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I broke away. “Hold that thought for a bit. I have to be there.”
“I get it,” she said. “Pack stuff.”
“Hang around if you can. If not, I’ll meet you later.”
“I’ll wait. It’s been kind of nice hanging around here today, you know, apart from the serious stuff.” She took a deep breath. “Good luck.”
I hoped I wouldn’t need it. I made my way outside where the entire pack had gathered. Dominic sat in the centre, and everyone stared at him, whether they believed in him or not.
I walked through the crowd, bearing the damage Dom had given me. I felt the stares of everyone switch to me as I walked right in front of Dom and looked him in the eye. His jaw tensed. I gave him a scornful shake of the head before finding a seat next to Nathan who patted me on the shoulder. His fingers trembled, and I knew he was having great difficulty fighting against his instincts to tear Dom apart.
“You are accused.” Byron didn’t bother raising his voice. He almost sounded bored, as though his time was being wasted. “We hold you responsible for the murder of three pack members and the attempted murder of others.”
“Do humans and assorted count as pack members?” Dom asked lazily.
“The mates of pack members absolutely count. But killing any human is murder worthy of punishment,” Byron replied calmly.
“I was possessed by a spirit,” Dom said.
“No, you weren’t!” Victor shouted, jumping to his feet. Ryan held him in place to stop him from attacking Dom. “You killed Mara, you traitor! And Alex. And even Eric. You used me, tried to turn me against my own pack! Yeah, there was a spirit, but he was trying to warn everyone about you!”
“Calm down,” Dominic said. “Or I’ll send you to your knees.”
Nathan bristled, and whispers moved around the room. Dom had been showing off his dominance in small ways for months because he’d been building up to this. Hewanteda public confrontation. I couldn’t let him win, no matter what it took.
“Tell the truth,” Byron said. “Explain yourself.”
“All right.” Dom stretched. “Eric came afterme, mocking me about how he had a permanent place in the pack and I didn’t. I told him it was just another example of a bad decision by a foolish alpha. He challenged me. We fought. I beat him. He didn’t survive. I knew how delicate you would be about it, so I let everyone think the boy just left.”
“Did you regret it?” Amelia asked.
“Nope. He wasn’t strong enough. I am. One less piece of competition. We all know we need a strong leader.”
“Did Alex challenge you?” Byron asked.
Dominic laughed harshly. “Alex was just a bitch I slept with. She meant nothing to me, but she started talking about the next generation, as though her madness could be wiped clean. We’ve had enough weakness born into our pack. Once Eric was gone, I saw what I had to do. What was best for this pack.”
“Killing Alex was best for the pack?” Cecilia asked, obviously horrified.
“Yes,” Dominic said firmly. “She was weak in the mind, damaged beyond repair. We all know wolves like that end up the same way. She would have taken her own life eventually, so I decided to make her death worth something. The death of a woman, a possible breeder, would spook the pack, make them see things clearly. And when I moved on to Nathan’s mate and drove him mad, there would be no going back. An Evans wolf shouldn’t be alpha. They’re too weak, need the things humans do too badly. The pack would have united, and we could have moved on to better leadership without divisions forming.”
“And Mara?” Victor asked. He was crying, but he didn’t seem to care. “How did she fit?”
Dom shrugged, but he looked down, unable to meet anyone’s eye.
Ryan pointed at him, and I realised for the first time how angry he was. “She wasn’t a threat. She might have been dominant, but she was just a child. She was never going to be alpha, never going to challenge you.”
“She realised what happened,” Dominic said, the smallest hint of regret in his voice. “Figured it out. Came at me in a rage. She didn’t give me a choice. She wouldn’t let me explain. If she’d been sensible about it, I would have told her why Byron Evans is a weak alpha.” He turned to take in the crowd, and the anger coming from Nathan spiked to dangerous levels. “We all know, don’t we? We all agree. He can’t lead us anywhere but to ruin. I can take this pack from him anytime. I’m smart, dominant, and—”
“No.” I rose to my feet before Nathan had a chance to think about attacking Dom. “You’re not. If you were alpha, you would have taken the pack in the first place. You would have challenged Byron instead of sneaking around stabbing vulnerable wolves in the back. You’re a coward who tried to steal the pack instead of earning it, and I see through you. If you’re alpha, then why couldn’t you beat me, Dom? Why can’t you stop me from looking you in the eye?”
He flew at me, his face partly transforming. Nathan jumped to his feet, but I stood still and waited, refusing to break Dom’s gaze. Jorge got in the way and flung Dom onto his back before he could reach me. Dom kicked out, but Jorge’s brother stamped on his ankle. Nobody tried to stand up for Dom. It was over.
I walked away to leave.
“Where are you going?” he shouted, his mouth full of fangs. “Don’t you want to hear my punishment? Don’t you want to see your precious alpha win?”
“Win what?” I asked, turning to look at him. “You were a failure from the start. This is no win. You’re nothing. I don’t care what happens to you. You’re that unimportant. Pack protects pack. You’re no wolf if you don’t know that.”
