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“I’d have to knock everyone’s socks off,” she muttered, studying me and then Myung as if seriously considering it for the first time maybe.

“No, I won’t have awomantake my spot to—” Myung seethed.

“Your spot?” I chuckled darkly. “We’re all fucking eligible. It’straditionthat it goes to the eldest, not the rule. I’m telling you that I’m taking it, but I’m open to stepping aside for Ha-yun. That’s a real Alpha. You’re not even an Alpha wolf. I could help her become one. That’s aleader.” I moved closer to him and made it clear I was about to get violent.

And everyone there saw him take several steps back before he realized it. He stopped and fisted his hands at his side.

“Let me be clear if you try anything underhanded with her like you did with me as a baby, I will tear your guts out through your fucking nose while you’realive. And yes, I can as a surgeon. I could make it so you live that way with your rapid healing. The only way you could take either of us would invalidate you to be Alpha.”

“And I would put any of you to death if you killed a sibling,” Da said firmly, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at his feet. “I would. Don’t test me. I told you that when you were younger, Myung. I could never let that stand and—how did we get here?”

Shit. I hadn’t expected him to—I could be mad at him, but it killed me to hurt him.

“I’m also saving his life,” I confessed when people were quiet too long.

“That’s why one of your friends was squirrelly around me,” Ha-yun sighed, sharing a look with Mum. “Wait, let mum shift back.”

“I have a hoodie in the kitchen that can be a dress on you, Mum,” our youngest brother offered, going with her.

They came back a minute later and Mum nodded to Ha-yun to go ahead.

“I confessed to Mum that I was worried your mate wasn’t ready for the extra deal Dr. Reed added or—something was amiss. It made me nervous, and I was debating pulling the plug or demanding that he be booted. I asked Mum’s advice and we were going to talk to Da.”

“It was this,” I told her. “ButI will confirm with each of them privately that they’re really all in because I know it’s set up as a renewable deal for each step in the plan so it’s not overwhelming—it’s just overwhelming. I was feeling it too. Plus, it’s a failsafe in case any of us drops the ball or doesn’t pull our weight.”

“It’s smart, but we haven’t signed yet and—”

“Don’t name him,” I warned, glad when she nodded. “That was his only requirement. He didn’t want to be named. Fuck, he’s going to be pissed the family knows it’s one of them.”

“Anything gossip you have on the pack would be from them,” Da muttered. “What do you mean this all to save Myung?”

“I didn’t sayallto save him,” I snapped, toning it back when he nodded. “I said partially, but mostly the family.” I waited until he met my gaze. “Some of his biggest backers that are pushing for him to take over don’t want him in power. They know he’s a disaster. They want one of his mates who Myung would have as his Beta to take over.”

“Bullshit!” Myung jumped in. “You’re so full of shit, and—this is to justify that you’re a shite brother and taking what’s mine—”

Da reacted to that and was across the room in a flash, backhanding Myung before most could gasp. “The pack ismine, you sniveling brat. You’re too big for your britches and this is what comes of that. You’ve made your bed in this from themoment you tried to smother your brother when he was a baby and I didn’t—”

“We,” Mum corrected. “We didn’t handle it better.” She let out a slow breath and met my gaze. “I didn’t. I couldn’t believe—I couldn’t have given birth to a monster. Not my firstborn who was so much pain and—my mind couldn’t make sense—it had to be a mistake. I thought—the lapse of judgment out of fear.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ha-joon.”

“I believe you, Mum,” I whispered, unable to forgive her right then. I focused on Myung. “I’m the strongest adult child of Da’s. The spot ismine, but I’ve never wanted it. Now I think taking it is the only way to survive and make you all stop trying to fuck my life over because once I’m Alpha I will kick any of you gits out.

“Fuck all of you. I don’tneedexcuses. You have at least two snakes right at your side pumping you up constantly to push Da to give you more responsibility and power. And ya too stupid to see it’s all lies. You’re solazythat your wolf is too weak to sense the lies. I would also bet anything that there was a huge push for it the moment Ileft, yeah?”

My youngest brother swore under his breath. “Because you would sense it all. I heard a few of his friends say that it was great that you left and made it clear you were stepping aside so now Myung could step up.” He glanced between us. “But no one would be stupid enough to go to one of your mates to—one of their older siblings. They’re in on it?”

“No,” I said firmly. “No, none of their families, and that was the worry and why they won’t go on the record. They were worried about a witch hunt and someone going half-cocked like a duffer.” I pointed to Myung as if who I was talking about wasn’t clear. “Their older sibling overheard something they shouldn’t have and played along a bit like they didn’t care because—”

“A lot of people are worried about Myung taking over but don’t want the pack not to be a Clark Alpha either,” Ha-yun muttered, shrugging when people gave her surprised looks. “Oh please, I have friends all the time tell me that. They ask how likely it really will be. Especially now that Ha-joon has moved. I have friends asking if they can get guest approvals and—”

“Shut it, Ha-yun,” Myung seethed.

“No, no more hiding or sparing your feelings,” Da snapped. “Clearly, I wasn’t the only one worried about the situation. I just didn’t know what to do about it because I thought I could do more damage than good. Apparently, it doesn’t matter anymore because the job of shaping the next Alpha of London has been taken from me by the gods and gene mutations.”

He stormed off with that parting shot at me… And for once Mum didn’t defend him, looking horrified that he’d said that.

I chuckled darkly scrubbing my hands over my face before blowing out a harsh breath and looking at her. “I’ve always known he thinks I’m a freak, Mum. Part of it—deep down he’s jealous too.” I nodded when she didn’t seem like she could believe that. “He is. I’m stronger than him. He’s a good Alpha, but he’s there’s a part—he’s a jealous git. He always has been.”

There wasn’t really anything else to say, so I just left and went home to Ellie, grateful that I could.