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“This was years ago. We weren’t—” Something crossed his face, and I hated it. I hated the idea that we were once less than we were now. We were soul mates then, but not this. Not bonded. “We were not what we are now. I didn’t have any, nor could I source it. Thus, it didn’t matter.”
“How did you know?” My words were all growl, but he understood. I felt it.
“Something triggered the memory. A spark, and I went to the source since I never met the client.”
“Who?” I demanded like it would matter, but I wanted to rip them all to shreds.
“Vampires.” Still tight-lipped. There was something he wasn’t saying, but I wouldn’t press him in public. I trusted him.
“He’s consorting with vampires?”
“Not just consorting. He betrayed you and your kind.” There was sorrow laced in Vin’s tone. “I’m sure, Dominic. This is why there is never a trace of vampires near the bodies. They are using one of your own to do the dirty work. Paying him heavily. Who else could be on your land unnoticed for so long?”
I snapped, and the wolf tried to claw his way from my insides. My entire being shuddered from the fight between beast and man, not sure which would take hold and win the fight for our body.
Snarls erupted around me, and I wrestled control from the wolf, forcing him back into his cage. I opened my eyes to Laura blocking the exit and my brother, the coward, standing off with her with Vin behind him. I growled at my wolf at the time he cost me.
“Rafael.”
My brother turned on me, and I was sure. I didn’t need more proof. It was written in his eyes, coming off him with his scent.
“Dominic.” His voice was too sweet. “Do you blame me?”
A growl ripped from my throat, and I lunged at him.
THIRTY-SEVEN
DOMINIC
Idid blame him.
And I hated him for it. Our people had suffered so long at the hands of the vampires, and he betrayed us to them for money. He sold us for parts. He was no better than all the people who used us before. I blamed him for every transgression.
Our freedom cost all of us so many. Every pack member had lost someone in our fight and continued to lose loved ones with the murders. We gave our blood to be here, and mine betrayed me, us.
Rafael wanted power for power’s sake, not for the good of the people. He carried the mentality of every man for himself. He acted like an omega. Bastard.
I bet he loved my decision to mate. I’d handed him the perfect opportunity to sow discord amongst my people when I needed him most.
My lunge took him to the ground, but he’d been ready for it, already rolling when we hit the floor, trying to gain the upper hand. Snarls met my ears. Both Laura and Vin would pry him off me if I let them.
I growled, warning at least Laura to let me have him. If Rafael won this fight, he deserved to be the alpha. The laws were clear. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a claim that I needed help to defeat him, formal challenge or not. I didn’t need help. I wanted to rip the traitor apart myself.
He threw me off and scrambled to his feet, dropping into a fighting stance, slow, calculated breaths raising his chest. I jumped to mine, mirroring his stance, eyes going black.
“Dominic,” Vin said, a bite to his voice.
“Stay where you are unless I’m dead. Then you can have the body.”
Pain ripped from his throat as a guttural snarl. “You don’t get to fucking die on me.”
On me.His words were pointed.
“Then stop being distracting,” I barked, not in the mood for doubt from my mate, even if he didn’t mean it that way.
I felt the wave of displeasure through the bond and did my best to shut down as much of our contact as possible. I couldn’t let my love for him impede what I needed to do. I had to survive for him, but for my pack, too. They needed me more than Vin did.
Everything I’d built had been for them. To put food in their mouths.
