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Reika watched Connor grow tense now. His eyes widened slightly, and his mouth hung open. He looked like he was going to say something but didn't. He looked suddenly ill.
I just wanted my child, Owen said, his voice cracking.None of this. We didn't have to shed any blood. You are my family.
Reika watched as Owen pressed down harder, opening his mouth wide. He was going to do it. He was going to give his father the death bite right in the neck, tearing through skin, muscle, and bone to prove his point. His son mattered more.
Owen! Reika yelled, wishing not to witness this. She didn't want this, and she knew Owen didn't want this.
In human form, Connor rushed at them, yelling as he ran. "Owen, don't! You can't kill Dad! If you kill him, the pack will come down on you like no other! He is the alpha."
Owen froze from taking the kill. His mouth stilled for a second before he looked at his brother. Connor looked like he could vomit and stopped just a few feet away.
"You can't kill him," Connor said, his voice dripping with worry.
Owen narrowed his eyes. He knew it wasn't that easy. He wouldn't just get to walk away from this. No one just walked away from this.
But suddenly, Dernet laughed. It broke into the air, causing everyone to freeze. It was loud and echoed, making everyone look at him.
Reika wondered if he had gone mad, had all the energy gone through his head and made him suddenly crazy? Did he lose so much blood that it made him delirious?
Owen looked down at his father, the anger still simmering in his eyes. But his father continued to laugh, and Owen pushed up off him. He stepped back, glaring at his brother for a moment before looking back at his father.
Dernet continued to laugh, almost snorted at this point. Reika was confused. What the hell had just happened?
Owen stepped back from his father, unable to kill him. Reika figured this was where it all ended. If Owen wasn't going to end it, Dernet was. Connor stood behind him, not allowing him to run if he wanted to.
Dernet laughed, pushing himself up. Maybe he found humor in his son's inability to become a murderer. Perhaps that was why he was laughing.
Reika felt her entire body shake, scared that this was the end. She curled in on herself, pulling her knees close to her body. She held her breath, waiting for Owen to cry out as his dad ended it all.
THIRTY-SEVEN
OWEN
Owen figured because he couldn't kill his father, his father was going to kill him. He knew it was coming. After this entire fight, it was the only logical answer to everything. So, Owen held his breath, knowing he hesitated a second too long to end this the way he wanted to.
Reika looked at him, crying hard. He felt bad for her, terrible for leaving her alone like this. He didn't know how to tell her he was so sorry he failed her.
Owen lowered his head, waiting.
But his father shifted into his human form. Owen stared at his father, watching as he looked at him. Dernet seemed to be waiting for Owen to shift into his human form, so Owen shifted. He looked over his shoulder. Mateo had joined Connor, now both standing in their wolf form. He knew they would defend Dernet if he needed the extra help.
Dernet stepped toward Owen, and Owen figured he wanted to end it in a different fashion. Maybe he wanted to snap his neck. Perhaps he wanted to choke him to death.
Owen braced himself, prepared for the end.
But once more, Dernet started to laugh and opened his arms. Then, he stepped forward and pulled Owen into a tight embrace.
Owen was sure he was in hell. He'd died already, and this was his new horror. Forever thinking of a different way this all played out.
He looked at Reika, who was now looking at him confused. Then, he looked at Connor and Mateo, who looked just as shocked as Reika did.
"You passed the test," Dernet said, pushing himself back slightly to look at Owen. "You passed with flying colors."
Owen blinked. Surely, he heard his father wrong. "What?"
Connor behind him growled. "What are you talking about, Father?"
"You passed," Dernet said again. "My test. You passed the test."
