“Who are you?”

The words were quiet, almost a murmur in Rav's ear, but they were definitely male. The timber was too deep to be a woman, and the body pressing Rav into the wall was too hard to be anything other than male.

"None of your fucking business," Rav snapped.

"If you're going to interfere in my plans, then it is very much my business." Rav grunted when his entire body was slammed into the unforgiving brick wall. "Now, who are you and what are you doing here?"

Rav's temper flared, his anger becoming a scalding fury and giving him the extra needed strength to turn in the hands that held him up against the wall. He was surprised to find himself facing a man a few inches taller than him. Not many people were taller than a Phangar, and this man was no Phangar.

He was also no dummy. Rav swallowed hard when he suddenly felt the sharp point of a knife press up under his chin. He felt a trickle of blood trail down his throat and knew his life was in this man's hands. No matter how fast he was, Rav wouldn't be fast enough to get away before the man's sharp blade was shoved into his throat.

"I have no desire to interfere in your plans, whatever they may be," Rav said carefully. "I just want my mate."

The frown that suddenly covered the man's face was almost as surprising as the suddenness of his attack. "Your mate?" he asked. "The human?"

Rav started to nod then thought better of it when the knife blade cut into his neck again. He kept his eyes on the man before him as he slowly raised his finger and pushed the sharp blade away from his vulnerable neck.

"Yes, my mate was stolen from me. I'm just here to get him back."

"I saw no mark on him."

"I didn't have time to mark him before he was taken from me."

Rav's surprised doubled when the man stared at him for a moment then nodded his head and stepped back as if he had come to some great conclusion. The knife that had been held at Rav's neck was also pulled away.

“If we’re going into battle together, the least you could do is introduce yourself.”

The man’s head cocked to the side. “Jeyel.”

“Just Jeyel?”

He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

So be it.

Rav didn’t have time to play games with Jeyel. Ulfar seemed like a slippery character. If he didn’t keep close tabs on the dirt bag, he’d slip away and Rav might never find him again. And if he lost Ulfar, he might never find Cory again.

"The man that entered that door with your mate is the one I am after."

"You can have him,” Rav replied. “I just want Cory."

"Cory?"

Rav growled. "The human."

Jeyel snorted nastily.

"You have a problem with humans?" he snapped.

Jeyel’s green eyes flashed. "Weak creatures."

The man’s disdainful tone infuriated Rav. He didn't care if Cory was the weakest creature in the known universe, the man was still his. "He's mine!" Rav snapped angrily.

"Whatever," Jeyel said as he rolled his eyes, "I just want the man that’s with him."

"Why?"

Rav rubbed the small cut mark on his throat, wiping away the blood with his thumb. He saw Jeyel's slightly flat nostrils flare and quickly sniffed the air. He still smelled the stench of decay from the streets but now there was the coppery scent of blood added into the mix. Rav grimaced and looked down at his thumb. There was just a trace of blood smeared on his thumb but it was enough for someone to smell if they had the ability.

Apparently, Jeyel did.

"He has something of mine."

"That seems to be a reoccurring theme with him." Rav smirked.

"Ulfar has information that I need." Jeyel frowned and glanced down the street as if he was trying to figure something out. "I do not begrudge you your right to pursue your mate but I need this man alive. He has information that could mean the life or death of someone important to me."

Well, that sucked.