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Closing my eyes, I exhale. Then I open them and look solely at my husband. “We’ll end our sex trafficking, but we’ll keep David to do with as we please.”I can let my grievances with the Death Hunt and the Blood Fangs go, but I will make David suffer for the rest of his miserable life for what he did to Olivia.

Cadenstares at me, his eyes wet, but then he nods. I lift a hand to cover his hand on my chest, the papers between his palm and me. Giving him back his hand, I implore him to keep reading.

“I’m not signing this,” Antonio says. “I don’t care what fucking things you offer me. The only way you’ll get your peace is in death.”

I turn to him, having known he would be the hardest one to convince. I stole his wife from him. Killed his three babies before he even got to hold them.

“I’m sorry, Antonio, for what I did to Siome.” He tenses at her name, and I let my guilt show clear on my face. “I was a stupid girl raised to believe all werewolves should be eradicated. I didn’t see them as people, but I do now. You and Siome wanted peace once. You can honor that today by –”

His hand is around my throat in a second, his claws nearly piercing my skin. “You knownothing.”

“Release her, Antonio,” Caden says. “Or you will not have your fingers when I make you.”

I raise a hand up to stop my husband. “You’re wrong,” I wheeze out, looking into the wolf’s eyes. “I didn’t know anything then, but I do now. I know the pain of losing children. I’ve watched people I love die right in front of me. I know the pain you carry every day because I carry it too.We all do. But it’s time to end the cycle.” Reaching up, I clasp my hand over his. “You have a little boy now, Antonio. Sign the treaty for him.” Myers told me all about his pup. He doesn’t believe Antonio loves his new mate, but he does love his son.

He growls low in his throat as his eyes dip to his hand, and I know he wishes to crush my windpipe. Snarling, he releases me and steps back.

“And if we don’t sign?” Aleric asks.

I take great pleasure in looking him in the eye when I say, “Then you will die here, and I will hand the papers to your heir.”

He laughs, the seriousness of the meeting dissipating.

“You might be Reaper of the Sired,” Antonio sneers. “But I can kill you with one hand behind my back.”

“Of course you could,” I say in complete honesty. I could train for a lifetime and still never match his speed and power. “But you can’t kill Olivia.”

Holding his gaze, I twirl my fingers until the shadows build beside me. As soon as Olivia’s first leg reaches up into our world, he steps back. She pulls herself out with a shrill cry, her head swiveling around to look at each Boss, assessing who she needs to kill.

“Or Jonathan.” A dark feline with a row of red quills running up his back and two large teeth hanging past his jaw climbs out next.

“Or Bonnie.” A truck-sized spider with a dark-purple pattern on her back.

“Or Molly.” A snake-like creature made of feathers with two bright wings that draw the eye as they shake so fast they buzz.

“Or Ryo.” A roc flies out, its wingspan large enough to touch both ends of the alley.

“I have a whole army I can call out within seconds. Sign the treaty or die. I’m sure I will not have to cut my waythrough every member of your gangs before I find someone who will.”

The silence is deafening. Antonio Garcia still looks like he wants to rip my spinal cord out through my anus, but he isn’t stupid enough to try. Aleric is staring at me in awe, not even bothering to hide his boner. My eyes shift to Caden, wanting so badly for him to support me in this.

He stares at me, a flicker of pride in his eyes before he tamps it down. “Did you bring a pen?”

Smiling hard, I pull a quill out of my bag and hand it to him. He takes it, knowing that it writes in blood. It is a common tool in swearing magical oaths.

I pull out the official treaty document on a clipboard, and he takes that too. Signing quickly, he gives it back to me. With a soft exhale, I turn to the other two.

“Well, if it’s going to get me a smile like that, then hand it over.” My lips flatten into a line. “Or not,” Aleric drawls.

“You would rather die?” I challenge.

“Over a smile from you? Most certainly.”

“You’re delusional.”

He smiles a lazy smile. “We’ve been over this, love. I’m only crazy. Not delusional.”

My cheeks heating, I glare at him.