Still on his feet, Lucas meets my gaze even though he must smell my anger and possibly his imminent death.

I give him points for nerve if little else.

He rakes his hand through his hair. “Aurora, you have to understand–”

I dig the point of the dagger into his flesh. “I doubt the Alphas will.”

He swallows, the motion of his Adam’s apple obvious in his skinny neck. “You could just let me disappear and not tell them.”

I press hard ...