He shifts his weight, uncertainty flickering across his features. The silence stretches between us until he finally speaks.
“Fine. I’ll come with you to Sterling City.”
What? No.
“I don’t need you.”
“Rafe asked me to keep you safe.”
Andrew’s jaw sets stubbornly.
“I gave him my word.”
I roll my eyes toward the ceiling. The man’s incapable of thinking for himself. It’s always about
Rafe.
Having Andrew along will complicate things, but fighting him on this will only waste time I don’t have.
“Fine.”
Sterling City is big enough. Once we’re there, losing Andrew in a crowd shouldn’t be too difficult.
Andrew frowns at me, as if my quick agreement leaves him suspicious. Hopefully he gets over it.
“Okay. Remember, the succession ceremony starts at midnight. Everyone will be focused on Rafe taking his place as Alpha and re-bonding the pack members. Every Lycan will be there- they have to witness the transfer of power.”
I tilt my head.
“What happens if they catch us?”
Andrew’s expression darkens.
“We can’t get caught.”
So, death. It’s what I thought, but it’s still unsettling to think about it.
“Okay.”
The weight of what we’re planning settles in my chest like lead. If the Lycan King finds out… The image of Alpha’s broken body flashes through my mind.
A strange part of me feels as if I’m betraying my family by escaping, but I shake it off.
“You should go before someone notices you’ve been here too long.”
Andrew nods, but hesitates at the door.
“Grace… just be ready, okay? I’ll get here as soon as I can.”
The door clicks shut behind him, leaving me alone with my thundering heart and a thousand doubts.
CAINE D
The sweet scent of blueberry muffins has faded, replaced by a more generic odor-body sweat and wolf musk, courtesy of all my subordinates crowding my suite.
It shouldn’t infuriate me as much as it does, but I want to smash their heads together for it. 2
I rub at my temple, the dull throb behind my eyes a stark reminder of my lack of sleep.
“Stop standing there in silence.”
They all look at Jack-Eye, he’s clearly been chosen as their spokesperson. The beta clears his throat, stepping forward.
“It’s about last night, Alpha.”
I expected as much.
“What about it?”
“The death of an Alpha, even one as problematic as Brax, requires proper protocol. The packs will question-“
“Let them question.”
“With respect,”
Reggie advances to stand beside Jack-Eye, his scarred face twisted in concern,
“we’re not questioning your authority. But slaughtering an alpha and half his pack over a mere human-“
My fist slams against the table with a sharp crack.
“Mere? Are our laws just decoration?”
Jack-Eye elbows Reggie in his side, not bothering with discretion.
“But there are procedures for this. The other packs will see this as an act of-“
“Tyranny. It isn’t like it’s a new opinion.”
I’ve done worse in the past, when uniting all packs under my rule. Of course, it was a different time then. ?
“High Alpha.”
Reggie glances at the others and squares his shoulders, facing me once more.
“We stand with you. Always. But the whispers have already returned. Not just ‘The Mad King, but now they’re calling you ‘The Butcher of Blue Mountain””
Fenris stirs within me, pleased with the titles. He’s been silent since the girl left, resting to recover his strength. A King’s strength is fearsome.
Fighting a sigh, I wave my free hand in the air.
“When the delegates arrive, we’ll deal with them.”
They all share glances, and Jack-Eye groans when their gazes land on him. Shoving his hand through his hair, he snaps,
“Caine, this is a problem. Brax had his hand in a lot of fucking cookie jars. There are plenty who might be happy he’s gone, but Blue Mountain isn’t just some backwater pack. They have solid allies within the region. Cowing them alone is easy, but if they decide to gather and rebel against us-“
The muscles in my jaw tighten.
“What exactly is your point, Beta?”
“We need to understand where your mind is at before we move forward.”
Jack-Eye’s gaze holds mine, unflinching.
“You’ve never shied away from violence-none of us have-but this is out of character, even for you. Do you really want to destroy the peace we’ve finally attained? We’ve spent years cleaning up your image. Have your goals changed?”
Crossing my arms, I lean back in the wooden chair, studying their faces. Their concern radiates off them in waves, stinking up the room. It’s expected, but irritating.
“Brax sealed his fate the moment he showed insolence. An alpha who can’t control his temper has no business leading a pack.”
Jack-Eye’s eyebrow twitches, and he presses his lips together. I’m sure he has some smartass remark coming, but he’s wise enough to stay silent.
Reggie’s throat works, a low growl building as his hands clench at his sides.
“We all know this isn’t about his leadership. It’s about that human git.”
Kill him, Fenris demands, outrage pouring into our bond. His disrespect has gone too far. 2
My tattoos burn with his rage, but I ignore it. Fenris is too sensitive over the girl, and his emotions have clouded my head for too long.
My emotions? They’re yours, too. The longer it takes for you to accept it, the harder it will be for both of us.
“Humans don’t belong in a strong pack,”
Reggie continues, his upper lip curling in a snarl.
“They’re weak and useless. She’s already proven to be a liability-“
“If you’re so hell-bent on following the law,”
I cut in, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper,
“why are you pestering me about enforcing it?”
Dylan, an older Lycan with gray hair and a penchant for smoothing things over, steps forward. Even his face is twisted in a sneer.
“Are you really investigating that… thing, Alpha?”
The tattoos across my chest burn with a dull ache. Fenris snaps at the air inside me. I’m going for his throat.
I give a lot of leniency to my people in return for their loyalty, but Fenris is another matter-he would have them on the ground and bleeding in a heartbeat to maintain his status in the pack.
If he hadn’t used so much energy in the past week, he’d probably manifest on the spot to prove he means what he says. Instead, I’m able to subdue him through force of will, clamping down on our bond until he has no choice but to go silent.
Jack-Eye stomps on Reggie’s foot without batting an eyelash, and the resulting grunt helps ease the tightness in my chest. Jack-Eye’s beta domination is a soft whisper in the air, almost a tickle against my skin, but Reggie and Dylan take a step back in unison.
Their faces are tight and grim, but at least they’re quiet.
“Grace Harper,”
Jack-Eye says, and my eye twitches to hear her name coming out of his mouth.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.