Dragonfury 02 - Fury of Ice

his foot back on the floor, lowered his fists, and pivoted toward the front of his cell. “What a lovely surprise and…oh goody, you brought company. How nice for me.”
    Or not. Shite, he was in trouble. The whole fucking pack had come to play.
    “Stow the bullshit, Forge.” Pinning him with a glare, Bastian broke from the pack. As he strode through the energy field guarding his prison, the barrier snapped, and the Nightfury commander cursed. Rolling his shoulders, the male shrugged off the electrical zap and entered his cell. “We didn’t come to fight.”
    “Speak for yourself.” Red eyes glowing, Venom set up shop against the back wall of the corridor and cracked his knuckles. “I could use the exercise.”
    A dark-haired male thumped Venom on the chest, then pivoted and ass-planted himself beside his buddy. “Zip it, Ven.”
    Three syllables loaded with lethal. Forge’s lips twitched. He might not know the golden-eyed male, but he liked the Nightfury’s style already. Especially if he could keep Venom in line.
    Rikar came through the force field, cursing, muscles twitching as he left the other Nightfury warriors to join his commander inside his cell. Forge scanned the faces of the four standing in the corridor. Venom and Sloan he’d seen before. The other two he didn’t recognize but knew just by looking both were fighters. Although Venom’s buddy was seasoned, the other male was not. A fledgling maybe. Powerful, but as of yet unaccustomed to his new body and the magic he could wield.
    “I hate that fucking thing,” Rikar said, shaking off the aftereffects of the force field.
    Forge tugged on the collar. “You should try it from my end.”
    “I’ll pass.”
    “Figures.” Sweat rolled over one of his eyebrows. Forge swiped at it, wiping the droplet away before it dripped into his eye. “Fucking pussy.”
    Rikar laughed, throwing off the insult like air. Which was beyond strange. And a wee bit alarming. So much for getting a rise out of the male. “What’s up, lads? We in for a communal beatdown?”
    “Nah,” Bastian said. “Just a chat.”
    Forge’s eyes narrowed on the Nightfury commander. He watched Bastian lean, back flat, against the far wall, one ankle crossed over the other. The position said relaxed. The body language screamed alert.
    Forge frowned. “You gonnae clue me in, then?”
    “Sure,” Rikar said, stopping a few feet away. Close enough to provoke. Far enough away to avoid getting coldcocked. A distinct possibility, considering Forge was surrounded on all sides. “Something you should know first, though.”
    “What’s that?”
    “This place?” Pale eyes riveted on him, Rikar twirled his finger in the air. “Wired for sound, my man.”
    “Bloody hell.” Forge sighed, the exhale all about exhaustion. He glanced up at the ceiling, looking for hidden microphones while remembering what he’d said to the females. “You heard.”
    “Everything,” Rikar said. “Watched it, too.”
    “Video?”
    Frosty nodded.
    “I should’ve guessed.”
    But he hadn’t. Which embarrassed the hell out of him.
    Curling his hands into fists, Forge shook his head. Jesus. He was slipping in a major way, letting imprisonment, all the smoke and mirrors, get to him. The Nightfuries were clever. Beyond smart. Hooked into the human world, and that meant they were masters of modern technology, using it to manipulate and monitor channels, picking up all kinds of useful intel. All of which he would’ve picked up…had he done his flippin’ job and paid attention.
    “Look, Forge. You don’t trust me, I get that, but…” Rikar cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable in his own skin. “My female needed to hear what you said. You helped her. Made her trust instead of fear me. I owe you for that.”
    “The fuck you do,” Forge said through clenched teeth. The Nightfury XO could go fry himself. No way would he accept the gratitude. “I did it for her, asshole, not you.”
    “I know. Still…”
    “Christ, Frosty. Whatcha want from me? A love-in or some shite?” Forge growled, heart aching for the proud SOB who was thanking him. For the male whose female had been brutalized by the Razorbacks. Had Caroline been hurt like that he would’ve—
    Fuck. Torn the city apart to find the sadistic bastard. Ripped the rogue’s spinal cord out with one vicious yank.
    He glared at Rikar, wanting to hit the male for making him sympathize. For making him feel anything at all. “Wannae give me