Page 70 of Broken Wolf Heart
“Grey.” Dutch’s voice is sharp enough to break through the haze, and I glance over to see every single guard lying dead on the pavement. Rocco and Alvaro are covered in blood, but one whiff of the scent tells me it’s not their own. “Are we doing this?”
He’s tense. I know what he’s asking.
If we fight now, it’ll mean Dutch against his father. Razor and Crow against theirs. And their pack will come. My father will call them, and they’ll come, and they’ll destroy us.
Lexi refuses to shift. I don’t know where that leaves us in a fight like that.
I hesitate, breathing heavy and blood dripping from my knuckles.
Rather than answer, I reach down and help Andy pull Lexi to her feet.
My father’s eyes lock on mine—and something clicks behind them.
Realization.
He staggers, spitting blood, and looks from me to Lexi and back again. “It wasn’t her,” he breathes. “It was you. You killed Franco.”
I don’t answer.
I don’t need to.
He sees it.
Sees the truth in every drop of alpha power radiating off me, in every inch of my stance as I step between him and Lexi, chest heaving, ready for round two.
“You’re an alpha now,” he says, wonder and hatred twisted into one low snarl. “And still, you tied yourself to her. Let her take the credit. You’re hiding behind her. Like a fucking coward.”
Despite her injuries, Lexi snarls.
He wipes his face with the back of his hand, blood smearing across his cheek. “I should’ve known. Should’ve seen it sooner.”
Lexi leans into me. She’s limping, but she’s upright. And her eyes are pure fire. “You would have seen if you’d bothered to look at him. You never saw Grey for who he really was,” she snarls at him.
But my father is long past pretending to care about me. His eyes narrow as he says, “It looks like I’ll be coming for both your titles then.”
“You won’t get either one,” I tell him.
He laughs, low and bitter.
“So be it. If you won’t give me this city…” He looks around, taking in the sight of all of us gathering now—Dutch on his left just behind Alvaro, Razor flanking Lexi silently, Crow stalking toward where Rocco stands beside the SUV, Mia striding through the courtyard with purpose in her eyes, more of Lexi’s guards behind her. “…I’ll burn it down with all of you inside it.”
His confidence confuses me, considering how outnumbered he is. But then I catch movement at the tree line and realize what he already knows.
Wolves—dozens at least—emerge from the woods that border the back of the property. Not Giovanni pack.
Diavolo pack wolves.
My father has used his alpha power to call his pack.
And even with my newfound alpha power and my pack at my side, there’s no way we can win against this many wolves. Not today.
My father smirks like he knows what I’m thinking.
Before I can say anything, Lexi steps forward so that she stands on her own rather than leaning against me. Her shoulders are squared. Lips bloodied. But she’s standing. And her expression is set with ferocity.
“You can threaten us,” she says coldly. “You can throw your tantrum, call your wolves, bring your wrath—but it won’t change anything. And if you let your pack kill us rather than taking that victory for yourself, you won’t get our alpha power—and you won’t be crowned king.”
A flicker of irritation passes over his expression. He knows she’s right, and he’s pissed about it. But rather than give that away, he merely straightens his jacket like he’s about to walk into a board meeting. “Looks like we’ll save our war for another day.”
