Page 27 of The Onyx Covenant

His face twists with disgust. “You sound like a lovesick pup, not the Alpha heir of Umbra. She’s made you weak.”

“She’s made me see.” I match his stare, refusing to back down. “Everything you’ve taught me about power and control, it’s all fear. Fear dressed as strength.”

The shadows around us deepen as my father’s anger manifests in tendrils of darkness. Let him try to intimidate me. I am done cowering.

“You will do as I command,” he hisses.

The wolf inside me roars, desperate to protect what’s mine, but I’ve learned from a lifetime under my father’s rule. Showing my hand now would only endanger her further.

“Then you’re not the son I raised. And I have no use for disappointments in my bloodline.”

“You’ve made your position clear,” I say, voice flat. “Is that all?”

“For now.” His eyes narrow. “But remember, boy… I’m watching.” He turns and marches away.

Fury and fear are warring for dominance inside me. The one thing I don’t feel is regret. Whatever comes next, binding myself to Lyra was the right choice—the only choice.

“Well, that looked pleasant.” Kieran emerges from the doorway farther down the building. “Still breathing, I see.”

“Fuck him.”

“What did the mighty Magnus want?” Kieran moves closer. “Besides your head on a spike, that is.”

“He wants me to kill her.”

Kieran stumbles, catching himself quickly. “Fuck. He actually said that? In those words?”

“Yep.”

“That psychotic fuck!” Kieran’s face hardens. “Fuck.” He runs a hand through his hair, a gesture I recognize from years of friendship—something he does when strategizing. “So, what’s the plan? We still continuing with ours?”

“Nothing’s changed.” I glance back at the Covenant building, its obsidian walls gleaming in the moonlight. “We find the proof, we expose him, we end this.”

“Except now your father’s actively trying to murder your ritual partner and, by extension, you.” Kieran’s voice drops lower as we approach the entrance. “And let’s not forget thatsheprobably wants to murder you.”

I let out a dry chuckle. “Never had so many people lining up to take my head.” With a loud exhale, I shift gears, tired of circling the topic of my death. “Anyway… you never told me who you chose as your partner?”

“Rachel.” He grins. “She’s solid in a fight and hot to look at.” He winks.

“Better than solid,” I correct, remembering the fierce Umbra female who nearly took down three opponents single-handedly in last year’s combat trials. “She’s lethal with those twin blades.”

“Yeah, well, we can’t all bind ourselves to blonde priestesses and cause pack-wide scandals.” He nudges my shoulder with his. “Some of us have to settle for partners who might actually help us survive.”

Movement catches my eye—a flash of platinum blonde hair and lithe, lethal grace. Selene, the female my father had all but promised would be my partner. The best fighter among Umbra females, ruthless and cunning, with a particular talent for making deaths look like accidents. She stands with her newly chosen champion, Erebus Shade, but her ice-blue eyes are fixed on me, promising retribution.

“Selene looks ready to flay you alive with her fingernails,” Kieran murmurs.

“She’d have to get in line.” I touch the scar over my collarbone—a souvenir from a previous encounter with Selene’s particular brand of affection. “Besides, she’s dangerous but predictable. I’m more concerned about my father’s next move.”

“You should be concerned about all of it,” Kieran says bluntly. “Especially if half our own pack wants you dead.”

“And the other half is just waiting to see which side wins,” I add grimly.

As Selene and Erebus approach the doorway, they give their best hard stares.

“Welcome to the Harvest Ritual,” Kieran suddenly declares with exaggerated formality. “May the worthy rise and all that shit.”

“Fuck you,” Selene barks.

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