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I rub my forehead. This is a mess. If I make one wrong, I could be putting Carli and myself in danger and we don’t have backup. And even if I did manage to alert Danika, I’m not sure how long it’ll take for her to get here. So I needed to think fast. I need—
“Why don’t you guys come in?” I say, surprising both myself and Carli.
I feel her look at me from the side, but I ignore it, giving her waist a reassuring squeeze to say I’ve got this. The eyes of the pack members—ones who once promised they’re loyal to me, and the ones whose origins I suspect—widen, just as I’d hoped. My hasty words have two goals.
Firstly, I want to prove I’m not the violent, blood-thirsty leader Devon is positioning himself.
Secondly, I’m keeping my friends close, and my enemies closer.
“For old time’s sake,” I say, watching Devon to see whether he’ll pick up the gauntlet. “Let’s see if we can talk this out.”
Before we get to the part where we rip each other’s throat out.
Devon smirks, entering the threshold and looking around. He whistles low, shooting a smile at Carli. “You really made yourself at home here, didn’t you?” His lip curls. “Sucks that it’ll all be destroyed before your happily ever after even began.”
Carli’s throat bobs as she swallows. I can smell her fear and her adrenaline, it’s tipping me over the edge as my protectiveness surges more and more. I hate that there’s danger in this safe space she worked so hard to create. But if I have to, I’ll buy her a bigger place, replace everything Beth and Devon lays a finger on, and once I kill them, I won’t let anyone hurt her again.
The others file behind Devon as he takes a seat on the couch, spreading his arms as if he owns the fucking place.
Gritting my teeth, I take the seat across from Devon, glad that Carli stays behind me. There’s no way of knowing how this is going to go. Holding Devon’s gaze, I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees. As subtly as I can, I press the emergency button under the coffee table, calling for Danika. I installed it for Carli thinking she’ll need it. Now I’m really thankful I did.
“Devon, you better speak the fuck up. Why are you doing this? Why now? What in the ever-loving hell did I do to you for you to get this bitter?”
“What did you do?” Devon scoffs. “It’s what you didn't do wrong, Jace. Always the perfect Alpha. And I was always the damn shadow behind you. It was infuriating, no one saw my power because of you. I have so much potential, and what reward did I get for it? Nothing. You got the praise, you got the strength, you got the title.”
“That’s what this is about?” I frown. A goddamn ego issue?
“Not all of it.” Devon glances back at the others as they line up behind the sofa, his lips curling up at the edges. “You must have figured it out already, I’m siding with Black Valley. I’ve been helping them for months. Ever since I knew your power was weakening unless you mated with Beth, which I was sure you wouldn’t go through. Black Valley saw what I did—that you can’t keep Silver Moon safe.”
Or he decided I was an easy target.
I keep my gaze steady. “I had a feeling. So you want to destroy my pack and me, and get the Alpha title,” I state, the pieces of this story becoming clearer.
“It was Dad’s idea.” Devon looks at me, challenge sparking in his eyes.
I stiffen. “Your father?”
Devon’s never spoken about his family. I assumed it was because he had a traumatic past and wasn’t ready to talk about it. I tried a few times, when we were at the bar, even when my own parents had died, but he was always tight-lipped. Until today. I cock my head, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Yeah, my father.” Devon grins. “The Alpha of the Black Valley pack.”
Carli inhales sharply over my shoulder. I don’t move, my mind moving far too slowly for my liking.
Devon chuckles. “Shocking, huh? It was a plan in motion for a very long time.”
I lean back. “He’s promised you Silver Moon, hasn’t he?”
I’ve never met the Black Valley Alpha, but it’s well known he’s ruthless and greedy. Carli’s pack, her parents, were victims of that.
And now I’m looking at his son. At the spawn of that greed.
Greed that wants my pack.
Devon’s tongue flicks out over his bottom lip, as if he’s already tasting victory. “I’ve got to tell you, Jace. You trust the wrong people way too quickly. These guys here,” he nods at the other pack members crowding the living room. “They can see I’ll be a better Alpha. I’m the son of one of the biggest, most powerful packs, and if I’m the Alpha of Silver Moon, nothing can stop me. They’ll get security, power, and so much more freedom to do whatever the fuck they want in my territory.”
Fuck. I’ve got to give it to him, his plan was well thought out. I mentally scold myself for not paying more attention, not being more careful with confidential details of my pack. I could have avoided this if I had known about Devon’s family.
But there’s one thing Devon and I don’t share, and that’s integrity. A heart.
