Chapter 4

The air around Damian turned ice-cold in an instant. His eyes went murderous.

"What did you say?"

The guards surrounding us immediately stepped forward, tightening the circle.

The whole room was on a knife's edge.

The six Betas didn't so much as blink, as if they'd already carved up Frostmoon among themselves.

They looked at us the way someone watches cornered prey put up a hopeless fight—for entertainment.

One of the Betas looked me up and down, then licked his lips.

"Alpha Damian—no, you won't be an Alpha much longer. Just Damian, then.

"Don't worry. We can take care of your arm-candy mate for you. But there's no such thing as a free lunch. As for payment... you get it."

Then he looked at Evelyn, his sneer growing.

"And of course, we can 'take care of' your little sister, too.

"After all, she's better off with us than with a guy who's about to become a rogue.

"We're just too generous!"

Snickers rippled around the room.

Evelyn's face flushed with rage. She clenched her fists, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.

"No pack of shameless lowlifes like you gets to insult a Sterling!"

She spread her arms wide, blocking every leering, hostile gaze aimed at me.

I looked at the girl in front of me, half a head shorter than I was.

This girl, who usually looked down on me, was standing in front of me now.

Something I couldn't name stirred in my chest.

I turned to look at Damian.

"Damian, five minutes left."

Lucian had clearly run out of patience.

Damian looked at the agreement on the table, his gaze heavy.

He picked up the pen. Evelyn clung to his arm, shaking her head with tears in her eyes. Her mouth opened, but not a single word came out.

Just then, Damian's phone rang. It was one of the pack elders.

"Alpha, we failed. We couldn't rescue your brothers."

Damian's grip tightened around the pen. Then, slowly, he closed his eyes.

The tip of the pen was about to touch the paper.

"Wait."

I spoke up.

Every eye in the room turned to me.

I stepped out from behind Evelyn and walked over to Damian.

I slid the agreement out of his hand.

"Serena, this isn't the time for one of your tantrums."

Damian frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice.

I ignored him and looked at the names of the six packs in the agreement.

I checked them against the crests the six Betas wore, making sure each one matched the pack name I knew.

Once I was sure there was no mistake, I took out a phone that looked like an antique. It was the only thing I'd had on me when Damian "brought me home" to Frostmoon.

I scrolled to the very last number in my contacts and dialed.

The other end picked up immediately, as if someone had been waiting for this call all along.

I spoke calmly. "Have the Council place these six packs on trial immediately."

I raised my eyes and swept a look over the vicious wolves surrounding us, then let my gaze settle on the agreement in my hand.

"Also, notify the Alphas of these six packs.

"I want to see them drag themselves here within half an hour to explain everything that happened today."