Page 75
Story: May the Wolf Die
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.”
27
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75 (Reading here)
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191