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orders or else there would be bloodshed. Dimitri’s blood. But once this was over, it was over. The pack would be gone, and this time Dimitri doubted he’d ever see any of them again. Which was probably a blessing. They’d all changed. The emptiness he saw in their eyes frightened him. Hell, what more proof did he need after what had happened in the garden? His sister, his own baby sister, had been ready to kill Lady Amelia’s aunt for no better reason than the older woman had been a human and in their way. The path the pack was taking could only lead to more deaths and, ultimately, extinction.
    “You could stay here,” he mouthed to Misha. “Live here.”
    She shook her head and turned away. It was an old battle between them. She refused to leave the pack, and he couldn’t stay.
    Vlad was on the other side of the parlor by the fireplace, pacing. Two of his dogs had joined him up there. Dimitri didn’t recognize them. They had probably been pups when he’d left. They looked young, hungry, and vicious, not the kind of wolf one would want to meet on a dark, overcast night like tonight. The two were arguing over which one would kill Lady Amelia’s adopted parents. They were discussing the murders as if the humans in question were scraps of meat to be devoured. Dimitri supposed he was just as culpable as they were in that part of the plan. He’d already sent a messenger with letter guaranteed to lure Lady Amelia’s parents to this residence, to this trap .
    The others in the room rabidly argued over Lady Amelia’s future and her place in the pack. Vlad must not have told them his plans to keep the young lady for himself, which was interesting. Was Vlad’s hold on the pack weakening?
    The pack had reverted to their native Russian despite Dimitri’s warning to speak only the English language. No reason to risk leading hunters to his doorstep. Servant gossip spread like wildfire through Mayfair. The ton already knew all about his ragtag household guests. He’d explained them away as a charity case, but their presence in his house was still a danger. Add to that the two hostages tucked away upstairs and, hell, he might as well toss a bloody powder horn into the fire grate.
    He sighed. Other than the pack, he knew of no others like himself. And although he had no place within their ranks, he didn’t belong to the human world either. No matter how adept he’d become in conforming to the human’s ways, he was still a wolf.
    These wolves were his family, his kin. He’d chew off his arm before turning his back completely on them, which put him in one hell of a predicament. Despite Misha’s vision, he’d seen enough of the world to know that Lady Amelia lacked the means to deliver them into a better life.
    By now, several of the wolves had noticed Dimitri standing in the doorway. Their gazes, glowing yellow in the dim light of the room, were fixed on him…on his throat. Their hunger, their jealousy of his new life, rolled off them like heat from a roaring fire.
    He’d been a fool to worry about Lady Amelia’s safety when his own position was so damnably precarious. They might not welcome a lone wolf to the pack, but they sure as hell wanted his money and his possessions. As soon as they figured out they no longer needed Dimitri or his expertise on London Society, those greedy wolves would likely rip out his throat and take everything he owned.
    Luckily, they needed Dimitri and his connections for a little while longer. And after that… Well, Dimitri had survived—thrived—as a lone wolf for a reason. He was clever and knew more of this cruel world than any man or wolf should ever hope to know. No one had managed to kill him yet though countless foes had tried. And if he could keep his wits about him and not let some tempting she-wolf get under his skin, he should be able to keep a few steps ahead of his pack.
    “Misha,” Vlad spoke, bringing everyone’s attention back to where he was holding court by the