Page 31 of Thrown into the Mob

“There is no agreement.” My father pushed his chair back, and it screeched over the splintered floor. “I am the head of this family, and I have made my decision.”

The room was deathly silent, even the old roof stopped creaking.

“You decided I was the heir and Conrad was the spare. You chose the wolf as my mate, but when we met⁠—”

“Oh gods, no.” Madd gripped my hand, and he caught my eye. There was no need to say anything because he was thinking the same thing as me.

The room erupted in yells, and Flint flung himself backward, tumbling onto the floor as fire surged from Evander. This wasn’t an uncontrolled burst of temper. My twin had precise aim, and my father didn't have time to take his scales.

The smell of burning flesh and Father’s scream abruptly cut off as the fire consuming him would be seared into my memory. And then there was silence apart from the crackling of flames destroying what remained of my father.

Madd was pulling me back as Ranger and another wolf shifter dragged Flint over the uneven floor.

Vasik’s hand grabbed his weapon, but Evander was ready for him and had a gun aimed at the enforcer’s chest.

“This family has a new head.” Evander's firm voice filled the warehouse. “Conrad mated outside the flight without authorization, and this will be resolved.”

I searched his face for the brother I’d grown up with, but that guy had vanished.

“We're leaving,” Evander said. And when he finally looked at me, he said, “I’ll be in touch, brother.” There was a threat in his voice, or perhaps more of a promise.

I leaned against someone or something. Maybe Madd. The scent kept me upright, and there was an arm draped over my shoulder. I bent forward as relief took hold of me, followed by guilt. I’d just witnessed my father’s murder and my first thought was he could no longer both bully and ignore me.

Relief. That was my reaction, and I hated myself for it. The man who'd never forgiven me for sharing my twin’s egg and hatching last was gone, and the first thing I felt was the absence of a weight I'd been carrying all my life.

Next came grief for the father he could have been. And finally horror. Because my brother had just burned our father alive and walked out as though nothing had changed.

“Conrad.” Madd's voice was at my ear. “We need to go.”

SIXTEEN

MADD

Conrad didn't speak on the drive back.

He sat beside me and stared at his hands. Our mating and marks didn’t allow us to feel each other's emotions or read our mate’s mind. But any observer would have shared the absolute horror he must’ve been experiencing. Instead of sunshine, the world felt grim, and there was smoke on my tongue, the result of Aldric’s assassination.

There were no words to remove the abomination we’d witnessed, and more so for Conrad, so I didn't try to talk to him. I put my hand on his knee, and he didn't push it away.

Ranger drove fast, and Flint was on the phone issuing instructions. He was mobilizing people around the homes of his family. Everyone was preparing to do double shifts, and none of the brothers' mates and children were allowed out of their homes.

By the time we reached headquarters, it was early morning, but the compound was buzzing. The pack headquarters had been moved in the last few months from a building in the center of the city close to the park. The new compound was both office and accommodation, though none of my family lived onsite, preferring their own houses.

Everyone not protecting the family was here. Being a relative newcomer to pack life, I didn’t recognize many of the La Luna Noir members. But everyone stared at Conrad, and I assumed the word had spread as to his identity and that we’d mated.

Conrad showed no emotion, and he stared straight ahead as we made our way to the meeting room on the second floor. There were no windows in this room, it was soundproof, with multiple cameras situated outside, and it was swept for listening devices before any meeting.

Hunter strode in, and he gave me a hug and Conrad a brief nod. Grandpa and Rudy were already seated. Grandpa had brought coffee and sandwiches because feeding people gave him a purpose.

Conrad didn’t sit but leaned on the wall by the door. I hoped he wasn’t planning on escaping, because he’d demonstrated he was good at that. But maybe he positioned himself there because he wasn’t sure he'd been invited to stay.

Ranger and Flint arrived, and Alpha told my mate to sit. It wasn’t a request, and Conrad slumped into a chair on the opposite side of the table to me.

Flint stood at the head of the table and looked at each of us in turn.

“Here's what we know. Evander has killed his father and taken control of the Solari. He has at least twelve dragons loyal to him, probably more once the rest of the flight falls in line. He declared that Conrad mated outside the flight without authorization.” He paused. “Evander also believes Madd belongs to him.”

The room was so quiet it was as though everyone had stopped breathing.