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I met his pissed-off gaze. “Tell me you haven’t been plotting something or plan to kick me out of the pack when you become Alpha and I’ll let it go, Brother .

” I snorted, guilt filling the air. “You flinch when I refer to you that way. Pathetic. Seriously, you’re so fucking pathetic and I can’t take it anymore. ”

“Oh well, letting us have it will do a lot, baby brother,” he drawled.

“You’re right, finally putting my foot down and saying something did nothing more than up the stakes for you idiots besides Ha-yun. Your laziness and jealousy make you even stupider.”

“Seo-yeon has become vocal telling the others to shut up and enough already as she promised,” Ha-yun cut in. “We kept our agreement. The others have not.”

I nodded I heard her and let out a slow breath before shooting Mum a quick, guilty look I hoped she caught.

Then I focused back on Myung. “I’m not risking any of you lash out and up the ante on this fight I didn’t start.

Instead, I’m going to play the hand I was given that you’re all so terrified of and you only have yourselves to blame. ”

“What does that mean?” Da demanded.

I focused on him because he was the one I had to fool for this to really work.

I promised my wolf we weren’t really going to do it and to behave because we were saving our family—our whole pack with this move.

“I’m officially challenging Myung for his spot as your successor as is my right as your son. ”

“ What? ” several people shouted.

I went on as if they hadn’t, keeping his gaze.

“I’ve spoken with my partner and she supports me saying we’ll figure it out if our relationship goes the distance.

I’ll stay at ASH for a decade and accomplish what I want with health care and train doctors who can replace me so the world doesn’t lose my specialty and—”

“I will kill you!” Myung roared as he launched for me.

I easily grabbed him and threw him into the wall, using his own force and damaging it. I tilted my head and studied him, finally asking the question I’d always been too scared to. “Like you tried to when I was a baby?”

Yes. It was in his eyes.

Regret. Not that he’d done it… But that he’d failed .

I curled my lip at him in disgust. “You don’t deserve to lead this pack if that was the only way you could, git.

I’m better for London and we both know it .

” I slammed him into the wall when he opened his mouth to argue, hard enough to do more damage.

“ What have you done to deserve being Alpha besides being born first? ”

I was shocked when Ha-yun snorted but then realized what she meant and decided to give her the point.

“And have a cock. Yeah, that’s fair. Shifters are way more sexist than the world thinks.

Ha-yun would make a much better Alpha than you, and all of us here think that if we’re honest with ourselves.

If we did a blind poll right now, we’d all vote for her over you, and how sad is that for this pack that they get the reject of you because you have a fucking cock? ”

“Fuck you, git,” he bit out.

I smirked at him, making it clear I was mocking him as I threw his words back at him. “Oh well, letting me have it will do a lot, big brother.”

That was when my second brother made a move. He came for me and I easily handled him. I let out my power, my wolf shutting his down so he couldn’t function well, and with throwing an easy elbow, his face exploded with blood.

“Yeah, not shocked you gits wouldn’t go for my back. Pathetic. Truly pathetic.” I slammed Myung into the wall again before letting him go and stepping away, staring down all of my siblings. “I could take all of you on and Da and you have no chance. I train that hard.

“More than that, I’m the Alpha people come from around the world to get help from for their animals.

They don’t even realize why it’s me, but they do.

I help them.” I glanced at Ha-yun. “Trust me and give me permission. Please. This is important. It’s why Dr. Reed is so protective of me more than you understand. ”

“It will ruin her clothes and she loves that outfit,” Mum interjected as she stepped forward. “I will allow it, my youngest. You are right that we haven’t done more and—I’m sorry. Let me show it.”

“Don’t submit to another Alpha,” Da growled.

I spun around and grabbed him, pissed in a way I wasn’t sure I’d ever been with him.

I let my wolf floor our power and let it all out as I slammed him into a wall.

“You don’t deserve Mum. You haven’t from the moment you let Grandfather name Ha-yun and be so fucking sexist. You’re not Alpha over your mate , not when she’s an Alpha wolf as well! ”

I was evil and smirked when he showed me his throat, but then I toned it back and focused on Mum, telling my wolf to do his thing. She didn’t fight me, so it went well, obviously having warned her wolf that this was important.

Or her wolf knowing to trust her own damn son better than my own fucking father did.

Her clothes were trashed, but the change was almost as seamless as if she’d done it herself when her wolf was itching to come out. Definitely better than when she and her wolf were arguing.

She made a point of coming and sitting right by my feet and staring down the rest of the family.

“Thanks, Mum,” I rasped, truly touched. I stared down each of my siblings.

“That’s supposed to be a punishment,” Seo-yeon whispered. “I don’t understand. I’ve seen Mum’s da do it to punish and—”

“He rules with an iron fist and is a git,” I said firmly, not caring who heard. “Weaker Alphas or ones who haven’t been taught right bastardize things. You can’t be surprised at that, right?”

“This is why you were always so focused on the kids with rough first shifts, yeah?” Ha-yun put together. “Not just because you had a rough first shift.”

“Correct,” I confirmed. “My first shift was rough because I was more powerful than any would have expected—maybe I should have been. My wolf didn’t know how to gently come out or wasn’t scared to change forms like most. It wanted to explode out and have its turn, but that’s not how it works. This power is meant to help that.

“That’s what I want to teach and help with at ASH.

No more kids being looked down on because Alphas are ill-equipped.

Not even blaming them. The knowledge was lost. Probably intentionally because it hides who is powerful or was hurt—traumatized, and that leads to issues that people want buried.

So I will take ten years to help the medical community—”

“Our pack would never survive if you took over instead of the eldest,” Myung snapped.

I snorted. “I told Ha-yun that I thought she should, but—I didn’t think she would have the support she deserves.”

“You’re serious,” Ha-yun whispered. “I thought you were being flippant that I was a better option.

I met her gaze, making it clear I was serious.

“I would back you and help you train in a heartbeat. I would work with you as your trainer and help Dr. Tai get you on a program to make you twice as strong as you are.” I gestured to Myung.

“You’re already twenty times smarter than this dumbfuck.

You’re a stronger wolf, but we know to hold London—”

“I’d have to knock everyone’s socks off,” she muttered, studying me and then Myung as if seriously considering it for the first time maybe.

“No, I won’t have a woman take my spot to—” Myung seethed.

“Your spot?” I chuckled darkly. “We’re all fucking eligible.

It’s tradition that it goes to the eldest, not the rule.

I’m telling you that I’m taking it, but I’m open to stepping aside for Ha-yun.

That’s a real Alpha. You’re not even an Alpha wolf.

I could help her become one. That’s a leader .

” I moved closer to him and made it clear I was about to get violent.

And everyone there saw him take several steps back before he realized it. He stopped and fisted his hands at his side.

“Let me be clear if you try anything underhanded with her like you did with me as a baby, I will tear your guts out through your fucking nose while you’re alive .

And yes, I can as a surgeon. I could make it so you live that way with your rapid healing.

The only way you could take either of us would invalidate you to be Alpha. ”

“And I would put any of you to death if you killed a sibling,” Da said firmly, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at his feet. “I would. Don’t test me. I told you that when you were younger, Myung. I could never let that stand and—how did we get here?”

Shit. I hadn’t expected him to—I could be mad at him, but it killed me to hurt him.

“I’m also saving his life,” I confessed when people were quiet too long.

“That’s why one of your friends was squirrelly around me,” Ha-yun sighed, sharing a look with Mum. “Wait, let mum shift back.”

“I have a hoodie in the kitchen that can be a dress on you, Mum,” our youngest brother offered, going with her.

They came back a minute later and Mum nodded to Ha-yun to go ahead.

“I confessed to Mum that I was worried your mate wasn’t ready for the extra deal Dr. Reed added or—something was amiss. It made me nervous, and I was debating pulling the plug or demanding that he be booted. I asked Mum’s advice and we were going to talk to Da.”

“It was this,” I told her. “ But I will confirm with each of them privately that they’re really all in because I know it’s set up as a renewable deal for each step in the plan so it’s not overwhelming—it’s just overwhelming.

I was feeling it too. Plus, it’s a failsafe in case any of us drops the ball or doesn’t pull our weight. ”

“It’s smart, but we haven’t signed yet and—”

“Don’t name him,” I warned, glad when she nodded. “That was his only requirement. He didn’t want to be named. Fuck, he’s going to be pissed the family knows it’s one of them.”

“Anything gossip you have on the pack would be from them,” Da muttered. “What do you mean this all to save Myung?”

“I didn’t say all to save him,” I snapped, toning it back when he nodded.

“I said partially, but mostly the family.” I waited until he met my gaze.

“Some of his biggest backers that are pushing for him to take over don’t want him in power.

They know he’s a disaster. They want one of his mates who Myung would have as his Beta to take over. ”

“Bullshit!” Myung jumped in. “You’re so full of shit, and—this is to justify that you’re a shite brother and taking what’s mine—”

Da reacted to that and was across the room in a flash, backhanding Myung before most could gasp.

“The pack is mine , you sniveling brat. You’re too big for your britches and this is what comes of that.

You’ve made your bed in this from the moment you tried to smother your brother when he was a baby and I didn’t—”

“ We ,” Mum corrected. “We didn’t handle it better.

” She let out a slow breath and met my gaze.

“I didn’t. I couldn’t believe—I couldn’t have given birth to a monster.

Not my firstborn who was so much pain and—my mind couldn’t make sense—it had to be a mistake.

I thought—the lapse of judgment out of fear.

” She wiped her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Ha-joon. ”

“I believe you, Mum,” I whispered, unable to forgive her right then.

I focused on Myung. “I’m the strongest adult child of Da’s.

The spot is mine , but I’ve never wanted it.

Now I think taking it is the only way to survive and make you all stop trying to fuck my life over because once I’m Alpha I will kick any of you gits out.

“Fuck all of you. I don’t need excuses. You have at least two snakes right at your side pumping you up constantly to push Da to give you more responsibility and power.

And ya too stupid to see it’s all lies. You’re so lazy that your wolf is too weak to sense the lies.

I would also bet anything that there was a huge push for it the moment I left , yeah? ”

My youngest brother swore under his breath.

“Because you would sense it all. I heard a few of his friends say that it was great that you left and made it clear you were stepping aside so now Myung could step up.” He glanced between us.

“But no one would be stupid enough to go to one of your mates to—one of their older siblings. They’re in on it? ”

“No,” I said firmly. “No, none of their families, and that was the worry and why they won’t go on the record.

They were worried about a witch hunt and someone going half-cocked like a duffer.

” I pointed to Myung as if who I was talking about wasn’t clear.

“Their older sibling overheard something they shouldn’t have and played along a bit like they didn’t care because—”

“A lot of people are worried about Myung taking over but don’t want the pack not to be a Clark Alpha either,” Ha-yun muttered, shrugging when people gave her surprised looks.

“Oh please, I have friends all the time tell me that. They ask how likely it really will be. Especially now that Ha-joon has moved. I have friends asking if they can get guest approvals and—”

“Shut it, Ha-yun,” Myung seethed.

“No, no more hiding or sparing your feelings,” Da snapped.

“Clearly, I wasn’t the only one worried about the situation.

I just didn’t know what to do about it because I thought I could do more damage than good.

Apparently, it doesn’t matter anymore because the job of shaping the next Alpha of London has been taken from me by the gods and gene mutations. ”

He stormed off with that parting shot at me… And for once Mum didn’t defend him, looking horrified that he’d said that.

I chuckled darkly scrubbing my hands over my face before blowing out a harsh breath and looking at her.

“I’ve always known he thinks I’m a freak, Mum.

Part of it—deep down he’s jealous too.” I nodded when she didn’t seem like she could believe that.

“He is. I’m stronger than him. He’s a good Alpha, but he’s there’s a part—he’s a jealous git. He always has been.”

There wasn’t really anything else to say, so I just left and went home to Ellie, grateful that I could.