Lord Of Beasts

Moments earlier, the area surrounding the Black Howl had descended into complete chaos.

Ever since Association personnel in black suits had been maintaining the perimeter and going in and out, curious onlookers had been gathering outside, whispering amongst themselves as they tried to guess what was happening.

First, there were the rumours that multiple high-ranking Titled had been seen entering and leaving. Then the bar had somehow been renovated entirely overnight. By now, the Black Howl was starting to look less like an ordinary neighbourhood bar and more like a meeting place for monsters wearing human faces.

Then the unmistakable roar of an engine echoed down the street.

Heads turned as a massive Harley thundered around the corner before screeching to a stop directly beside Ethan’s sleek, blacked-out motorcycle. Silence spread through the crowd, and the woman climbing off the bike needed no introduction.

Kaela, the Riot Valkyrie.

She wasn’t wearing a helmet, nor was she wearing much else.

Tiny black shorts hugged her curvy hips, while a fitted black sports bra left little to the imagination. Black leather gloves covered her hands, matching the heavy boots planted confidently against the pavement. Her toned stomach was completely exposed, and every confident step she took carried the effortless swagger of someone who knew nobody would ever dare lay a finger on her.

Long dark hair spilt over her shoulders, contrasting sharply against a pair of striking violet eyes that lazily swept across the gathering crowd. Not a single person whistled or made a crude comment, despite her practically asking for them.

Instead, most subconsciously took a few steps backwards.

The Riot Valkyrie’s reputation preceded her, and while some of the stories about her were probably exaggerated, most definitely weren’t. Without sparing the crowd a glance, Kaela walked straight towards the entrance of the Black Howl.

Bang!

Her fist struck the front door hard enough to rattle the entire building.

The newly installed sign hanging above the entrance swung violently from the impact.

Bang!

Bang!

Each knock sounded less like someone politely announcing their arrival and more like someone attempting to kick down the front entrance through sheer intimidation alone. Then, after the third, she didn’t bother waiting for an invitation and simply pushed the door open before walking inside.

-

Downstairs, the moment Ethan heard the thunderous knocking echo through the floorboards, he let out an exaggerated sigh.

”Seriously?”

Elara couldn’t help smiling as she followed him upstairs, both of them abandoning what had been shaping up to be a rather pleasant moment. But the second Ethan stepped into the main bar, he stopped dead in his tracks.

”Holy shit.”

His eyes slowly swept across the room.

It was nothing like the last time he had been there, which was just over a day ago.

The cracked wooden flooring had been replaced with polished timber that gleamed beneath brand-new lighting. Every hole in the walls had disappeared beneath a fresh coat of paint, while the old tables and wobbly chairs had been swapped out for sturdy new furniture arranged neatly throughout the room.

Behind the counter, the shelves had been rebuilt entirely, every bottle organised perfectly as though years of careful ownership had gone into arranging them. Even the front windows had been replaced, allowing Ethan to see the freshly restored Black Howl sign proudly hanging outside.

The only thing that looked remotely out of place was Mark, standing completely frozen behind the counter.

Ethan slowly turned in a circle, taking everything in.

’I mean, I know the association is loaded, but how is it even possible to do this so quickly?’

He gave an appreciative whistle before chuckling to himself.

”I should destroy this place more often.”

Mark didn’t even acknowledge the joke; his eyes remained completely fixed on the woman entering his bar. Meanwhile, Kaela herself looked perfectly at home, casually strolling further inside as though she’d been coming here for years.

Her gaze drifted between Ethan and Elara before sliding towards the staircase they’d just climbed.

A grin slowly spread across her face.

”You two really do live together, under a bar of all places.”

Ethan scratched the back of his head.

”It’s... a temporary arrangement.”

”Mhm.”

The doubtful hum told him exactly how much she believed that explanation.

”I actually stopped by yesterday.”

She nodded towards Elara.

”Your little girlfriend turned me away.”

Elara immediately frowned.

”I’m not-”

Kaela continued as though she hadn’t spoken.

”Said you were sleeping so deeply to recover and that nobody could disturb you.”

She folded her arms, one eyebrow rising.

”True?”

Ethan shrugged.

”Kinda.”

Almost instinctively, she looked down at his right arm.

Only yesterday it had been wrapped in a cast after the damage he’d taken, but now it looked perfectly healthy. There wasn’t any bruising, swelling, or even scarring remaining. But whether it had been thanks to the extended sleep, his beasts, or simply the ridiculous vitality he’d developed as a Titled, even Ethan couldn’t say for certain.

’Still ain’t got nothing on me,’ Kaela thought to herself before moving on.

”So...”

She wiggled her eyebrows with absolutely no shame.

”Did you two have a good night?”

Ethan answered without the slightest hesitation.

”Absolutely.”

It had been better than a good night.

He’d stormed through three Tower floors, experimented with an entirely new fighting style, watched his beasts grow stronger than ever, and managed to get some genuine sleep afterwards.

Then he woke up inside what looked like an entirely different home before being greeted by another kiss from the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

From his perspective, it had genuinely been an incredible night.

Unfortunately, his answer was interpreted differently, which he expected and had played along with.

Elara’s cheeks flushed as she playfully smacked him on the arm.

”We didn’t even do anything!”

The moment those words left her mouth, Kaela burst into laughter.

”Oh, so you’d be up for it?”

”I mean...”

The Riot Valkyrie laughed so hard she nearly doubled over, leaving Elara looking even more embarrassed while Ethan simply grinned to himself.

’Now that’s a wingman... or would she be a wingwoman? Either way, she’s setting me up for an actual good night with Elara. And that’s something definitely worth skipping the Tower for.’

He smiled to himself.

’I even forgive her for ruining our moment.’

As if reading his mind, Kaela winked at Ethan, who reciprocated with an appreciative nod. But that’s when her expression became noticeably more curious and serious, as she locked eyes with him.

”Speaking of yesterday, that blackout and aura the other night...”

Her violet eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

”What exactly was that?”

Before Ethan could even think about how to answer, she suddenly vanished...