Page 15 of Villainous Fate

Guilt hits me, and momentarily, I wonder if leaving is the right choice. He didn’t choose to be the firstborn. He didn’t choose the life he would have to live or the weight of the pack he would need to carry.

If we stay, we will never be free.

My wolf speaks, reminding me of these scenarios we have run through. Luca will be safe. Ashley will be protected. Our mother will be secure as Luna, no matter what happens.

It’s our job to protect Grace.

I kiss the top of her head, wrapping my arms around her as she lays against me. I use this moment to take in her scent, her warmth, all of her in these final moments.

“You aren’t even listening….D!” My little sister whines, and I turn my attention back to her, trying to remember what she was talking about.

“Katie said that when her cousin went to his retreat, he had to scale a cliff with his bare hands, and half of the Alphas fell. Is that true? Do they make you do stuff like that?” she asks, her eyes large with worry.

“I’m sure they have all kinds of ways to torment and torture us, but you know me, Ash, I will be fine,” I say, trying to ease her concern without alerting Grace to what lies ahead for me. I have purposely shielded her from what I know will be a grueling few weeks.

From what Luca has passed on, it's six weeks of enforcers trying to break you down, all leading up to a final three-day blind contest that changes yearly. In Luca’s year, they were stranded in teams of three in the mountains and expected to find their way to the flag encampment without being caught, killed, or losing anyone.

Only two teams out of eight succeeded in his year.

Four Alphas died during the final test.

Only three of them were accidents.

At least, that's what Luca says. I don’t know what I’m in for, just that I’m ready to fight my way through whatever it takes to get back to Grace.

“Sorellina, Deacon’s strong. We can count on him,” Luca says confidently, his eyes flashing to mine. There’s something behind them that I can’t quite read.

Giovanni: Come here, boy, you have obligations.

The mind link message causes me to tense, alerting Grace, who whips her head back to look at me.

“I have to go. I will meet you at the car later.” I grab her chin, pulling her lips to mine, memorizing their taste in this moment before lifting to leave another kiss on her forehead.

“I will come with you,” my brother announces, lifting Rachel off his lap and retrieving his drink off the table. His eyes meet mine, still holding something behind them. I try to decode before a mask of indifference falls into place.

We all wear a mask, playing the parts assigned to us. Mine is a shield, Luca’s an invitation, and for a moment, I question what mask Grace wears before realizing she doesn’t have to play games in this political world like the rest of us. She is pure.

And I will fight for her to remain untarnished by my world.

Walking toward the main hall, I steel my resolve, readying my wolf beneath my skin. My father is a lot of things, but he’s not a man who misses any opportunity to exert his power over others. I may be the guest of honor in title, but this isn’t my party; it's his, and if I were betting, this impromptu meeting isn’t a fond farewell.

Chapter 9

Deacon

Theirwordshitmyears before we're able to see them. My Alpha sits with his Second, Lorenzo, on a throne of sorts at the end of the mess hall, which boasts the food for the event. His casual lean contrasts his steel-hard stare as he listens to his right hand go on about the need for more enforcers before moving in.

On what?

I don’t catch it, but it doesn’t surprise me that my father’s pushing the edges of our boundaries within the state without the manpower to hold them.

He has always been greedy, power-hungry, and blinded by his ego.

What he sees as ambition, I see as his greatest weakness.

Lorenzo stops speaking as Luca and I come into view.

“Excellent party Father. This one may even be better than my farewell,” Luca says, attempting to kiss his ass.

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