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“I don’t know what in the hell has been going on around here since I have been gone. My mother was kind, but she was weak in the end, and it’s obvious you all lacked a leader worthy of ruling this pride. If you think Stefan was your top choice, then you have another think coming. This ismypride,myrules. If there are more of you that have a problem with that, then please, be my guest. I haven’t had my fill of bloodshed yet, so the more, the merrier for me right now.”
He waited, but no one dared move.
“If any of you challenge me or try to bring in another to do so, please remember what you have seen in just a few short moments of my being back. I may have been gone, but I am still alpha. Don’t worry, though. No more long-distance trips or business that takes me elsewhere for too long. You all apparently don’t know how to properly behave for us to survive and stay under the radar. Not only for our shifting purposes but for our business dealings as well.”
He paced back and forth, reminding them of the rules. “You know you cannot shift here unless it is under the circumstances that just happened. We don’t fight among each other either, especially in lion form, without cause. There are more rules I will establish at our mandatory pride meeting tomorrow, and you had all better be there. There will be no excuses, only consequences.” Thomas gestured to the dead bodies on the floor.
“Before tomorrow, I will say one thing, and you all better heed my words. I will return this pride to the glory we had before my mother’s illness set in. The territory will expand, and we will crush any and all threats. Betrayal willnotbe tolerated.”
Thomas felt the pride submit and tuck their tails, kneeling before him in acceptance of his leadership.
He had no time for friends. He had to establish himself as their ruthless, fearsome leader who was going to do everything in his power to run this pride the way he wanted.
As they knelt before him, Thomas felt the burden of responsibility settle upon him.
The pride was his to guide and protect now. As was his duty and birthright as alpha.
Chapter2
Lorena
“This can’t be happening. It just can’t.”
Lorena’s mind raced as she rushed to the hospital. The call she’d gotten just moments ago seemed surreal, but regardless, she had to get her ass there, and it had to be right fucking now.
Tears blurred her eyes. She angrily swiped at them so she could maintain her vision of the streets.
Please, Dad, please. Pull through. We can do this. I promise I’ll find a way to make it better.Her thoughts were frantic.
“Just don’t leave me,” she murmured the words aloud, choking on the last word.
As she sped into the hospital parking lot, the doctor’s voice still replayed in her head.
“Your father’s condition has taken a turn for the worse, I’m afraid. He’s rapidly deteriorating. If we can’t do surgery, I’m not sure how much longer he’ll last.”
Lorena slammed her door shut as she ran to the entrance.
The head injury that he’d endured during a hit-and-run with a drunk driver was already bad enough, so saying he had to be placed in a coma due to extreme brain swelling was another blow.
Lorena just needed him to get better, so she’d agreed to whatever it took.
Now, it seemed like that wasn’t enough.
The hospital had done their scans and MRIs, and the doctors still brought nothing new to her attention. Now the swelling had increased and was causing possible seizures while he was in a coma, unable to communicate with them at all.
It seemed like she was taking hit after hit to her faith. All she wanted was to keep her father alive.
“Excuse me,” Lorena panted breathlessly to the nurses at the counter. “I need to see Mr. Alfredo D’Augustino’s doctor? Someone just phoned saying that he needed to speak with me immediately.”
The young nurse seemed uncaring and raised her eyebrow as if annoyed. “And you are?”
Lorena wanted to grab her by the throat and choke her until her eyes popped. She didn’t have the patience for this. “I’m his fucking daughter.”
The nurse only looked down her nose at Lorena even more. “Excuse me, I willnotaccept that type of attitude in this hospital.”
Lorena was about to do exactly what she’d thought about when an older nurse pushed herself in front of the bitchy young one.
“He’s in your father’s room waiting for you, dear.”
