reminded of his humiliation every time he saw pus seep from a wound that would never heal. He would always be on the hunt for Yev’s lover. Always.
Unless he lay dead.
Yev made a leap his way, grabbed his jaw from behind, pulled his head back to expose the throat, and tore it out with his other hand. The ugly gurgle Burian still attempted to make was a helpless last resort, spurting blood from the open throat. He collapsed, shrinking into human form as it convulsed.
Radek’s ragged gasps were so loud in Yev’s head he could barely hear his own brethren growl. The boy was pale, and a bright red splash of blood painted Radek from the sweatpants to his face.
“I… I… There was two of them, and…”
Yev roared at Fedir, who tried to sneak up on him, crooked, bleeding nose and all. Yev wanted to make him submit and threatened him with a growl, but the bastard was too stupid to think clearly and charged.
Fedir’s disregard for rules, that cowardly attack Radek had managed to prevent, was still a bright presence in Yev’s mind. He charged with a ferocity Fedir didn’t expect, and the whole thing was over within the blink of an eye.
Yev’s claws sank into the flesh of Fedir’s chest and held him still while he closed his jaws on the arched throat and ripped out the Adam’s apple. Blood sprayed at him like mist, and the massive body dropped to the ground without another sound. For a moment, adrenaline was so thick in Yev’s veins he chewed on the piece of meat he’d bitten off, but a brief glance at a very pale Radek made him spit it out.
“Satisfied?” Yev asked, his voice raspy as he glanced at the men who used to be his pack and who’d just become strangers. The sense of despair skyrocketed when Olek gave a muffled sob, prompting Yev to look at his older brother lying dead at his feet, and at his own hands stained with his blood. But all the others? They were impressed and stared at Yev with respect they hadn’t realized he deserved.
But then his gaze swept over Burian’s open eyes, and his face, which had frozen in an expression of fright, and he flinched, despite being ready to fight back when someone stepped toward him. His heart froze when he realized it was Father. Everyone held their breath, and even birds didn’t dare make a sound to disturb the peace of mourning.
“We will leave you be, Yevhen, but don’t you dare make contact.” Father’s voice was stone, as was his face, but Yev had no doubt Father’s heart bled, because his did too.
“No! I’ve just fought two challengers!” Yev kept his attention on the others, anticipating attacks. “I demand to be heard! To inquire about ways to bond. I will not be turned away!” Blood buzzed in his veins, and after years of hiding his true self, he couldn’t have felt more right. He’d earned his place in the pack with the scars on his back. He could now see it clearly. He should have always fought for this right, not cowered away like a weakling.
He was not a weakling.
Fresh blood stained his muzzle and remained a taste in his mouth. If force was the one thing werewolves understood, then he’d show it to them.
“Isn’t it enough that you broke a bond today? You’ve made Yulia a widow. I hope you’re happy,” Father said with bitterness oozing from him.
But Yev could only think of one thing that sparked a chain reaction in his mind.
“A widow can be purified to mate again. Prepared to take another’s scent.”
Father held his hands out, as if to strike Yev, but pulled back, and his pack saw that. “What does that matter?”
Yev met his gaze. “I demand that Radek gets a chance to go through that process. If the Moon-Eyed God decides that a man cannot become my mate, I will leave the pack.”
He didn’t miss the soft snarls behind father’s back.
“And if he can be?”
Yev swallowed, his heart still rattling. “Then he should be treated as any other werewolf’s mate.”
Father pursed his lips and his heavy gaze landed on Radek. “Does he even know what it means? Have you told him?”
Yev swallowed, leaning back as he searched Radek’s gaze. The blood on his lips was starting to go sour. “No. Not exactly. Didn’t want to create expectations for something that didn’t seem possible.”
Father let out a sad laugh. “Don’t make requests