“You’re laughing at his sexism and audacity that your magic can’t handle him, right?” I checked with Belinda.
She tried to swallow a laugh but snorted. “No, that he’s so stupid that he thinks you’ll leave him alive.”
Everyone in the room froze, but I simply smiled at her. “That’s whyIwas laughing, but also his stupid that you as an ancient couldn’t handle him. The fact they were in charge of more than parking tickets in the capital is what’sreallyterrifying.” I focused back on Bramble. “You’re dead. Super fucking dead.”
“Your Majesty, that’s—” one of the Alphas tried to interject.
I ignored him and kept Bramble’s gaze. “You tried to destroy evidence pertaining to the deaths of the king and queen. Ordered investigations shut down inmy fucking name. And then blamed me to the public knowing it was your nephew’s fault and he’d made millions off of my family. You also made it public that Father pushed through the weather like—you’re dead.”
“And she’ll do it with a smile. That’s what you’re here to learn, Alphas. Sagan isn’t a wilting flower. You’ll wither under her if you aren’t smarter.”
“I’ve already started to see that,” Dray admitted. “You might have your father’s patience, but you have much bigger balls than Rhys ever had.”
I snorted, letting it go but then turning to the other Alphas. “Do you need to see me take his head without flinching to understand the reality you’re in? Or are you going to keep beingstupid and reporting your findings toDraylike he’s my new boss or—”
“Wait, Sagan,please,” Vex of all people interrupted. He dropped to his knee when steam about came out of my ears. “All of this is off the record and I know I’ve done—I can never apologize enough for my ignorance and stupidity. But not this time. This time it was innocent and please hear me out. Hearusout that—”
“They weren’t reporting in to Dray like he was the boss. They’re out of their element and were asking for counsel,” Belinda explained. “They’ve never investigated an elder—probably no one alive in their families has. Instead of admitting they’re out of their depth to you, they went to Dray because he has the most experience in legal and police matters.”
“Is that true?” I checked, sighing when the Alphas all nodded. “Idiots. Just fucking admit that instead of more…” I let out a slow breath and waved for Vex to stand. “I admitted when I wasn’t ready and—okay, fine, this was all for nothing then.”
“Oh no, I learned a lot,” Dray muttered, glancing between Bramble and me. “Is he the first you’ll kill?”
“No,” I chuckled, shocking Darren and Fraser.
“It was in self-defense,” Belinda muttered.
I started to nod but then glanced at her. “Well, then saving Myriam. Is Myriam-defense the same?” I smiled when she snickered and then looked back at the Alphas. “I’m not a psychopath. I don’t enjoy it.”
They seemed to accept it, but Dray glanced past me to Bramble but then focused on me again. “Even I’m affected when I have to take a life.”
That was fair. “I’ll tell you in six months how I feel about this one. I’m a bit overloaded with everything else at the moment and seething rage most days for how this all happened.”
“Fair. When it was self-defense?” he pushed.
“She doesn’t answer to you, Alpha,” Belinda snapped.
“No, she doesn’t, but she’s asking for a lot of trust as she shows this new side to us. I’ve given all she’s asked for and shown my loyalty.”
That was actually fair and I respected Dray for it. “It was sort of a blur and I was young. When it was Myriam, I was just glad I got there in time and then scared people would find out it was me. I was terrified my parents would know their heir killed people to save a mobster’s daughter and got her hands dirty. So it was never anything simple.”
He snorted. “If you ever findanythingsimple in life as a leader, you let me know, Your Majesty.”
I chuckled. Yeah, fair enough.
And then we proceeded to rake Bramble over the coals in every way possible. He was so beyond dirty it was grotesque.
“Let’s call it for tonight,” I muttered when I realized it was well after midnight and everyone was dragging. “Let’s get a call for tomorrow—todaywith all the Alphas. Whenever and quick, but—your issues were valid. No one has invoked the law in our lifetimes, even those of you with previous Alphas alive or family that’s trustworthy.
“I’m fine with Dray taking the lead, but let’s all get on the same page with this. It’s too big for assholes later to get on—you know what will happen. Not with this. Not with this level of corruption and—no. We agree now as the leadership of Thovudin and move forward together or I challenge them as Alpha.”
“You’re serious?” Fraser whispered.
I met his gaze and let him see I was. “This corruption led directly to the deaths of the king and queen. Yeah, I’m fucking serious that we all agree it is a line that’s never crossed again and how we handle it isn’t questioned. Ever. Because I’m going to live a very long life or I will take out all the Alphas first.” Isnorted when Belinda mimed clapping for me so I saw she was proud but she didn’t distract with the noise.
Right? It wasn’t just like some money was stolen. My parents’ plane went down because of this.
I was making it clear how that was punished so Isurvived.
