking again, harder this tim
e first page was a phot
the blurred aftermath of violence. There was shattered glass and dark stains on a marble floor. Yet, Silas stood in the center, adjusting the cuf
ge of the paper
possession and destroy his empire from
es of the Beast, I made a silent vow.
survive the in
or's
ing this deadly contract? Silas Malphas is waiting for her in the next chapter, and trust me, he is not you
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