Page 57 of Deadly Wolf Bite

“You saw what Franco did today,” Grey says. “My father will retaliate. There will be war. And innocent people will pay the price. I’m not letting that happen. I’m not letting you get put in the middle either.”

“But if you challenge him, even if you win, Franco won’t just sit by and do nothing,” I say. “There’ll be war either way.”

“You’re right,” he says. “But we can’t avoid it any longer.”

“It was always going to come to a fight,” Mia tells me gently.

“I don’t want you to worry,” Grey adds. “I’m going to make sure you’re safe.”

Frustration bubbles up in me. They’re treating me like I’m helpless.

I’m so sick of it.

If Grey isn’t going to help me access my wolf, I have to find a way to do it myself. And there’s only one person who might have the information I need.

“Okay, wait,” I say, and all eyes turn to me. “Before you do this pledge and send up some kind of bat signal, I think we should make Vincenzo believe we’re on his side. That way, he’ll never see your challenge coming.” Grey looks ready to argue so I press on, “You told me what he did last time—sidestepping his own fight at the last minute by nominating a champion. He could easily do that again.”

Grey looks at me warily. “What do you have in mind?”

“Well,” I say, my thoughts racing to form a plan they’ll get behind. One that will give me a chance to get what I need in time. “If he were going to make someone else fight in his place, it would probably be one of his generals, right?”

Dutch shrugs. “My dad would do it in a heartbeat.” He glances at Grey apologetically. “No offense.”

Grey shakes his head. “None taken.”

“Yeah, my old man would too,” Razor pipes up reluctantly.

Crow grunts an agreement. He looks at Grey. “She’s not wrong. Besides, even if you did fight a champion in his place and win the title, Vincenzo would still be alive. And that makes him a threat.”

“Right, so we need to make sure the generals can’t step in,” I say, warming to my idea. With any luck, they’ll all be too distracted to notice I have my own agenda.

Mia looks from me to Grey. “How do we do that?”

I hesitate, waiting to see what Grey will say. My idea might be perfect—or it might piss him off.

“I know a way,” he says, and I exhale, relieved at not having to say it.

I listen as he tells the others about the chemical Franco had him use five years ago. Dutch and Mia don’t look shocked, but Razor and Crow are clearly hearing this part of the story for the first time.

“Dude, that’s so fucked up. Why didn’t you tell me?” Razor asks.

“We could’ve helped you,” Crow says quietly, the hurt in his voice unmistakable.

Grey’s jaw is stubbornly set. “You saw what my father was willing to do to me—to all of us—for defying him. If he thought you were involved in what I did, you all would’ve been in danger.”

“You don’t look surprised,” Razor says to Dutch. “You knew.”

“Not at the time. I mean, I suspected Grey was up to something, but I didn’t have proof. He told me after. When Vincenzo told him to get the hell out of the city. I made sure Vincenzo couldn’t track Grey down—just in case he changed his mind about letting him live.”

“Fuck,” Razor snarls. “That guy deserves everything that’s coming to him.”

“And you?” Crow asks Mia. “You knew?”

“Not until recently,” she says.

Crow looks at Grey. “You told her but not us?”

“No,” Mia says. “My dad told me.”

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