31. Grey

31

GREY

I t takes me longer than I'd like to get back to the city and longer still to lose Elio in traffic. Dutch, Mia, Razor, and Crow are all waiting at the warehouse when I finally arrive. From the looks of it, Razor's nose is broken, but otherwise, he seems fine. The rest of them are red-faced and tense.

"What happened?" I ask, walking up to where they wait by the door.

"He pretended his leg was broken," Razor says. He's holding a bloodied rag, and his nose is crusted with dried blood. "After that last round I went on him, I thought it was. So, I untied his ankles so he could piss with some dignity. Ugh, dammit, I'm such a fucking idiot."

"This isn't on you," Dutch says, but he and I share a look.

This won't remain contained. Not with Ramsey out there saying who knows what.

"What do you want to do?" Mia asks.

Her tone is sharp, her gaze piercing. She's shaken—more than usual. And Mia doesn't rile easily. Guilt twists inside me. I fucked this up by going after Dom. Otherwise, I could've challenged my father and been alpha right now. We'd have one less threat at our backs. Instead, we have to worry about how guilty we all look. Because I already know Ramsey's betrayal will affect us all. If Franco doesn't come after us, my father will. He'll never believe Ramsey acted alone. Not with how close we've all been.

"Should we go look for him?" Razor's tone borders on panic.

"No. We're going to my house," I say quietly.

"For what?" Crow looks wary. Like he can't decide between wanting to fight and knowing it's futile.

I can't blame him.

But I refuse to give up. Five years ago, my plan failed, but that's not the part I regret. When it was over, I left. Licked my wounds and convinced myself I didn't owe anything to anyone, including myself.

I won't walk away again.

This time, I'm all in.

"The hex blade," I say. "It's time we took the oath and became a real pack."

"Your father will know," Mia warns.

"It's the only way we'll be strong enough when he comes for us," I tell them. "But the choice is yours. You don't have to do this. There's no going back if you do."

"Hell yeah, we're doing this," Razor says fervently.

"It's not just my old man coming this time," I warn him. "All the generals will back him. He won't fight fair. You ready for that?"

Razor glances at Crow, his jaw set. "It's past time they paid for their sins."

I nod and look at the others.

"You know I'm in," Dutch says.

"You're the only family I have," Crow says, eyes glittering with a quiet resolve. "I will always choose you guys."

We all turn to Mia.

Her expression is strained. She, more than any of us, undoubtedly feels the conflict of this decision. Her dad's been the most decent of any of ours. Forming a pack with us means walking away from any allegiance she has to him.

Crow speaks up first. "Mia, we understand if you?—"

"Yeah, obviously I'm in," she says quickly. He smiles, and she bumps his shoulder with hers. "Someone has to keep you assholes in line."

Dutch grins at Crow.

Razor hoots.

"Okay," I say, my alpha already stirring. The transition is nearly complete now. All that's left is their pledge in blood. "Let's go become a pack."

I open my eyes and sit up, blinking so that my sight adjusts quickly to the shadows of my bedroom. It's not a sound that wakes me; it's the silence. Or maybe it's the knowing—a sudden sensation stemming from the beast inside me that tells me I'm not alone. That power has joined me in this room. A lone figure stands at the foot of my bed.

I recognize him with a jolt of awareness—and fear.

"Franco," I say quietly. "To what do I owe this surprise?"

"We need to talk." He doesn't wait for my answer before turning and walking out. A moment later, I can hear the clink of glass. Helping himself to my wet bar.

I check my phone; it's three in the morning.

Shit.

Bracing myself for whatever this is, I toss back covers in search of clothing. When I've pulled on sweatpants and a tee, I make my way out to the living room.

Dressed in a suit, Franco sits with his legs crossed in Dutch's favorite chair. He holds a shot of whiskey in his hand. A quick sweep of the space reveals he's here alone. Not that I think he's stupid enough to have left his men at home. Probably waiting for his signal to swoop in and kill me.

Then again, he's the high alpha of the mafia pack. He doesn't need backup to take me out.

"What can I do for you?" I ask.

"You were smart to send the rat," he says. "I'd suspect manipulation less from someone simple-minded like him, but I know you better than you think."

Ramsey. I keep my face carefully blank and take a seat. My posture is casual, careless; my thoughts are anything but. "We discovered Ramsey was an informant. We tried to apprehend him, but he managed to slip away. If you know where he is, I'd appreciate that information."

"He came to see me. Tried to tell me some story about how you'd decided to leave town again. Said there would be no wedding so not to bother showing up. When I scented his lies, I sent him on his pathetic way."

Ramsey told him the wedding was off?

"I have no control over what he says to you or anyone else."

Franco's expression tightens. It's almost like a smile but so much worse. "Do you want to know why I allowed you to take on that fight five years ago?"

I don't answer, but he doesn't seem to need me to.

"Your father was made a general because he's just like Ramsey. Power-hungry, ruthless—and simple. Vincenzo's strategies are predictable and his methods rudimentary. He'll never be a match for me. It's the reason I've allowed him to live this long even while he stirs divisiveness among the packs." He swirls his glass, staring into it. "Tio was the same. So was Dom. So have they all been." His gaze lifts to mine. "Except for you."

His words might sound like a compliment, but I know better. I keep my expression carefully neutral.

"You were always the greater threat, Jericho. Dom knew it at the end."

Shit.

This is why he's here.

He knows.

"I'm not sure what you?—"

"Don't bullshit me," he snaps, voice rising. "You took my second from me. And tried to use the rat to paint a target on your father. You don't think I see through your strategy? You don't think I know you want me to do your dirty work for you?"

My heart pounds, my thoughts racing as I try to make sense of his words. Ramsey told him it was my father? Was he trying to help us? To redeem himself? Where is he now?

"My father plans to kill you," I say. "That's not a manipulation, that's a fact."

"Your father's a blunt instrument."

Frustration threatens my control. "What's the super-alpha gene?"

His eyes widen fractionally, and I know I've struck gold. "Nothing," he mutters, turning to his glass and taking a thoughtful sip.

"Dom was going to kill Lexi over it. That's why I put him down."

His gaze snaps back to mine, his eyes narrowing. His alpha power rises, the pressure of it pushing me back in my seat. "What do you know about the gene?" he demands.

Sweat dots my brow as I work to resist his compulsion. "I know you're embezzling money from the city budget—including stealing from public schools—in order to fund your research."

His eyes widen. "Does Vincenzo know about this?"

"He's been speaking to a doctor from your past," I say. "I don't know what he knows."

He snarls, clearly pissed off, but he doesn't press me for anything else. A second later, he exhales, his entire body sagging, and the power that had pinned me recedes. I suck in a deep breath that feels lighter and easier to draw than it did a moment ago.

Franco hangs his head, winded and exhausted.

I've never seen him look so drained before.

"What will happen if Lexi is bitten?" I ask.

He looks up at me, his mouth sagging and deep lines etched around his eyes. He looks as if he's just aged thirty years, and when he speaks, his answer is devoid of caring. "She'll die."

Anger surges to the surface, too hot and fast for me to care that it might be reckless to unleash it. "Tell me how to keep her alive."

"Watch how you speak to me," he snaps, but the power that rushes at his words is only a fraction of what it was earlier.

"She's your own blood," I say, refusing to let it go. "Why doesn't that matter to you?"

"It mattered more than you know," he says sadly.

"Is that why you experimented on her?" My voice twists angrily, but rather than raising his temper, he looks surprised. "Did you think your secrets were buried, old man?"

He shakes his head. "Buried or not, we failed."

"What did you do to her?"

"I tried to make her strong, to make her powerful."

"Why?" I demand.

He doesn't answer, but the silence speaks volumes.

"You wanted it for yourself," I realize. "She was just the guinea pig."

"She would've made history," he snaps. "Do you know what it's like to be the strongest alpha this pack has ever seen—and then feel it slowly draining away from you? To know your days are numbered. That one day, your strength will fail, and you'll lose everything you've built?" His chest rises and falls with heavy breaths. "Those tests were about finding a way to prolong my leadership."

"Is that what you told the women you experimented on?" I demand. "Is that what you told Carina? What you would've told my mother?"

His expression hardens. "I did what I did for the good of the pack. Otherwise, we risk a man like your father leading."

My hands balls into fists at the way he talks about using people with such disregard. "You did it for you. No one else, old man."

Anger flashes in his eyes. He moves to the edge of his chair, his drink sloshing in his hand. "You want to keep Lexi out of your father's control? I'll tell you what. Tomorrow, I'll go to your wedding just like Vincenzo wants—and I'll bite her myself."

He pushes to his feet at the same time I do.

"No!" I roar. "You will not touch her."

He tilts his head, his power poking and prodding at mine. Then his eyes widen. "She's your mate." There's shock and awe in his voice, but just as quickly as it comes, it's replaced with regret. "If only it were enough."

Then he walks back to the bar where he shoves his glass of whiskey.

"Bite her yourself then. She'll either shift or she'll die. If she shifts, she might be worthy of whatever challenge your father issues against her. If she dies, she was never good enough to be my heir in the first place."

"Did Lexi agree to spy for you willingly?"

He glances over before waving his hand at me dismissively. "Bah. She won't live long enough for it to matter now, will she?"

He starts for the door, and the sight of him walking away from me unleashes everything I've so tightly locked away.

My wolf surges to the surface—as does the full force of the alpha power I've possessed since the moment my pack pledged themselves to me.

A power that's grown stronger in the shadows where I've nursed it.

Now, I let it free.

"We're done when I say we're done," I boom.

The pressure pins him, stooping his back and shoulders until his knees begin to buckle. With labored breaths, he manages to look up at me with wide eyes. "I don't fucking believe it," he manages. "You're an alpha." Rage contorts his expression. "But you won't be for much longer."

He trembles as his wolf rises to the surface. Murder swims in his gaze. A thirst for blood that fills my veins too.

With a roar, I shift, leaping over the couch as bones break and fur sprouts. My canines shove through my gums. My claws rip at the carpet beneath my feet.

Franco's power rushes to meet mine then drains away.

"No," he manages weakly.

But I'm done taking orders from the alphas of this pack.

My teeth sink into his shoulder. It's not a fatal blow, but I rip through flesh and sinew anyway, tearing a hole in the monster himself. He screams, and I brace myself for his men to come running.

A second bite has him thrashing, his body contorting as he tries to shift and fight me off. I shove at him with my paw, letting him turn onto his back. His human body becomes a wolf just as I sink my teeth into his throat. His claws sprout, burying themselves in my belly. The pain registers somewhere I can't be reached.

His blood and tissue fill my mouth.

His alpha power hits me like a bolt of lightning, nearly breaking my hold on his neck. The wind is knocked from me as the power presses down around me like a weight.

Stop.

His alpha command is a mindfuck. So much worse than anything my father's capable of. My teeth begin to loosen their grip. Before my jaw can unhinge, I yank, ripping his throat out just like I did to Dom.

When I'm done, I climb off him and stand over his lifeless wolf, sprawled and bloody where he lies on my floor. Rivers of blood pour from his torn throat, pooling and spreading over the pristine carpet.

I heave in breath after breath, tasting copper.

Shock keeps me rooted to the spot. Or maybe it's the last dregs of his alpha command. Eventually, it fades, along with his life, and the weight lifts.

My autonomy returns.

The alpha inside me expands with its newfound power. The life force of a high alpha is no small thing. Whatever Franco had left in him, it's mine now.

The mafia pack is mine too.

I don't move for another long moment as the truth of that sinks in. When I finally do, I back away, shifting to my human form as I hurry for the elevator keypad. With the press of a button, I lock it down. No one in or out without my access code. Then, I rush back to the phone I left on my nightstand and open my security app.

A quick scan of the cameras surrounding the exits yields nothing.

Franco really came here alone.

Was he insane?

No, just arrogant.

He really thought he'd walk out of here. Hell, so did I.

And now, he won't. And the world will know.

My thoughts race ahead to tomorrow. Consequences, inevitable scenarios—I know how this ends. Franco's empire belongs to me now, but only if I can keep it. And Franco's generals will never allow that. My father will never allow that. They'll come for me—and even with all this newfound power, I'm not sure our fledgling pack can withstand a war on two fronts.

I was supposed to earn the loyalty of my father's pack first. Get more of them to fight on our side when the time came to face Franco. Challenging and beating my father would've done that. I'm his son. His pack already sees me as their next alpha.

But I've just taken the kingdom of my enemy. Franco's pack will never accept me. His generals will never pledge to me.

There's only one person they might accept.

Shaking, I pull up my contacts and call Dutch.

He answers, groggy. "Boss?"

"I need you to come over. Alone. Don't say a word to anyone and don't be seen by any of the cameras. Do you understand?"

"You okay? You sound…different."

I swallow the power that's been rooting inside me from the moment Franco's heart stopped beating.

"All good," I lie. "Just get here soon. We have work to do."