“I swear,” I muttered, jaw tight, “I’m going to kill that bastard.”
Not quickly. Not cleanly.
He didn’t deserve quick or clean.
I looked over at Martha. Her face was pale. Haunted. Mara held her as if keeping her from breaking into pieces.
Darian still had a firm grip on our father, who was shaking with fury.
Alaric had hurt all of us.
But this was the last time he’d ever get to speak without consequence.
“I accept the challenge,” Alaric said, voice calm and rehearsed, like a man reciting lines from a script he’d written a hundred times in his head.
“I will fight for my people’s freedom and equality. I agree—it’s time to end the bloodshed once and for all.”
I leaned in slightly, watching every twitch of his smug face.
“You took everything from me, Alpha Vander. My wife. My daught
