Page 6 of My Solemn Vow

“I would recommend telling him sooner rather than later and letting him book the flight,” Leticia suggests. “He’s been obnoxious about making decisions lately. Dad’s been trying togive him more responsibility so ‘every decision matters.’” Leticia uses a fake deep voice, imitating her older brother.

“Will do,” I say while standing by my dresser and tossing my socks across the room into the suitcase.

“So, you’ll be home when?” Leticia sounds all too pleased with the feeling that she ‘won’ my return home.

I finish tossing that drawer and move on to my underwear and bras. “Well, the school year starts in a little over two weeks. I need to pick up my class list and a ton of stuff, so the sooner, the better. I was looking at a flight out tomorrow afternoon. But if Berto is?—”

“Berto!” Leticia yells, and I’m so glad my phone isn’t up to my ear.

Her footfalls sound much quieter for a few seconds.

“What?” Berto sounds grated by his sister’s presence.

I think back to all the times when he told his father how he asked for a younger brother.

“Toni wants to come home. She got a job here. Can you get her a plane ticket?” Leticia uses her sweetest voice.

“She’s coming home?” Berto sounds just as surprised as I assumed they would all be.

“That’s mine!” Leticia objects. “Call her on your own phone. Later?—”

“You’re coming home?” Berto’s deeper voice is closer now.

I stare down at the phone, and the dread I had for this conversation smacks me in the face. I was enjoying being excited with Leticia, but now this. Begrudgingly, when I can’t not answer any longer, I explain. “I accepted a position at Rothschild-McClintock Magnet School. I’ll get an apartment in the city, maybe River North, so I’ll be closer to work.”

“No.” Berto is firm. “You’ll stay here at the house. It’s too dangerous for you to live and work in neutral territory. You should have spoken to me before accepting a job. TheCavanaghs are up to their bullshit again. It’s not safe to talk on open lines like this. I’ll send you details for your flight secured.”

Interesting.I don’t bother arguing with him, but I do catalog what he is saying. “Thank you, cousin.”

Berto says nothing more, and Leticia is back on the line. “Ugh, I have to go too, or I’ll be late for dinner.”

“Go. Go.” I encourage her while I finish packing the necessities and can manage without needing her to body double.

“I’ll see you so soon!” Leticia smacks her lips in a kiss. “Love you! Bye!”

“Love you too,” I call out, but she’s gone, and I’m left back alone with the silence of my apartment.

Am I really moving back into La Casa D’Medici with all of them?

But the longer the silence drags on, the longer I ache to be with people. The ties of community found in a large family aren’t easily replaced.

3

VALOR

A VILLAGE

“I don’t understand why we can’t hit them where it hurts. The D’Medici family has been coming after everything we do. They were at the human underground fighting arena. What happens if they find the wolf fights next? If humans find out about us...” One of the older men of the pack growls his opinion. The threat is left off because no one likes to theorize what would happen if wolves were made known to the public.

Rumbles from the twenty men in the room fill the air as they voice their agreement, and someday it’ll be my job to answer these questions. But not today.

My father and his pack second, my uncle, Neil, are in charge. Both are in their fifties, but there’s another decade or more before they step down as heads of our business. Until then, I get to sit on my father’s left, a symbol of my status, at the table set up in the front of the room before rows of chairs where pack members sit.

They won’t find us. We protect the human fights less than the wolf fights for a reason.My wolf echoes my thoughts on the subject. Usually, my opinion isn’t being asked for. I’m here to be involved and show my support without directlyhaving a say.

But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t itching to do exactly what the man is suggesting. I want Gregorio D’Medici dead and buried long enough for his son to take over the family business and get his feet underneath him. I clench my fist, trying to dispel some of my own feelings about our situation. I don’t go off half-cocked though. Mine is a personal vendetta. I have a mate to avenge, and I’m playing the long game. I’ll be a patient hunter.

“We all know the risks,” another man, probably irritated with the length of this meeting, snaps.