1. Lexi

1

LEXI

" I won't do it," I declare, my voice wobbling only slightly.

Ramsey side-eyes me from the driver's seat of his Lykan Hypersport but doesn't respond. His face is flushed, his hair disheveled, ruining his usual laid-back, golden-boy look. Then again, considering he betrayed me to the enemy tonight, I'd say a lot more than his composure has been lost. Any trust I had for him is gone, though I can't help beating myself up for ever letting my guard down with him.

He's Grey's friend.

But I don't know him.

All I know about Ramsey Greco is that he's part of my fiancé's inner circle—and a werewolf who informs on his closest friends to the mafia pack alpha. The old me would never have trusted someone solely based on the word of another. Orphaned and mostly alone, I've survived on my wits and intuition my whole life—until being kidnapped and delivered to Indigo Hills. And now I'm royally fucked because of this one single slip in judgment.

Ramsey sold me out, and now I'm being forced to do the same.

Spy on the man who kidnapped me and brought me into this mess. Shouldn't be an issue, right? Grey's more than my kidnapper, though. In a twist that undoubtedly sounds a little like mental instability on my part, he's also my best friend and someone I can't stop imagining in my future.

"I mean it," I say with more force—and less tremble—in my voice. "I won't spy on Grey for Franco. Or for you. As soon as we get back, I'm going to tell him everything."

Ramsey hits the brakes hard enough to make them squeal. My seatbelt locks as we come to an abrupt stop in the middle of the road, and a car honks as it veers around us. Bright red taillights light up the darkness until the car turns right and disappears.

I'm too shocked to say anything as Ramsey twists toward me with a vicious glare.

"You will find out everything you can about Grey's plans to overthrow Franco and report it all to me," he says, his tone threatening.

"Or what?" I challenge. "You'll kill me? How would you explain that to Grey? Or even Vincenzo? They'd both come for you the moment they learned what you did—no, what you are . A rat."

I expect a flash of temper. Maybe even violence. Instead, his lip curls with disgust. "You really don't get it, do you?" He leans closer, the leather seat crunching with his movement.

I don't move, but my body tenses at his closeness.

"Franco never wanted you here," he snarls. "That's why he left you to fend for yourself all those years. You were nothing to him. Now that you're back, you're an inconvenience at best. A complication at worst. The moment you stop serving his purpose, he will dispose of you. So if I were you, I'd start making myself useful."

"Grey would never let anything happen to me."

He scoffs. "You think Grey will believe you over me?"

I frown, suddenly less sure of myself. "I haven't done anything wrong."

He laughs harshly. "You agreed to spy. The damage is done."

"I was coerced," I remind him.

His smile is cruel and smug. "I've known Jericho Diavolo my entire life. You've known him for five fucking minutes. None of them will take your word over mine. And you've seen what we do to traitors."

I shudder as his meaning hits me. Trucker. When I first arrived in town, Grey took me to a secret warehouse to confront a pack member who'd been caught informing to Franco. Grey shot him at point blank range right in front of me.

Yes, I know exactly what they do to traitors.

My bravery slips away with his threats, and I can't help the vulnerability that leaks into my voice. "Why are you doing this?"

Ramsey hesitates. "I don't—" He breaks off, staring out at the road. His eyes are wild now. His breathing labored. He looks like some kind of psychotic frat boy, unhinged and single-minded in his collared shirt. "Fuck," he snarls with enough venom that I flinch.

A beat of silence passes.

His grip on the steering wheel is white-knuckled. I can't tell if he's trying to get ahold of himself or completely falling apart.

"None of your damn business," he finally snaps.

He peels his hand off the wheel and rests it on the shifter. We ease forward, accelerating slowly as we resume our drive.

My heart pounds as reality sets in.

This is happening.

If I don't betray Grey, the golden-haired devil will be my ruin.

I dart a glance at him out of the corner of my eye. His brow is twitching. His grip on the wheel hasn't eased. Whatever storm rages below the surface is still barely contained.

After a couple more turns, I recognize my surroundings. We're nearing the penthouse.

The familiar territory is a relief, even if it is my prison.

Ramsey nods at the guards then parks in the garage. We ride the elevator up in silence. I want to tell him I can make it alone from here, but after his outburst earlier, I decide it's best not to say anything at all.

When the elevator opens into the foyer, I start for my bedroom, eager to get away.

"Hey, Lexi." Ramsey's voice stops me.

I turn slowly to face him, glaring. "What?"

He walks up to me, much closer than I want him to be. His temper has cooled from earlier, his gaze sharper and more calculating. "You can do this," he says firmly.

"What if you're wrong?"

"They don't know you well enough to tell if you're lying. But they trust you. Or Grey does. He's going to tell you things he won't tell the rest of us. Well, except maybe Dutch." His expression twists with jealousy before smoothing again.

"Why not force him to do this then?"

"You're the weak link." His quick glance is a once-over that emphasizes his words.

"Thanks."

He scowls at my sarcasm. "You're weak without your wolf. That's just fact."

I look away, a lump forming in my throat. Up until very recently, I didn't even know werewolves existed—much less that I was descended from them. It shouldn't matter that I can't access my wolf, not when I've lived my whole life without one. But Ramsey's right. I'm surrounded by predators who've all decided I'm easy prey. If I'm going to survive a single one of them, I have to find a way to be as strong as them.

Being human in this world will only get me killed.

I have to find a way to become a wolf.