The kitchen of the Barnsville house had become a command center of sorts. Adrianna and Julianna were coordinating the evacuation of their people while Mika had stayed to help liaison with New York. Grant Anderson was sending as much help as they could spare, of course, but Adrianna knew her father had to think about the people under his protection too. If New Jersey was under attack, then it wasn’t farfetched that New York could be their next target.
“It’s too bad Daric and Cross are still on assignment,” Mika said. “We could use some teleporting warlocks right now.”
“How about a dragon?” Frankie said as she put down her phone. “I just spoke with Creed. He’s on standby. But you know we can’t ask him to come unless we’re in real trouble.”
Having the only dragon shifter in the world on their side was good backup, but he was too destructive and attracted too much attention when he shifted. They could only ask for his help if things really went south. Still, it was nice to know he was just a call away.
“We’ll get through this.” Julianna gave Adrianna a reassuring look. “I know it.”
It seemed as if the shaky truce between her and her younger sister was holding up. She had expected her to be smug about being right about Darius all along, but to her surprise, her sister had seemed sympathetic and even remorseful.
“Mimma, are you all right?” Frankie said. “You look terrible. Why don’t you take a rest?
“No, Mama,” she snapped. “What kind of future Alpha would I be if I took a nap when we’re in a crisis?”
“I just thought you should—”
“No.” She’d had to tell Frankie the short version of what happened with Darius. There was no hiding it and though she wished things were different, she’d made her decisions and had to live with them. The only good thing about having to deal with this crisis is that she didn’t have to think about Darius and his betrayal. Because surely, if she allowed herself to relive the entire thing in her head, she would go crazy. It was bad enough that her she-wolf was crying in grief, seemingly unable to believe that he could betray them.
Mine. Mine.
“No!”
Three pairs of eyes looked at her. She took in a gulp of breath, feeling nauseous. “Sorry, I—” She stood up and ran out of the kitchen, barely making it to the bathroom as she heaved into the toilet. When her stomach was completely empty of its meager contents, she stood up and went to the sink to clean up.
Pull yourself together. Her clan was depending on her. The mages were out for blood, and she had to defend her people. Defend her family. And defend …
Her hand involuntarily went to her stomach. When she woke up that morning and threw up in the bathroom, she was even more sure about being pregnant. She had been planning to tell Darius that morning, but a bout of self-doubt paralyzed her. Was she ready to be a mom? What about being Alpha? And the company? How could she juggle all of that?
She couldn’t bring herself to look in the mirror. I’m not fit to be Alpha. Because surely, an Alpha wouldn’t have lost her head over a handsome face and a hot body. Darius’s betrayal had cut deep in her heart but also tore down what confidence she had. Worse, he had built her up, saying he believed in her and then turned out to be a lying bastard. Surely, if they were True Mates, he wouldn’t have done that? How could she know—
Wait.
She was an idiot. There was one other way to find out if she was pregnant with her True Mate’s baby. During the attack, Astrid had survived a fireball because she was carrying Zac’s child. Pregnant True Mates were indestructible.
Opening the top drawer under the counter, she grabbed the pair of scissors inside. She held it up, pointing the tip at her forearm. A cut would take a few hours to heal completely for a Lycan. But, if she cut herself and it healed instantly, then she was definitely pregnant and Darius was her True Mate. And if she didn’t then …
“Goddammit,” she said in a low whisper. Why was this so hard? It wasn’t like not finding out would change anything. But if she were truly honest with herself, she didn’t know what would disappoint her more—if she was pregnant or if she wasn’t. “Dammit.” Tears were burning in her throat. She hated this whole situation. Hated herself. And hated that despite his treachery, she still loved Darius.
“Adrianna!”
The voice outside the door and the sharp rapping made her cry out, making her hand slip. “Ow! Fucking hell!” The pointed tip of the scissors sliced down her arm and blood poured out of the gash.
The door flew open, and Mika rushed inside. “Adrianna! Are you okay? What happ—” Her cousin’s green eyes doubled in size. “You’re hurt! What did you do?”
“It’s not what—” The flesh on her arm tingled, making her gasp. She watched in shock as the wound sealed up in seconds.
“Adrianna?” Mika took two steps forward and grabbed her arm. “Did I just see what I think I saw?”
Her lungs squeezed out all the available air in her body and made it difficult to speak. But she didn’t have to explain to her cousin what was going on. Mika, of all people, knew what this meant. Her parents, Alynna and Alex Westbrooke were the first True Mate pairing of their time. Indeed, at that point, most Lycans thought True Mates were a myth. Everyone knew the story of how their parents had discovered they were True Mates and how that seemed to send off a chain reaction of True Mate pairings that haven’t been seen since.
“You’re pregnant,” Mika said in awe. “And Darius is—”
“Don’t say it,” she said woefully. “I can’t do this right now. We have more important things to worry about.”
“I—” Her cousin’s face turned serious. “I understand. What can I do?”
“I just—” A deep sob escaped out of her throat. “I just don’t want to feel this way anymore.”
When she burst into tears, her cousin opened her arms and she found herself enveloped in a tight, warm hug. Good old dependable Mika. When they were kids, she’d been a sassy troublemaker, but she had turned out to be most responsible and level-headed out of all of the Anderson–Westbrooke cousins. She was everyone’s big sister, always ready to help, while still keeping that mischievous side she had when they were younger. Of course, she was more subdued these days, but it was understandable given the tragedy she had experienced less than a year ago.
“It’ll be all right, Adrianna,” she said, rubbing a hand down her back. “You’ll see. Everything will be all right.”
“I just don’t—”
“Adrianna! Mika!” Julianna halted to a stop outside the bathroom doorway. “You have—what’s going on?”
“Adrianna just needed some time to herself,” Mika explained. “Don’t worry, letting it out helps.”
“The pressure was getting to me,” Adrianna quickly explained. “I’ve never dealt with this before. I don’t know how Mama and Papa do this.”
Julianna’s expression faltered. “I’m sorry, Adrianna. This is my fault.”
“What?” She searched her sister’s face. “What are you talking about?”
“That … that scumbag! I shouldn’t have … I mean …” Julianna gulped hard and hot tears fell down her cheek.
“No, no!” Adrianna embraced her sister. “It’s okay. I was the stupid one. I should have listened to you.”
“I hate that you’re hurting like this, Adrianna,” Julianna cried. “I would do anything to make this all go away and have things go back to the way they were, before that bastard ruined it all.”
“Oh, Julianna—”
“Oh, fuck!” Julianna’s expression shifted, and she wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “I came up here because Mama asked me to get you.”
“Why?” Mika asked.
“They’re coming,” she said in a quiet voice.
“The mages are here?”
“We don’t know who they are, but our security system is picking up a big group coming our way.”
“How many?” Mika asked.
“A lot.”
&nbs
p; There was no time to waste.
“Mama!” Adrianna called as they hurried down the stairs. Frankie was already by the front door, looking out of the side windows. The grave expression on her face made Adrianna’s heart stop. “Mama?”
“They’re here. Outside.” There was a hard glint in her mother’s eyes.
Adrianna gently pushed her mother aside so she could see out the window. Her heart sank. She counted at least twenty men—no, Lycans, she could tell by the way her she-wolf bristled—out on their front lawn. In the middle was Anatoli Corvinus. But there was someone else with him. She felt all the blood in her face drain out. “Mama, is that—?”
“Yes,” Frankie said through gritted teeth.
“How—no!”
She couldn’t stop her mother from opening the door and stepping out onto the porch. She followed Frankie, as did Mika and Julianna.
“Traitor!” Frankie shouted. “Anatoli Corvinus, you will pay for betraying your kind. How could you side with our sworn enemy? The mages mean to destroy every last one of us. Do you think they will spare you for doing their dirty work?”
“You bitch,” Anatoli spat. “Too long you’ve held us underfoot. The Lycan territorial system is broken, made only to benefit those who rule at the top. Unlike you, my family had to work for everything we had, paid for in blood, sweat, and tears. And now I will take what is rightfully ours.”
“What do you want?” Frankie’s eyes glowed bright. “Do you want me to surrender my territory in exchange for our lives?”
“You should know by now this is not a negotiation.” Anatoli smiled cruelly. “You are outnumbered, and you will die.”
Adrianna’s blood pumped in her veins and her wolf howled with rage. “I will take down as many of your men as I can before I die.” She did have an ace up her sleeve—she was indestructible and she could take down Corvinus. However, there was one hitch to this plan—her mother, Julianna, and Mika were not. They could still die. She had to think of a way to get to Corvinus first before they got killed.
He turned his gaze on her. “Oh, no, my dear, you’re not going to die. Not tonight at least. So, how about we save ourselves some trouble and do it this way: You go with our friend now”—he nodded toward the mage—“and we will make sure the others’ deaths will be quick and merciful? Try to fight and I will kill them slowly while you watch.”
“Go to hell,” she screamed.
He sneered. “Either way, I will win this fight. You are outnumbered, and no help is on the way.”
An idea struck her. If she could get close enough to him, she could try to take him down. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll come with you.”
“No!” Frankie cried out. “Adrianna, I forbid you!”
Anatoli laughed. “Finally. I knew you were a smart bitch.” Anatoli stalked toward them, deliberately and slowly, probably enjoying watching them squirm.
Frankie held on to her. “Stop, Adrianna,” she said. “You are not going with them.”
“We fight together.” Julianna’s voice trembled, but she gripped her other hand tight.
She should have told them, but there was no time. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.” She lowered her voice. “Just get out of here as soon they have me.” She looked at Mika meaningfully. “Right?”
Her cousin hesitated, but when her expression changed, she seemed to understand. “Right.”
“No,” Frankie hissed. “You will not sacrifice yourself.”
“Come down here now, bitch.” Anatoli was at the foot of the porch steps. “Do it before I change my mind and I have your mother ripped up piece by piece while she’s still breathing.”
She swallowed hard. “I’m coming.” She yanked her hands away from her mother and sister’s grasp, but they wouldn’t let go. “Stop, please, I—”
A loud growl made them all stop, and when she whipped her head around, she saw a flash of silver tackle Anatoli to the ground.
Darius.
Chapter Twenty-One
Darius attacked his uncle without hesitation or second thought. He had been standing by the sidelines, waiting for something to happen, but the moment he realized that Adrianna was serious about giving herself up, he had to act. His wolf tore out of him in a fury of teeth and claws and took Anatoli down. He thought he heard a scream—Adrianna maybe? He wasn’t sure as his wolf had taken over their body, and it was out for blood.
The old man was surprised by his actions, but he recovered and fought back. As they rolled around the ground, Anatoli used leverage to throw him off, then Remus and Simion came to hold him down. He struggled but to no avail, as the two Lycans used their strength to keep him at bay.
“I knew it!” Anatoli roared. “I knew you had betrayed us for this bitch!” He was spitting and practically foaming at the mouth. “Stupid boy! Why didn’t you die along with your father?” He turned to the mage. “It’s your fault! Why did you spare him? Why did you kill the rest of his family and leave him alive?”
Blood roared in Darius ears’ as a wave of pain tore through his skull. It was intense, a dozen times more painful than this morning’s episode. Remus and Simion held him tighter as his body convulsed and his wolf yowled in pain.
And he remembered.
He was sitting in the kitchen, finishing his English homework.
Mama. Tatâ. Thomsin. Elena.
His parents smiled at each other, like they were hiding a secret.
Then everything happened so fast. The door burst open, and Mama screamed in surprise. Two men in red robes came in, their faces shadowed by hoods. Darius was sitting right near the door, so one of the men grabbed him and pulled him to the side.
The second man waved his hand at his father and said some strange words. He froze, his face went pale and so did his hair, then he dropped to the floor. Mama let out a growl and stepped in front of Thomsin as she began to shift, but the man turned to her now. Again, the strange words came out of his mouth and Mama’s eyes went wide. She didn’t make a sound, but her hair turned pure white and her body went stiff before she fell back with a loud thud.
Darius was lunging for Elena, but the man holding him down was too strong and pushed him to the ground. He heard two cries—Elena and Thomsin—and then silence. Tears poured down his cheeks as he curled up in fright.
“Look at me,” the man said.
Slowly, he lifted his head. The man staring down at him pulled his hood down. Long dark hair fell down his pale face and bloody red eyes fixed at him. He heaved and clutched at his chest. “Hold … still.” When he waved his hand and started uttering those strange words. Darius closed his eyes, waiting for death. Pain spread through his skull and he could feel his heart stop. His limbs went stiff and then …
“You didn’t tell me your half brother had a fully-grown child,” the mage said.
The mage’s voice—now he knew why it was so familiar—jolted him out of the past and flung back to the present.
“Did it matter?” Anatoli said. “You said you would get rid of all of them.”
“You creatures are too stupid to understand the subtleties of how magic works, so I’ll forgive your insolence for now,” the mage spat back. “But now you can finish the job and then I can leave with what I came for.”
Darius opened his mouth to speak, but realized he was still in wolf form. I must know, he told his wolf. Give me our body and we will find the truth.
The wolf relented, and Darius changed back quickly. The shift startled Remus and Simion, who scrambled backwards as his body changed. He tried to get back to his feet, but the two enforcers were on him again, taking one arm each and then pushing him to his knees.
“I remember,” Darius gasped. “I remember everything.” He looked at the mage. “You killed my family”
“It seemed I underestimated your resistance to my killing spell and my powers had drained from taking the life of your parents and siblings.” He smiled. “I remember too. How sweet it was to see them die.”
“So, ready fo
r your punishment?” Anatoli said as he came closer.
“You bastard!” Darius hollered. “You’re not fit to be leader of The Family.”
“Your Grandfather was already weak and dying,” Anatoli sneered. “When he passed away, the mantle was passed on to me, fair and square, as they say in America.”
“Why did you kill them?” Darius asked. “What did we ever do to you?”
“What did you do to me?” Anatoli fumed. “Your father was going to steal what was mine! When Mother died, Father found the letters she had been hiding for years. Letters from your grandmother telling him that she was his True Mate. He immediately sent for your father. And just like that, Demetri became his favorite son. My father hated me because of what my mother had done and he was so grateful to have your father here. Meanwhile, I was the one shunted aside, even though I worked myself to death to help him build The Family and took on his beatings when he needed someone to act as his punching bag.”
Darius was stunned. He never knew this. “You didn’t have to have them killed.”
“Oh, yes I did.” Anatoli let out a distasteful sound. “When I found out that he chose your father to be his heir and not me, I had to do something.” His lips spread into a wide grin. “When they,” he cocked his head toward the mage, “approached me and said they would help me take over The Family, I knew it was my chance. Watching my father die of heartbreak was the icing on the cake.”
“You bastard!” Darius railed.
“Now you will die, nephew,” he said mockingly. “Take him away and kill him.”
“No!”
Darius turned his head. It was Adrianna. Her mother and sister were holding her back, but she was fighting them with all her might. “Adrianna! Don’t!” He couldn’t let her get into their hands. There was only one way he could put a stop to this. “Anatoli Corvinus!” he shouted at his uncle. “I challenge you to a death duel.”
Anatoli laughed. “There will be no duel, only your death. I said take him away,” he barked at Remus and Simion.
Claiming the Alpha Page 17
