Series: Werewolves of Wall Street Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“You shouldn’t even be here,” my father snarls at her. I can’t even look at him right now. If I do, I’ll tear off his head. “You’re exiled, you traitor–”
“Be silent,” Boudicca says. She gives the order without even raising her voice.
My father’s mouth snaps shut. He looks surprised that she can command him, but much of the pack doesn’t.
A few of the enforcers start to move towards her, and she says, “No,” the power rolls out of her, stopping the enforcers in their tracks.
“Alpha,” the elder murmurs. Everyone stares at Boudicca. My sister sighs.
If it were any other moment, I’d say “I told you so,” to my sister. I knew she had the alpha ability. But I’m not in a joking mood. Not when I’ve just realized my father tried to murder Aubrey.
The wind shifts again. It’s time.
“Today is a day of reckoning. It’s been a long time coming.” My sister faces our father. “William White the Second, I now declare that you are unfit to lead this pack as alpha.”
“I second this,” I say. I’m following protocol, so no one can dispute the way we removed our father from command. But I can’t stop myself from adding, “You are cruel. You’ve tortured humans and your own children. You’ve exiled good wolves and brought out the worst in this pack.” I see some heads nodding slightly. Many of the pack members don’t think it’s right that Boudicca was exiled. They still think of her as pack.
“You think that weakness should be punished, not protected,” my sister says. “You’ve confused cruelty for strength.”
“You’re a bully,” I add. “And it’s time to show you how pathetic you are.”
I kick off my shoes, continuing to disrobe.
“Billy,” my sister says. “Let me–”
“No. He tried to kill my mate.”
Her blue eyes hold mine. She wants to be sure I’m willing to take on the burden of fratricide. She’s protecting me even now.
That’s why she’ll make a great alpha.
“You’re the true alpha of this pack,” I say. “Not me. I belong with the Blackthroats. But first…I want vengeance.”
“All right.” She steps back to give me space. At some point, a black wolf came to her side. I recognize the wolf as her mate, Kali. The black wolf presses against Boudicca’s legs, and my sister rests a hand on her head.
I turn back to my father. “Face me like a wolf,” I tell him. “It’s time for you to die.”
My father’s face turns red. He wants to argue, but he can’t. He fights the compulsion, but he’s not strong enough to resist my softly spoken command. In the end, his eyes roll a little with fear.
It’s a little sad.
I wait until he undresses, and then I call my wolf and surrender to the change.
The fight goes quickly. Two wolves sparring. But my father is old and grey, and I’m snow white and fast. I slam my shoulder into him, and he goes sprawling. I’m on him in a flash, and from there it’s the work of a moment to sink my teeth into his soft belly and rip out his guts.
Then I shift back, and order him to shift, also. He morphs into human form. He’s sprawled in the dirt on his back, wheezing, trying to hold his organs inside his body. Trying and failing.
I feel no pity. No sorrow. This is simply a job that needs to be done.
I take a knee and clamp a hand around his neck.
“There’s something you should know,” I say. I speak softly, but I know every shifter can hear me. “I love my human mate. I will fight every day to deserve her. She makes me a better wolf, and I will love her to the day I die, even if she never thinks about me again.”
My father’s eyes widen. He tries to speak, but can’t do much more than gurgle on his own blood. I don’t let him speak. I will not allow my mate’s name to be soiled in his mouth. I choke him until his eyes grow glassy, and his body stills.
Power passes through me. I feel it. Everyone in the clearing does.
But it doesn’t rest on me. It moves through all of us–the power of an alpha–and settles on my sister. Her eyes flare bright blue, and then it fades.
“Alpha,” I greet her.
“Alpha,” the rest of the pack murmurs. One by one they begin to kneel.
It’s like I told her earlier. She always fought for this pack. Protected the weak. That’s because she was meant to lead. She was always an alpha, and it’s time for her to take her place. It won’t be easy. Some of the enforcers will challenge her or leave. But she has more allies than she thinks. And she has her mate at her back. I’m learning that a wolf can do anything if they have a strong mate.