Page 109

I know every inch of this compound, which corners are covered and which are blind, which hallways loop back on themselves, and where my uncle’s men will be stationed if Alexei hasn’t already changed their rotation.

I go through first, Orien two paces behind me, and we move.

We make it to the servant corridor without incident before Alexei appears at the far end, flanked by two security men who hold their positions and do not advance.

My brother strides ahead of his escort, his weapon already drawn.

Shock freezes me in place. This isn’t protocol. Alexei doesn’t handle security himself. He should be in a safe room right now with the rest of the family while security brings the situation back under control.

His gaze moves from me to Orien, and cold resolve settles over him that I’ve never seen directed at me before.

“Move aside, Lev,” he says, the command stripped of the familiar warmth of my childhood as he aims his gun at my mate.

I shift, putting myself more squarely in front of him, and keep my gun pointed down. “No.”

The barrel of Alexei’s gun doesn’t waver. “Move.”

I refuse.

Behind me, Orien neither retreats nor steps forward, trusting me to handle this.

Alexei’s aim shifts a fraction, and the gun now points at the center of my chest. “I said move, Lev.”

I should be afraid. I should feel the pressure of Alexei’s will bearing down on me.

Instead, calmness settles over me.

The next few seconds will determine what, if anything, remains of my family.

I don’t look away from my brother as I stay where I am, the corridor silent except for the low hum of emergency power and the sound of my own breathing, even and controlled.

Alexei’s finger rests on the trigger guard, not on the trigger itself. Not yet. The distinction matters. There’s still time for him to choose differently.

“Put the gun down, brother,” I say as I let my own weapon drop to my side. “Please.”

Pain crosses his face. “Will you just listen to me for once in your life, Lev? I’m trying to fix this mess you created!”

“I won’t. Not this time.”

The gun remains level, but Alexei’s posture shifts, shoulders squaring. “You’re making a mistake.”

“No,” I say softly. “You’re the one who’s made a mistake. You’ve been fighting so hard not to appear weak in front of the family that you’ve let them push you into a decision that will ruin us, and I refuse to be part of it.”

I do not look back at Orien, instead keeping my focus on my brother as I take a single step forward. “I chose him, but I haven’t stopped loving my family.”

Alexei’s jaw tightens. “You’ve been manipulated. He’s a strong Alpha who’s exploiting an Omega’s instinct, and you fell for it.”

My jaw tightens, but I do not flinch. “You taught me to assess risk and move when evidence changes. There was no threat from the Blue Note. You already admitted as much. I’m not the one being manipulated here.”

Alexei’s grip on the weapon shifts a fraction. “Would you abandon us entirely? Does the bond, does instinct, outweigh blood?”

I take a full breath before answering. “I’m not leaving because of him. I’m leaving because you told me you were going to sanction the killing of children. Children, Alexei!”

The pain of it tears through me all over again. “What have you become that you would sign off on such a thing?”

He tsks with annoyance. “I was never going to push through with the plan, Lev. But I needed to show the family you were still loyal, and it was the only way.”

“The only way, according to who?” I demand. “Mikhail? Did he tell you to test me like that?”