Chapter 13

“You think you’re better than us, Rafe. That’s the problem. You think you’re human.” His father’s breath smelled like cigarettes and stale coffee. “When will you embrace who you are?”

Rafe wasn’t in the mood for this today. He wanted to keep the feel of Scarlet’s smooth skin and her burnt sugar scent a bit longer. He had no desire to replace it with flying fur and the smell of blood. But his father had set up the sparring ring again and Knox was already inside, pawing at the dirt like a damn bull or something.

Knox was big in wolf form, intimidating and fast. He eyed Rafe with narrowed eyes, flashing silver in the sunlight. Rafe huffed out a breath. There was a time when he interacted with his brothers without trying to tear them apart, a time when they used to spar for fun, for no other reason than their wolf side demanded the release. But more and more now his father insisted on a winner, insisted on a fight that ended with one brother pinned and humiliated and the other victorious in front of the pack.

Other wolves, some in human form, had gathered to watch the fight. The Alpha loved parading his sons out for the pack to see. To show them who their next leader would be, who they should fear. Rafe despised it. This false show of strength. If he ever was the Alpha, he sure as hell wouldn’t lead the way his father did, through ruthless displays of strength and manipulation.

“Is this really necessary?” Rafe asked, leaning in closer. His father would only make things worse for him if he made a scene in front of the pack. He knew. He’d tried it before when his father started these matches a few months ago. Rafe had refused to get in the ring with Theo and instead he’d ended up bloody and beaten beneath his father’s claws and a growled promise of “more where that came from” in his ear.

His father wouldn’t be around forever and these tests of strength would be how he chose his successor. A thought that made Rafe sick to his stomach.

The Alpha sneered. “Where were you today, Rafe?”

“Town.”

“You’ve been spending an awful lot of time there. Been sniffing around some human pussy?”

Rafe’s whole body recoiled at his father’s words. If his father found out about Scarlet, Rafe didn’t know what he’d do. Fear tightened his gut.

“Course not.”

His father circled him as though taking his measure. The man was getting older, as even werewolves did eventually, and those human cigarettes he loved so much weren’t doing him any favors. But the old man was still strong and he fought dirty. Rafe knew better than to challenge him again. It wasn’t just his father he’d have to fight this time. Packs thrived on hierarchy. His father surrounded himself with werewolves that were loyal and he rewarded them at every turn. If he wanted to take down the Alpha, he’d have to take down the whole top third of the pyramid too. And everyone else was just afraid. Simple as that.

They needed each other to survive, to hunt enough to feed themselves, to protect their land. There weren’t many wolves willing to strike out on their own. Wolves exiled by the Alpha didn’t last long as far as Rafe knew. They were either killed by humans or died of exposure. Starvation. A wolf on his own was vulnerable.

So when he looked out into the crowd, he didn’t find a single sympathetic face, a single wolf willing to stand up to the Alpha.

Rafe sighed. He was so tired of this bullshit. And it had only gotten worse. The old ways were failing them. Civilization was closing in and the pack was finding it harder and harder to find space and isolation. The pack needed to run, needed to hunt. With humans taking up more room, the pack had to adapt. If they wanted to survive, they’d need to interact with humans more, but his father didn’t want any part of that. The old man wouldn’t allow it. Beyond a few supply trips here and there, Devon felt werewolves and humans shouldn’t mix. If the man wasn’t so addicted to nicotine, he might ban trips into town altogether.

Scarlet’s throaty laugh ran through his mind. Maybe Rafe didn’t want to be isolated anymore. Maybe he could leave—

“Whatever crazy bullshit you’re thinking, son, forget it,” his father growled, knowing Rafe’s thoughts before he could even think them. “You were born a beast and you’ll die one. There’s no point in trying to be something you’re not.” His father stalked off toward the ring. “They don’t want you anyway,” he added with a cackle that deteriorated into a hacking cough.

He remembered Scarlet’s hand on his, the taste of her mouth, the way she said his name. What if she knew what he really was? Would she still want him?

He yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it on a nearby branch. Toed off his shoes and stripped off his pants. He had already shifted by the time he reached the ring and lunged for his brother’s neck.

It wasn’t hard to imagine what Scarlet’s reaction would be if she were here now.

He fucking hated it when his father was right.