Chapter 1

ELLIOTT

Dominic was close.

Every movement resounded through the walls, the creak of his bones as he shifted sealing Alpha Elliott’s fate.

Breathing was difficult, but Dominic already knew Elliott was weak.

There were no screams of warning, no war-cries.

Just claws on tiles, a growl warning him that he wasn’t far.

Alpha Elliott had turned his mind link off at the advice of his doctor, he wasn’t to be disturbed in his final battle with death, but he didn’t need it to know that Dominic was inhaling his dying scent.

“Come in, son,” the words left Elliotts chapped lips in a rasp.

The door flew open, revealing Dominic in his wolf form, his fur wet from the morning dew. He bared his teeth, and Elliott knew that the end was near.

“I’m dying, Dominic, let death take me naturally. You don’t need this on your conscience.”

The wolf circled him, his golden eyes staring into Elliotts.

I want to, they told him. I want to be the reason you cease to exist.

The end was quick, for Dominic had too much rage to be anything other than violent. His teeth sank into Elliot’s leathery skin, his wolf howling in agony as Dominic ripped his veins out of his throat, his snout buried in the crevice that was once his fathers neck.

Elliotts final thoughts drifted to that of his pack and his other son, Dante.

He would be the next to die.

DANTE

“Hide,” I snapped, shoving a sleeping Sasha from my arms, my neck snapping as I turned towards the door. “My brother is here.”

Sasha looked around helplessly, but it was too late.

“I do hope I’m not disturbing anything,” Dominic purred from the doorway, blood dripping down his chin, the sound of it hitting the floor beneath him the only sound in the room. “But I’ve decided I’ve quite had enough of this fucking family.”

“Sasha, leave,” I commanded, as Dominic turned his attention to my mate.

“Oh don’t. You’ll miss all of the fun.”

Sasha’s chest rose and fell with her fear, and Dominic inhaled it deeply, his lips cracking into a devilish smile as his eyes glowed gold.

“How are you, Alpha?” He addressed me, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Dominic, I told you, I don’t want to be Alpha, regardless of what father said.”

Dominics eyes glinted at my words, as he nodded. “I know that, dear brother. But the pack only heard what our pathetic father wanted. As he was their precious Alpha, they’d never accept me. There’s only one thing for it.”

I swallowed.

“I challenge you to a fight to the death,” he declared, giving me a gleeful smile. “I mean, allow me to kill you, dear brother.”

Sasha whimpered, and Dominic put a hand on her shoulder, pushing her into a sitting position on the bed.

“Don’t touch her,” I barked, my protective instincts kicking in. “I don’t want—“

“Enough!” Dominic hissed, reaching over to grip me by the throat. “I’m bored of conversation, Dante.”

His grip tightened on my neck as I struggled against him.

“He’s submitted!” Sasha cried, her hands clawing desperately at Dominic’s grip. “Please, Dominic!”

“You’re next, little girlie.” Dominic grinned as I choked, until I managed to release my airways enough to gasp at air. “Anything,” I managed to choke out.

Dominic paused, easing his grip slightly.

“Sorry?”

My eyes met Sasha’s, and I saw her trembling with fear.

Don’t baby, please.

Her thoughts caressed my aching brain, and I exhaled, looking back into my brothers eyes.

“I’ll do anything.”

“You leave here.” He tightened his grip on my throat as Sasha’s screams filled the air. “You never return. For you killed our father.”

I heard Sasha’s knees hit the floor behind him, a howl escaping her lips.

“Yes, your precious Alpha is dead,” Dominic sang. “Long lived the king!”

“You monster,” Sasha sobbed, as Dominic snorted.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, precious.”

“I’ll leave,” I coughed out, as Dominic released me, allowing air to soothe my parched lungs. “But you have to swear to me that you’ll never hurt Sasha.”

Dominic rolled his eyes, his finger dragging across his chin, scooping up wells of blood as he licked it off his finger.

“Why would I hurt Sasha? I’ll be her Alpha. I’ll have to protect her.”

My wolf cried when Sasha’s eyes widened, lunging into my arms, her sobs echoing around the room.

“Sasha, if I don’t leave, he will kill us both. I can’t…I’d never forgive myself.”

Dominic yawned, his arm wrapping around Sasha’s waist as he pulled her away from me, my soul dying inside. My wolf howled at me to do something, but the truth was, Dominic had no soul. He would think nothing of killing her in front of me.

“You leave now, brother,” Dominic called over his shoulder. “If I see you again, Sasha dies first, after the whole pack has devoured her. Whilst you watch, of course.”

I hung my head as Sasha screamed at me to fight back.

I couldn’t.

I wouldn’t win, not against Dominic.

I had to leave.