We have no choice, he told his wolf. She is no longer our Alpha.
Growing up in The Family made Darius who he was—tough, unyielding, and resilient. If he weren’t any of those things, The Family would have devoured him and spit him out. Getting back to the compound as a wolf was not as difficult as it seemed. It was a long way from Barnsville, but in Lycan form, he was strong and didn’t tire easily. Plus, he knew the highways by heart and at one point, he snuck into the back of a pickup truck that took him most of the way there. He jumped off when the truck blew past the exit, then made his way to the compound. There was a secret entrance in the back that was set low and could only be opened using a hidden foot pedal. Being in their business, it was not unusual for members of The Family to come home in wolf form if they were in a bind and needed to stay covered or make a quick escape.
He supposed he should be grateful instead of feeling resentful that he had somewhere to get back to. But the pain in his chest wouldn’t subside, and all he could think of was the look on Adrianna’s face when she realized he had betrayed her. It would surely haunt him for the rest of his days.
As he padded into the compound and made his way to his room, he prepared himself for the confrontation with Anatoli. His uncle was still after Adrianna for some reason, but he was going to protect her, even if she hated him. He would do anything to keep her safe, even sacrifice himself. Right now, his life really wasn’t worth much without her anyway. But the only way to make sure she stayed alive was to find out what Anatoli was up to, which meant to keep his uncle’s trust. No matter what.
He shifted back into human form and grabbed clean clothes from the dresser, then headed out. He nearly ran into a couple of the younger enforcers as they ran past him in a flurry of activity. What was going on?
“Darius? You’re back?” Alexandru was right behind the others but skidded to a stop in front of him. “What happened? Wait, never mind, come with me. Anatoli is asking everyone to assemble.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” His brows drew into a frown. “Frankly, I don’t know half the things your uncle is doing these days.” He gestured for Darius to come with him and he fell in step behind the older man.
Strange. Alexandru was his top enforcer and right-hand man. Why would Anatoli keep anything from him? He followed him all the way to Anatoli’s office. As soon as he entered, his uncle’s face scrunched up in distaste.
“So, the Alpha’s daughter sent you packing, huh?” Anatoli spat.
“Next time you outsource, make sure you hire competent men who won’t squeal like pigs,” he said in disgust. He rubbed the back of his neck and walked toward the front of his uncle’s desk. “Those guys you hired were picked up by the New York’s Lycan Security Team and they confessed to everything. I barely escaped those bitches.”
Anatoli’s laugh was amused. “See how fast they turn on you? Just yesterday, Frankie Anderson was practically ready to get on her knees for me with gratitude and now she’s set her whore daughters on you. Looks like you’re finally seeing things my way.”
“What do we do now? Surely the Alpha will send her people after us.”
His uncle’s eyes gleamed. “We won’t let that happen. It’s time I tell you both what I’ve been working on.”
“Sir?” Alexandru’s brow raised.
Anatoli gestured behind them. “Meet our ally.”
Darius felt the skin on the back of his neck prickle. He turned his head and saw a man standing in the doorway, wearing a red robe. Immediately, he recognized the garment as the same one those men who attacked Adrianna at her ball wore.
Realization swept over him. This man was one of them. The mages.
“Where did you come from? I didn’t hear the door open.” Alexandru asked. “And who are you?”
“My name does not matter.” The man had long black hair and pale skin, and his red eyes held no emotion. It was like staring into a dark red tunnel with no end. “What matters is that we have the same enemy. The Lycans of New York and New Jersey.”
It took all his strength to keep his wolf at bay, but Darius managed it. It wanted to rip this man apart and devour the pieces for daring to hurt Adrianna. We will protect her! The wolf didn’t believe him. But we cannot let them know we are going to warn her.
The man’s red gaze flickered at him briefly, and for a second, he thought the mage had figured out what he was planning. But he turned back to Anatoli without another word. “Are your forces ready?”
“I am gathering them now,” he answered. “And your men?”
“We have been ready for a long time.”
“What’s the plan?” Darius asked.
“We attack New Jersey before midnight,” Anatoli revealed. “We take Adrianna Anderson and kill anyone who gets in our way.”
“Why so soon?” Alexandru asked. “What’s our attack pattern? Who do we leave to secure the compound? What about a retreat plan?”
“Retreat plan?” Anatoli bellowed. “There is no retreat plan. We succeed or we die. All of us.”
“How do we even know Frankie Anderson or her daughter will be there?” Darius asked. “Wouldn’t they retreat back to New York? Or somewhere safe?” He could only hope this was the case.
“Frankie Anderson is already in New Jersey.” Anatoli’s lips curled into a cruel
