Page 133 of Broken Wolf Heart
Then Grey steps forward, sliding an arm around my waist, pressing his forehead to mine. “You okay?” he whispers.
I nod. “I don’t feel broken anymore,” I manage, my voice thick with emotion. “I feel… grounded. And strong.”
Grey lets out a shaky laugh. “Good. Because we’re about to face hell.”
“Is that thing… is it gone?” I ask, but I already know the answer because I can feel it—the pure, absolute presence of Grey and his wolf through the bond between us.
The power that radiates from them both leaves me breathless, and for the first time in my life, I realize what a true predator Grey really is. No wonder my human ass ran from him that first night he shifted and hunted me.
His eyes gleam with mischief, and I realize he’s probably already sensed my train of thought. The bond is that powerful now.
It’s going to take some serious getting used to.
“I’d never hurt you, princess,” he says, teeth flashing in a tease of sorts. “But I’d hunt you down anytime you want to be chased.”
Despite everything, my cheeks heat, and my core aches. I am instantly turned on. Is this what a full mate bond feels like? Because I could really go for a quickie right now, maybe a little hide and seek first?—
Mia clears her throat. “Not to ruin the moment, but weshould get moving. Everyone’s already waiting at the restaurant.”
Her words are the splash of cold water I need to remind me where my focus should be. Grey merely winks and sends something down the bond that feels a lot likewe’ll get to that later.He releases my waist only to thread his fingers through mine. His touch grounds me, and I follow the contact all the way through to the invisible tether between us. It’s a wealth of information too. His quiet determination to win today, to protect his pack, whom he loves beyond words. And his completely depthless love for me. The emotion he feels…it’s overwhelming in the best way.
While Crow returns the hex blade to the closet, Dutch claps a hand on Grey’s shoulder. “You look different.”
Grey smirks. “Feel different.”
I meet Mia’s gaze. She doesn’t say anything. Just nods.
We leave the warehouse together.
United.
30
GREY
Altobello’s is bustling by the time we arrive. Lexi was right; it makes the perfect staging area for what we have planned, considering my father’s lab location is the old attorney’s office across the street. It’s a fucked-up message my father sent by choosing this location. The high-rise building, and the entire block it sits on, has been considered neutral territory for my entire life. It’s like he wants us to know nothing is off limits anymore.
It’s the same reason we made the call to the city police chief on the way over, filling him in on our plans. And why we asked him to set up a five-block perimeter, evacuating everyone inside it so there won’t be collateral damage in the form of innocent lives. Luckily, Fletcher is in favor of a regime change, so he agreed to help us. I try to remember the last time Indigo Hills Police worked together with any one of the city’s alphas, but I can’t. They’ve always remained outside of our jurisdiction and let us operate outside of theirs.
It's a new day for sure.
By the time we arrive, uniformed officers are already taping off the block and evacuating the businesses nearby. Policecruisers block off both ends of the street. News vans are parked along the curb just outside the boundary line. Reporters are already giving on-camera updates with the information we fed them.
By now, the whole city knows something’s coming.
And that’s the point.
No more secrets. No more shadow plays. If my father’s going to fight us for this city, he can do it in full view of every single one of us.
“There’s no going back now,” Lexi says as we step out of the car onto the busy sidewalk.
“There never was,” I tell her and then take her hand and bring it to my lips for a quick kiss before leading her inside.
Being back inside Altobello’s brings a strange sense of nostalgia. When Franco was alive, I was ready to burn this place to the ground. Almost did once. Now, it’s our war room. I’m not sure if that’s ironic or if it makes total fucking sense.
The restaurant is already full of people getting things set up for us.
Donahue and Camila stand to one side, quietly directing the newer members of the Giovanni pack, organizing teams. They’re not just showing up—they’re leading. And they’re looking at Lexi with a respect that doesn’t need words.
