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The pack must have shifted from where they were waiting, because the feelings and emotions being sent through the bond were much more articulate than they had been when they were in their wolf form.

Just say the word, Julian growled.

I gave his shoulder a mental squeeze, then crossed my arms and presented Ezra an expectant look.

“I know I’ve fucked up, Mar,” he started, his eyes cast down. “Beyond what’s repairable. It’s not a defense of my actions, but last night, I finally figured something out. The king’s done something to my brain. I can’t even think about disobeying him or plotting against him without it feeling like he’s stabbing me through the skull. I’m remembering now how it was when I first got here, how he molded me slowly, making it so the path to following him was the one of least mental resistance.

“My memories have been altered in a way that, looking back on it, it seemed like he was just mentoring me. But now I can clearlysee the manipulations. The days of torture he’s tried to erase. How he took hold of small feelings, then shaped them into actions and orders that I wouldn’t question. Mom… Dad… I resented the hell out of them, and he used that resentment and purposefully made it fester until I was gladly carrying out his command to end them. With you…”

He paused, turning his head as his eyes began to glisten with unshed tears, and I blinked away mine as my own heart began to break.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I missed you, I wanted you here with me. And Alaroth used that to convince me to bring you over. Erasing all the pain he had put me through, so I would think he would be nice to you, so I would think he was a good person who wanted good things for both of our worlds. So that when he… he… took you, I wouldn’t think twice about it. That I would thank him for allowing you to stay with me. And it’s so, so fucked up.Ifucked up. And I know I can’t ask for your forgiveness. I just want you to understand why.”

My lips began to tremble with the sobs building in my chest.

Thiswas my brother. This was the male I knew, sensitive and confused and longing to belong. A true alpha—someone who didn’t shy from emotions other than anger. Someone who admitted when he was wrong.

I ran towards him, full force into his broad chest, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly. We cried together, lamenting the loss of our parents, the loss of years we could have spent together, the loss of my brother’s free will and his own mind.

Alaroth had taken so much from us, and we had to make him pay.

“What do we do now?” I finally whimpered, not wanting to let go.

“I don’t know how I can fight him,” he whispered back. “The shield the vamp put in place is holding for now, but if Alaroth discovers it, he could destroy it and make me his puppet again. I can’t fight against you, I’d rather die…”

“No!” I yelled, taking a step back and wiping my cheeks with the palms of my hands. I pointed my finger at him and shook. “You donotget to make yourself a martyr for this.”

“I don’t intend to, even though I probably deserve it,” he replied, running his hand down his face. “I can’t protect you, and I can’t protect Canna. Not as I am. I need to become… less.”

“Less?” I asked.

He nodded. “Your pack leader—I need him to beat me in afight. I need him to usurp my role as alpha of alphas.”

“Gladly.”

Cam came stepping into our little clearing, cracking his knuckles. “I know you’re my omega’s brother, but I can’t say I haven’t been fantasizing about punching your face in ever since you showed up.”

I turned around and blocked Ezra, baring my teeth at Cam. “No one is getting their faces punched in right now…”

The rest of the pack fanned out behind Cam, the same look of determination across all their expressions.

“Marlowe,” Archer started. “If your brother is bested by Camden, he’ll defer to his dominance on instinct. It would free him from the king’s influence.”

“I’m not arguing with the logic of it,” I snapped. “Just asking we tone down the rhetoric, hm?”

Cam chuckled, his tongue running along the edge of his teeth. “No can do, babe. Your brother has fucked around for long enough, and it’s finally time for him to find out.”

Ezra burst out laughing behind me, and I growled at my pack mate. “Oh my god, are you twelve? This is ridiculous. I get you have to fight, but can we please be mature about it?”

“Nope.”

He looked at Elias who nodded, rushing and twirling me out of the way, just in time for Cam to shift into his wolf and lunge towards Ezra.

72

THE WHITE WOLF

Imade my move.