Page 15 of Ascendant King

When Emilio looked up at me, his expression was pained, and I could see why he had stayed in the set of his mouth, in the way his eyes cut down, away from me, before dragging themselves back up, searching my face.

He had stayed for the same reason I had nestled myself close to Declan, letting myself become a person that my mother never would have recognized because, after seeing everybody I loved die, the only important thing was survival.

If I survived, that meant my life had meaning. If I survived, then it hadn’t all been for nothing.

“You want me to fight him?” Emilio stared at Harrison.

“I want you tobeathim.” Harrison’s mouth went tight, and he glanced at the wolf next to him out of the corner of his eye, sensing that the pack wasn’t with him here. Some members looked away, unhappy at this turn of events. I struggled to remember if they were Castillo Pack or if they were just wolves who remembered what Ghost Pack had done to defenseless kids.

The wolf next to Harrison wouldn’t meet his eyes. It was shameful that Harrison was having someone else fight his battle.

Harrison raised his chin, his shoulders going back. “Yeah. Either you beat him, you kill him, and we show Benji the head of the last Castillo kid, or I take Benjiyourhead.”

He crossed his arms, leaning back against the front of his car, his smile turning confident. Emilio’s eyes fixed on the street, searching the faded black asphalt. He inhaled deeply. I wasn’t sure why he hesitated. Was he searching for my mother’s scent on me?

I shook my head. “You don’t want to fight me yourself?”

Harrison sneered. “I don’t have time to fight every wannabe that claims he has a right to my time. Emilio, tick-tock. You know, maybe I sweeten the pot. If you don’t do this, we’ll see how longyourkid lasts when we go hunting.”

Emilio’s shoulders twitched, his head bowing deeper. Then he straightened, pushing his way through the crowd of wolves until we were facing each other.

He had a good six inches on me, and I looked him over now that he was closer. The eleven years hadn’t been kind to him: creases formed in the corner of his eyes, and he was starting to lose his graying hair. By my estimate, he should have been in his late forties, maybe even early fifties. He looked a good two decades older than that.

“Emilio”—I watched the words land, his face going stoic as he squared his shoulders and began unbuttoning his shirt—“we don’t have to do this. I’m offering a place for anyone who was Castillo Pack with my pack. No questions asked. Los Santos will take you in. Youandyour family.”

Emilio finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off, tossing it to the side. Warped, long-healed scar tissue stood out on his chest, just below his collarbone.

It looked dark red, distinct. They had branded him with a simplified Ghost Pack logo—the lettersGPcircled but without the flaming skull.

I swallowed. The cruelty was beyond anything I’d seen any pack do. Then I looked up, meeting his eyes. His jaw was clenched, his eyes just slightly over my shoulder, as though he was presenting himself to me for inspection.

I breathed deeply. Words came to me and died in my mouth before I could say them.

They hadbrandedhim.

Emilio tensed, his knees bending, his fists going up. He glared at me, and the time I had left to convince him todo something else was running out. The hourglass was almost empty, and soon, I would have to fight a man I had considered an uncle.

“Jesus Christ,” Harrison swore. “Are you going to kill him, or are you going to suck his dick?”

Emilio winced but started to move forward, slower than I knew he could. Eleven years ago, he had been one of my mother’s most trusted enforcers. He was the one she called when she needed backup she could rely on.

There was no way, in eleven years, they had been able to take that from him.

I dodged his swing, stepping to the side, my eyes skimming over my pack. Gabe crossed his arms. He tilted his head, but I shook mine.

Right now, it was a one-on-one fight, so I couldn’t have my pack step in.

“Emilio,” I finally managed.

He winced again, coming in close, moving faster, but I was younger, and I was hungrier. I darted around him, keeping myself just outside his swing.

“They branded you. They’re threatening your kid in exchange for loyalty.” I waited for him to look at me, to meet my eyes. I could see the shame, the pain in them. “You don’t have to do this. Come with me.”

He looked down, but then he was moving, his leg kicking out, making contact with my knee. I didn’t quite avoid it but managed to dance away before he could do more damage.

“My mother never would have done this to you. Elena Castillo was an alpha. Ghost Pack are hyenas, picking at the flesh of a weakened enemy. They killed kids without remorse.”

Emilio still wouldn’t meet my eyes, swallowing, his movements slowing even further.