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He walked into the high-ceiling family room and hovered before the large stone fireplace. Two leather armchairs faced the fireplace, and Conri could often be found seated in one of them, drinking whiskey.
This time, though, he didn’t sit down. He stood there, his back to the fireplace. “For a while now, my gang and I have been gathering during the full moon to celebrate, and I think it’s time we did something bigger.”
Despite myself, I walked to the edge of the kitchen, where I could hear him better. Of course, the demon who watched me, Phell, moved with me.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“In less than two weeks, it’ll be my anniversary as the pack’s alpha, and I thought it would be a good idea to have a celebration in the main square with the entire pack.”
I blinked. Holy shit, was he insane? Yes, yes, he was. “No one in the pack will want to celebrate that with you. There’s nothing to celebrate.” In fact, if we did something on that date, it would be to mourn everything we lost—our loved ones and our freedom.
His smile faded. “I’m giving them an opportunity. If they want to be in my pack—“
“They don’t want to be your pack.” Conri stilled, his eyes rounded, and a vein on his neck popped. I crossed my arms and lifted my chin. “I don’t either, for that matter. I’m here because you force me to be.”
Conri’s eyes turned yellow and he advanced two steps. My insides tightened, but I held my ground. Hell would freeze over before I showed him fear.
“You will convince them to—“
“I don’t think you heard me,” I cut him off again. I was treading in dangerous waters. I knew it was stupid, but sometimes I couldn’t help it. I loathed this wolf-demon with all I had, and since there was no one else to talk to, to scream at, he served the bill. “The pack won’t come to your event, no matter what you want me to tell them. And I won’t come eit—“
Conri’s hand closed around my throat, yanking me upward. My toes barely touched the ground and I struggled to breathe. He leaned into me and bared his sharp, canine teeth in my face.
“You don’t get to choose,” he snarled. “You will do as I tell you, little wolf, or you know what will happen.” He dropped his hand and retreated a step. I gasped for air, my knees wobbling for having to bear my weight again so suddenly.
I slipped my hand inside my shorts pocket and gripped the long, metal nails I had there. It would be so easy to slip them in and swipe at his face. To hurt him.
But I had done that before, more than once actually, and all I got was a slap so hard that I went careening across the room. Minsi also suffered—he had left her locked in her bedroom for two days without food.
The bastard.
I let out a long, steadying breath.
As much as I wanted to beat him, certain battles weren’t worth the fight.
“Oh,” Conri started, his voice back to normal. “Next week is Minsi’s birthday, isn’t it? One year since everything changed. We should celebrate that too, even if only the three of us. Please, dress her up in something nice and—“
I lost it. I slipped two of the metal nails into my fingertips and swiped at him.
Conri didn’t seem startled as he stepped back, avoiding my swing by half an inch. A second later, the two demons were on me, holding me back.
Conri smiled at me, but this time, it was a predator’s grin. “You naughty little wolf. When will you learn there’s nothing you can do? You lost. Your mother is gone. Your friends are gone. Your weak alpha is gone. There’s no escape from this, and the sooner you accept it, the better.”
Still worked up, I jerked against the demons’ hold. Why me? Why did he single me out? Lucille was prettier and nastier. She would have fit his style much more. But … this wasn’t romantic, or for desire. Conri had never attempted to kiss me, to sleep with me. But since the attack, since he took over and became the alpha, he had ordered his demons to keep me safe while he slaughtered everyone else. Then he brought me to live with him at the alpha’s house, but never explained why.
“You know I’ll never behave,” I gritted out.
With a snarl, Conri let his hand fly. My head snapped to the side with the strike, pain spreading through my cheek and jaw.
“The next one will be on Minsi,” he barked. “Take her out of my sight!”
The demons holding me dragged me back and into Phell’s hand. He grabbed my wrist and forcefully pulled me back into the kitchen and toward the mudroom. I watched Conri as he turned his back on me and walked back to the fireplace, muttering things not even my wolf ears could hear.
I could have fought, but I didn’t because I knew Conri would hurt Minsi … and I would never let that happen.
