Chapter Hundred thirty-nine

Darius’s POV

“I’m going for that throne,” I whispered to myself, barely able to contain the surge of ambition swelling within me. “I’m sorry, Anita, but I can’t keep my promise of being the good person you thought I was. I crave the power, the respect. Look at me now—revered in secret meetings, hailed like a true leader.” I could still feel the thrill of how the council members had spoken to me, with admiration and deference. I wanted that all the time. I wanted Alpha Orion’s power. I wanted to be the one who commanded the room, who felt untouchable. And I’d have it. Soon enough, Orion would be forced to watch me take everything he valued right out from under him. He would feel helpless and humiliated, and he would know what it was like to be stripped of dignity.

The next morning, Alpha Orion summoned everyone for a meeting. He called them regularly, but today I felt a thrill—today, I’d attend. I was done being his obedient, diligent brother. Today, I’d sit among them as an equal, and