Page 179 of Harley & Her Ferals

River doesn’t judge Lionzio. So, I’m trying not to.

Laurent draws back from River, however, and flicks him on the forehead. “And you’re an idiot. Can’t you see that you deserve so much better? I happen to be wealthy. I’ll buy you an entire Italian restaurant.A chain of them and name them after you.When we’re out of here, none of you will be hungry or eat leftovers again. Do you understand?”

“Playing the billionaire card, la mia rosa?” River’s eyes crease at the sides, however, as he smiles. He gently kisses the frown off Laurent’s lips. “You don’t need to do any of that. I love you without—”

Laurent kisses him to stop his words.

When Laurent draws back, however, he’s still frowning. “Tell me that you understand you don’t deserve to be treated like that.”

My breath hitches.

He had them shot…all of them…killed…my birthday…in front of me…over my cake…my fault because it was my party…

River accepts what’s happened in this pack because of his guilt.

He was still a kid, when Dad had him dragged to the Underworld to be my brother’s tutor. But with no way to process the trauma of what had happened, he must have internalized the guilt that Dad tricked the pack and had the ambush happen at his birthday party.

The cruelty of that, when Dad also intended to steal their Alpha heir to make an example of him by keeping him as a Companion, takes my breath away.

But Dad loves a spectacle.

He makes dramatic examples of people and packs. It would have been whispered about between the heads of the other packs back then. It must have kept them in line more than anything else that he’d be prepared to ruthlessly wipe out an entire pack and steal their heir.

River shakes his head, looking away.

“Riv,” I say, quietly, “you mean the world to all of us. You’re an equal. You’re our bonded Beta now.”

“A F-feral,” Feral adds.

“And soon, no one will dare to mistreat you again.” Laurent’s smile is sharp.

River laughs. “Looks like I don’t have a choice in this.”

“That’s the point,” I reply. “In our new pack, we all have a choice now.”

“Well,” River tilts his head, “something has definitely changed in Lion as well. Because I put in a request for a delivery tonight. I told him that he should treat us because it’s the final night of our bond leave, and Lion agreed.”

Alert, I sit straighter. “Adelivery? You say that it’s a treat, but why does that still sound sinister?”

“Because your dad’s pack are psychos?” Laurent suggests.

“Mainly that’s just Dad and my sister.”

When there’s a hard rap on the door, I startle. My heart jumps.

Automatically, Feral and I leap from the bed into a fighting stance.

On the other hand, River claps in delight.

“It’s here.” River excitedly pushes Laurent to the floor in front of the couch.

Then he gestures at Feral and me to join Laurent in a circle like we’re about to hold a ritual.

Possibly, summon a real Devil Alpha.

We blink at each other in confusion, as River bounces to the door and wrenches it open.

“Pizza delivery,” a deep, sarcastic voice says outside.

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