Page 20

F aye

In an instant, the other alphas are at my side. Ezra, Cayson, and Xander are just as stiff and on-edge as Maverick. I don’t understand what’s wrong. One minute Maverick and I were having a wonderful time, and the next, this was happening.

Could it be Kurt?

I push the thought aside. The men had been keeping tabs on his progress. He still can’t walk. I highly doubt he’d be pushed here in a wheelchair, to let everyone see what Eli had done to him. He has too much pride for that.

I have to get on my tiptoes to see over Maverick’s shoulder.

Standing in the doorway is an older man, his sharp eyes staring right at me.

I feel a shock of cool fear run through me.

An instant later, a stronger feeling runs through me, an urge to lift my head higher without realizing why.

The men next to me seem to stand up straighter too, and it dawns on me.

Eli is walking toward the man in the doorway, his power growing stronger and stronger. All around us, alphas and omegas stop dancing, the omegas falling to their knees, the alphas going still, some kneeling, some bowing their heads.

Standing on my tiptoes, I see the older man standing in the doorway, fallen to his knees, bowing the lowest of everyone in the room, even more than some of the omegas. As Eli’s powers become more potent, everyone in the room falls to their knees, paralyzed by it.

My alphas and I are the only ones left on our feet, besides Eli. It’s distracting. It’s overwhelming. What could possibly get Eli to act this way?

“Dexter,” Eli says, not a question, but a statement.

Everything clicks. All at once—I see the resemblance.

The wide, square jaw. The nose that’s too big.

The eyes that are too sucken and close together.

The arrogant look. This man is Kurt’s father.

I must have sensed it instinctively, which is why that fear ran through me when he first appeared in the room.

I shudder again, swallowing and trying not to be afraid.

I have my men with me. Nothing can hurt me.

“I thought you were a smart man,” Eli finally says, clearly enjoying having Dexter on his knees like this. “Surely, you know that you’re not welcome here. Or anywhere.”

“ Eli ,” someone says, and I see Brock appear in the doorway as well, his hand reaching out for Eli, but stopping when Eli pins him with a sharp look. “Stop this.”

Eli rolls his neck and takes a step back, and a collective sigh rolls through the room, people straightening up and helping omegas up from the floor. Everyone is riveted on the scene in front of us. It’s not every day that you get to see ultimas facing off.

“I’m here to get justice for my son,” Dexter spits, his voice choked, and I wonder just how much power Eli was throwing at him.

Could he choke him without ever touching him?

“Justice,” Eli laughs, shaking his head like he’s never heard anything so ridiculous in his life. “The justice in this instance would be your son’s death, Dexter.”

“You’re not thinking, Eli,” Dexter says. He turns his head and says, “Likely because you’ve been influenced by that little whore,” under his breath, but even I can hear him clearly.

Eli moves faster than any shifter I’ve seen in my life, and Dexter’s face is caved in, his nose exploded in a burst of crimson. I close my eyes, cringing away from the violence, a shock of fear moving through me, and Cayson puts an arm around me.

I can’t help it. The sound of Dexter’s bones breaking reminds me of when it was my bones cracking. Eli advances, preparing to hit Dexter again, but Brock steps between the two of them, protecting Dexter from the onslaught that’s coming.

So many emotions swirl inside me. Pride that Eli is mine. Fear for what’s happening. A sickening nausea in my gut from the trauma of it all.

“Control yourself!” Brock says loudly, and Eli turns on his heel, holding his hands up.

Everyone is already looking at him, but he pauses for a moment, letting his gaze sweep over the room. His eyes land on me and gentle for a moment, before he continues looking at the gathered omegas and alphas.

“Kurt of Pack Obsidian is a monster,” Eli says, projecting his voice loud and crisp over the group.

Nobody murmurs. It hardly seems like anyone dares to breathe.

“He is responsible for several murders, one of which occurred on these very grounds. He attempted to kill my mate, Faye. This is the kind of alpha who uses his strength and control over omegas to his own twisted pleasure. Every rumor you have heard about this alpha is true.”

Again, Eli stops to let the room think, and a shiver runs over my body at the look on his face.

Ice, lethality.

“My question to you is this—do you truly want your council to allow this man to continue running around amongst you? Do you care for your omega? Because if you do, it’s imperative that you know it could be her next.

If she tries to go for a stroll, or is in her room alone, Kurt may find her.

With him alive, no female will ever be truly safe.

Is that how your omega should live? In constant fear? ”

The alphas filling the ballroom all puff their chests, growing a bit taller, looking around at one another. I watch as several of them gather around their omegas, like my men have done with me. The omegas look terrified, their eyes wide, their faces stricken.

“That’s enough !” Brock says, and Eli gives him a chilly look. Quieter, Brock says, “The council is handling this matter privately. There is no need to make it so public, or to cause a panic.”

“We must make it public when the council fails us!” Ezra says, and though he’s standing in front of me, I can practically see the look on his face. Determined, angry. My heart skips when Brock shifts his gaze to us, taking a step in Ezra’s direction.

Before he can get far, Eli steps in front of him. Everyone around us starts to bow slightly again as the two ultimas stare each other down. It’s strange—I’ve never imagined what it’d be like to have two ultimas fight, but I picture it now. It would be… bloody. And violent.

After a moment, Brock clears his throat, shakes his head, and steps back. Which is a shock to me. Did he just back down to Eli?

Again, I wonder about the hierarchy between the ultimas. They’re all above us, but are some of them above each other? I truly don’t know.

“Dexter,” Brock says as he turns to leave, “come with me. And stay the fuck out of the ballroom, and anywhere Faye might be, from now on.”

Dexter turns to Eli, his voice thick and wet through the blood flowing down his face and the back of his throat. “You’ll pay for hitting me,” he says, little droplets of blood flying.

Eli steps aside, looking at him with disgust. “Don’t tempt me to do it again,” he says, but without anger, and instead almost like Dexter is a pest Eli simply has to eradicate from his home.

Dexter’s hands are covered with blood from his attempts to stem the bleeding, and he tries to speak again but coughs instead. Then he turns and runs into the hallway as he loudly chokes on his own blood, leaving all of us staring after him.

Literally, the man everyone is so terrified of, just left. Backed down to Eli. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, but it all makes sense. Dexter might be a powerful alpha in the eyes of all the packs, but Eli is an ultima. There is no comparison.

“Holy shit,” Cayson breathes, the moment he’s gone. “That was better than TV.”

He’s not wrong. But I hope this show of defiance doesn’t come back to smack us in the ass.