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Ezra cocked his head and smiled, spreading his arms wide. “Why, I’m her brother, of course. And it’s time for Marlowe to embrace her destiny and come with me to Vespera.”

He nodded towards the priestess, who ordered the ring cleared and reluctantly raised her hand. “Be—”

“No!” I kicked off my heels and stomped to the center of the ring. “Apparently, we can make up the rules to this bullshit contest, considering the Conclave can just decide they’ve won anyway. So guess what? I’m entering myself. Here I am, competitor number whatever, from Pack Fuck-You-Ezra,” I said, taking off Cam’s coat and throwing it back to him. I hiked up the tight skirt to free up my mobility and raised my fists.

“Objection!” Roland yelled, trying in vain to take back control of this circus. “Omegas can’t fight in the Rite, and brothers can’t win their own sisters. We declare this whole challenge as fraudulent and hereby claim…”

Ezra had finally heard enough, and he turned towards the Conclave, a look of pure disdain on his face. “Do you ever shut up?”

There was uncertainty in Roland’s eyes, but he beat his chest and bellowed, “I am the most dominant alpha, we are the Conclave! My word is to be obeyed, and I am ordering you to cease your…”

Ezra’s eyebrow arched and he smiled. “The most dominant? Are you sure about that?”

I finally understood what my pack had been talking about when it came to my brother’s power—it rolled off him, smothering us like a thick fog as it moved oppressively in the room.

The Conclave looked at each other nervously, and I was almost delighted by the way they were second-guessing the current pecking order.

Ezra crossed his arms, widening his stance. “Bow!” he barked.

The Conclave got on their knees immediately at the order, and Ezra laughed.

“You think you grow a knot and suddenly can call yourself an alpha? An alpha doesn’t need to remind everyone they’re the most dominant. An alpha doesn’t whine like a petulant child when they don’t get their way. The alpha’s job is to protect the weakest among them. You have got to be the vilest, most self-indulgent pack of assholes I’veever had the misfortune of meeting, and the realms would be better off without you.”

The crowd gasped as Ezra slowly started at one end of the line of alphas in front of him. One by one, he touched their heads, and a strange, burning light glowed from within their skulls. Each one screamed and shook until their eyes began to smoke. Then they fell over on the ground, motionless, blood pooling from their ears and mouths.

The crowd was stunned silent, frozen and afraid, watching the grisly scene unfold.

I winced at each thud. The gut-churning nausea that had been swirling inside me since the Conclave had first made their intentions known alleviated, but a new sense of dread was happy to take its place.

My pack couldn’t defeat Ezra, and I wasn’t going to risk their lives to fight in my place. Unlike the Rite, the risk of death in going against my brother was perilously high.

ButIcould still challenge him.

He left Roland for last, letting him watch as his pack was destroyed by magic from the inside out.

Ezra stood behind him, putting his hands on his shoulders and speaking to everyone once again. “Behold, youralpha!” He lowered his head and whispered something in Roland’s ear, and the alpha closed his eyes and nodded.

Ezra grabbed his head, and with a swift, brutal twist, ripped it right off his neck.

Panic seeped through every scent in the room, and shifters finally started to scream. They rushed towards the exit, but Ezra let out a commanding bark for them to stay. “You will bear witness to the events of today!”

I made my way to the center of the ring, holding my hand out behind me to stop my pack from entering. This was my turn now, and they needed to take care of Julian and make sure they left this temple alive. “Ezra, quit your shit. If you want to claim me, you’re going to have to fight me.”

A look of pity washed over my brother’s face. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

When had he become so delusional? All our lives growing up, Ezra had supported me and respected my choices. Hell, he’d oftendeferredto me when it came to difficult decisions because he called me the smarter twin. Now suddenly he felt he had the authority to dictate my life?

“Ha!” I replied. “You don’t want to hurt me? Then why are you taking me away against my will?”

Ezra growled as he stepped up, towering over me. “You were meant for so much greater than being some small-town omega.”

“But this is the life I want!” I yelled back. “And you have no right trying to change that or decide anything for me! Let’s get this over with.”

I pulled my hair back into a messy bun, raised my fists, and then nodded towards the priestess.

She raised a shaky hand for the final round of the night. “Begin.”

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