She reached over to take Frankie’s hand in hers. “We won’t let them, Mama.” Sucking in a deep breath, she let the air fill her lungs, then blew out the breath to release the tension building in her body. “I promise. But you also need to tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m not just going to throw you to the proverbial wolves, you know,” Frankie replied. “But I’ve also been finding out about things happening in our territory.”
“What things?”
Frankie’s face fell. “You know I love your father very much. And all of you. So much so that I couldn’t bear to just leave you to be raised here in New York while I stayed in New Jersey or force you to be apart from him and Lucas. That’s why we had that open border policy which allowed me to be Alpha of New Jersey even while I lived here. But it seems certain forces have been taking advantage of my absence.”
“What forces?” This time, it was Julianna who asked the question.
Her mother’s brows furrowed together. “A group of Lycans have been banding together in our territory, forming their own organized group. According to my sources, they call themselves The Family.”
Adrianna raised a brow. “And you didn’t know about any of this?”
“I had heard of them,” Frankie said. “But they didn’t seem significant at the time. Frankly, New Jersey’s population isn’t really that big, and they managed to stay out of trouble. However, it seems their influence has grown in the last decade or so.”
Something told her this wasn’t going to be a fun conversation, but she had to know what she was about to get herself into. “What exactly have they been up to?”
Frankie’s brows knitted together. “Illegal gambling. Larceny. Bribing officials. Kickbacks from road construction. Loan sharking. Extortion. Racketeering.” Frankie looked distraught. “They’ve managed to stay under the radar of the human authorities thanks to bribes and connections. The Lycan High Council has turned a blind eye because they haven’t directly harmed anyone or done anything to expose us to the rest of the world.”
Julianna placed her hands on her hips. “So what you’re saying is, the mob has taken over New Jersey?”
“I don’t know what to say.” Their mother’s shoulders sank and the lines on her face deepened. “As long as they didn’t hurt anyone, I thought it was fine. They’ve also done some good in the community, both human and Lycan. They’ve been known to do charity work and help people during times of disaster, like those hurricanes that devastated the shore.”
“Classic organized crime whitewashing tactic,” Julianna huffed. “You know, Al Capone established a soup kitchen during the Great Depression, right? And the Yakuza helped clean up that nuclear disaster in Japan.”
Adrianna glared at her sister. It was obvious their mother knew she had let things get out of hand, but there was no need to pile it on. Besides, what they needed were solutions, not blame. “What are we going to do about this?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Frankie said. “Because we will be meeting the head of The Family tomorrow. His name is Anatoli Corvinus.”
Adrianna’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“I’ve reached out to him, and he’s agreed to a meeting. And I’m going to lay down the law.” Her mother’s lips curled up into a smirk. “I mean, I’m still his Alpha, and he will have to obey me. And you, Adrianna, once you’ve ascended to Alpha.”
Julianna let out a huff. “Do you really think someone who has amassed great power would just roll over and do what you tell him?”
“He has no choice,” Frankie said. “He can obey me or get out of my territory.”
“I have a feeling it won’t be that simple.” She didn’t want to say it out loud, but her sister had a point.
“That’s why you need to establish yourself as rightful Alpha,” Frankie said. “Consolidate and build your power. The first thing we’re going to do is have you establish your own Lycan security force. I’ve already sent out feelers that we’re looking for candidates. We’ll make it official as soon as we can, no need for fancy balls or ceremonies.”
“I want to help,” Julianna said. “I’ve been part of the New York Lycan Security Force for six years. And I’ve been trained by the best.”
Frankie smiled at her middle daughter. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
“This could be a new era for our clan. We could make things better and get rid of those scumbags.” For once during this entire conversation, Julianna actually sounded optimistic.
“New Jersey has always been led by the strongest women in our family,” Frankie stated. “And we will work together to keep our legacy.”
Adrianna looked from her mother to her sister and knew her fate was sealed. It still felt unfair, this whole deal. She hadn’t asked to be Alpha. Didn’t want to be Alpha. But if she were honest with herself, she knew the real reason why she was so apprehensive. She didn’t know if she could be Alpha. Doubt crept into her mind all the time. It seemed so far away, the possibility of her even becoming Alpha so young hadn’t even entered her thoughts. Her mother announcing her retirement had surprised everyone, most of all her. She didn’t feel prepared. Not at all.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and ignored the butterflies in her stomach. “All right. Where do we begin?”
Chapter Two
What am I doing here?
Darius asked himself this question a lot recently. As he waited outside The Enclave for her to leave to start her day. As he discreetly followed her car to her downtown office. As he sat in his own vehicle, staking out her place of work, anticipating when he’d see her next.
Each time, he told himself, would be the last. However, when he found himself with free time—and even if he didn’t—he drove into
