Prologue #3
Dylan smirked. “No. One of my pack members has a knack for impersonations. We doctored the footage as well. We knew that little hacker of his might try to slip in. I’ve had to hire an entire team, but they have made it worth it. Considering the things they have been able to get into.”
One of his pack members. I wondered if he would call me that, too.
If I’d been demoted to just another pack member like my mate had.
He had basically forced her to make the call and have her sound like one of the Alford’s.
She had looked at me for help, but there wasn’t anything I could have done.
This was the plan. All I did was help execute it and help mitigate the innocent casualties along the way.
“So, you going to leave him alone until he has it? I did say that I wouldn’t tell you he was an Omega as part of our deal. If he comes back…because he thinks I broke the deal, wouldn’t that make it harder?”
“He left because of his worry for his pup. That worry is still valid. If he came back, knowing I knew, what could he do? Run to the Alford’s? He will know I’m watching. He would know he’s already mine. All I would need is a single moment. Or even using his mate as a threat…”
Ebony growled. “Mar is not his mate! He is mine! I will find a way to break the mark and I will secure him. No matter what.”
Dylan put his hands up in surrender. “Yeah, yeah. Slip of the tongue. He is yours and I’m also having others do some research for you on that side. I need to be able to mark Colton, too. They say marked pups are stronger. So it’s not just for your sake.”
Sighing, I wanted to shake my head. Leave it to these two to bicker and then find a common middle ground of evil. They were really something. Ebony nodded, leaning back in her chair and lacing her fingers together.
“Then I expect a phone call from you with good news. Otherwise, I don’t want to hear from you at all.”
“I could say the same about you.” Dylan motioned me to follow.
Opening the door, we walked out into the kitchen. Sure enough, the dragon was in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, making dinner as she had asked. Turning away from the sight, we continued out of the house and to the car. Without even a word, Dylan got into the passenger seat.
I walked around to the driver’s side and took a moment before the metal vehicle trapped me with him for the next few hours. Pulling out and onto the road, we headed back toward the city. Dylan glued himself to his phone, and I thought for a moment I might get a reprieve from him.
“I need the team to gather some drones. We need to check how defensible the air is. I want to make sure I have eyes on the house at all times. Maybe I’ll just snag him away now. He might have let his guard down by now.”
“Do you want him to know right away? Wouldn’t that be the issue that Ebony brought up?” I tapped on the steering wheel. “He could try to come back and fight.”
The quiet that followed was eerie. Glancing at him, Dylan was watching me with a frown on his face. I cocked my head to the side as I looked back at the road.
“What?”
“Are you against me, Beta?”
I sighed. “No, Alpha.”
“Are you trying to save your brother?”
“No, Alpha. He isn’t my brother. If you remember.”
He huffed and looked back down at his phone. “Then stay the fuck out of it. I give you an order, and you follow it. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Alpha.”
I shut my mouth. Arguing with him was useless. Not when it came to Colton. He was beyond obsessed. What I needed to do was to make sure I had a backup plan. In case this all went to shit. The last thing I wanted was to be hauled in next to him in this crazy endeavor.
“He will be mine. He is mine. He will always be mine. No matter the time.” The softness in his voice sent shivers down my spine.
“After he gives you a pup or two, will you just kill him?”
Dylan hummed. “Why? Do you want him? I know your family intermixes sometimes. He is only half.”
“No. I was just wondering if you were going to keep him as a pet or kill him.” I kept the disgust out of my tone.
“Ah. Kill him. There is no need to keep him. The chance of him getting away is too high. He will be mine forever.”
He said it so flippantly. As though it were another walk in the park for him.
I didn’t say anything else. When had he turned into this?
Where had his obsession turned into this monster?
Ebony, despite her obsession, hadn’t reached this level.
It may work in her favor if they continued this relationship.
Dylan could easily be manipulated if someone were to simply use Colton against him.
“I think I’ll have him realize he was mine all along. That leaving was hopeless.”
My lips pursed. He was talking to himself. I had to let it go. I needed to. Having a conscience in all of this would only get me and my family killed. Dylan wouldn’t hesitate to remove anyone in his way. Still, it felt wrong. Colton, despite saying that he wasn’t my brother, was my half-brother.
Focusing on the road, I had my mate to think about. I had another pup on the way to think about. We didn’t intend on telling Dylan and I was actually going to have her stay with my mother at the Fisher house. Dylan was too dangerous. To friends and foes alike.