Chapter 2

I pressed the pinned number at the top of my contacts. It rang exactly once before being answered.

"Chloe? What's wrong?"

My oldest brother Wyatt's deep voice came through the speaker. It carried a gentleness the rest of the world never got to hear.

I opened my mouth, a sob catching in my throat. "Wyatt, I..."

Crack.

A sickening sound of bones snapping exploded through the receiver.

It was immediately followed by a chorus of agonized wolf howls and the wet sound of flesh tearing.

A frantic voice screamed in the background: "Alpha! Massive rogue uprising at the southern border! We need to suppress them now!"

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

My brothers were in the middle of a life-or-death territorial war!

If I provoked this powerful elite family right now and dragged the Council into this, my brothers would be attacked from both sides. They'd be destroyed.

"Chloe? What's happening over there?!" Wyatt's voice went instantly rigid. He radiated pure Alpha command.

"Nothing! I... I pocket-dialed!"

I pinched my thigh hard to stop myself from crying, and hit end.

The hallway was dead silent.

Then, the Dean burst into mocking laughter.

"Pocket-dialed? More like your stray-dog family doesn't give a damn if you live or die!"

He stepped closer, stripping away my lie. "A stray is a stray. Hearing an elite's name probably made them piss themselves!"

Richard stepped up.

"Listen to me, you lowborn trash," he hissed, his voice cold as a snake. "Crushing your stray family is as easy as stepping on bugs."

He grabbed a fistful of my hair, forcing me to look up.

"You want to keep your Council qualifications? Fine."

"Tomorrow at the Assembly! You will stand in front of the whole school, bare your neck, and get on your knees for my daughter!"

Bare my neck.

Exposing the throat to an enemy. In the werewolf world, it was the ultimate, most degrading act of total submission.

The humiliation burned through my chest like acid.

But for my chance at the Council. For my brothers' pack.

I swallowed my tears and bit my lip until it bled.

"Fine... I'll do it."

Late that night.

I pulled my oversized hoodie down over my face and dragged my exhausted body back to a rundown apartment in the outer city.

This was the decoy apartment my brothers rented to sell my "average Omega" cover story.

I pushed the door open. Smoke was pouring out of a cheap oven.

My second brother, Hunter, and my fourth brother, Jax, were frantically trying to save a burnt pizza in the tiny kitchen.

Their t-shirts still carried the faint smell of ash and fresh blood.

"Dammit, this stupid machine is harder to break than a rogue's neck," Jax cursed softly.

Hunter was holding a phone between his ear and shoulder. His voice was cold and bloodthirsty. "Tell the warriors to slaughter the rebels. No survivors. Burn their camps to the ground, and make it quick."

My heart broke.

They were out there shedding blood to protect us, and coming home just to cook for me.

I ran over and threw my arms around Hunter's waist. My tears broke loose, soaking into his apron.

"Hunter... Jax... please be careful out there, okay?" I sobbed, holding onto them for dear life. "I promise I'll get that Council seat! Once I do, I'll be the one protecting you!"

The two top-tier Alphas froze instantly.

The spatula in Jax's hand hit the floor with a loud clang.

Hunter hung up his phone immediately. He frantically tried to wipe my tears. "Chloe, what's wrong? Who touched you?"

Bang.

The rusty metal door was kicked open.

Wyatt strode in, bringing the biting winter cold with him.

He barely took one step into the hallway before he stopped dead in his tracks.

His casual expression turned lethally dangerous in a split second. The dark gold glow of an apex predator ignited in his eyes.

His sharp senses had caught it. The faintest trace of my blood buried deep beneath my heavy scent blockers.

Moving almost like a blur, his massive frame was suddenly towering over me.

He ripped my hood back!

The nasty red welt and scabbed claw marks on my face were fully exposed under the harsh light.

"Who did this?"

The temperature in the room dropped below freezing.

I shook in terror. I quickly covered my face, forcing a pathetic smile.

"N-nothing... I just scratched myself while cleaning..."

Seeing the murderous, dark expressions on Hunter and Jax's faces, I hardened my resolve.

Even if I had to suffer hell tomorrow, I couldn't tell them the truth. I wouldn't let them lose their pack over me.

Wyatt didn't say a word.

He stood over me like a mountain. His long, cold fingers slowly traced the back of my neck.

Those dark gold Alpha eyes locked onto mine. They carried an absolute, unquestionable authority.

"You better not be lying to me, Chloe."

My heart shuddered. I looked away.

I made up my mind. No more trouble for them.

I just had to survive until I got the Council seat. Then everything would be okay.