The looks they were giving him. Demitrus knew his pack was questioning his strength. His confidence was shaken. Without the glove, he couldn’t follow through with any of the methods of torture he used to gain their respect. The silver was just as poisonous to him as it is to them without the glove.

At the Rizer pack fortress, he’d been cow-toed by that runt Darian in front of his own pack. He’d let them get away with more than any other pack alpha because he could not only feel the strength behind Darian but also because he was missing the support of his own pack.

The pair of werewolves that removed the instrument Onyx shoved inside him, as if he were a common bitch, not an alpha, had to die and he’d killed them right away so that they couldn’t tell the rest of the pack what they had seen.

Demitrus couldn’t shake the looks of amusement on their faces when they found him. He couldn’t shake the powerless feeling he had when they considered not removing the silver and leaving it inside him to poison him and cause his death.

If other pack members had not begun to respond to his howling in pain he was certain the two would have left him to die that way. What kind of pack members would have such little respect for their alpha that they would want him to die in such a disgraceful way?

It showed him what he tried never to see.

They didn’t love him. His pack did not respect or admire him. They simply followed him because to stand against him was to die.

Fine. I am not above using fear to remind them who I am.

Demitrus zeroed his gaze in on Thaddeus. He was sent out yesterday to find information and he was just returning to the pack now? It was questionable, to say the least.

Stalking toward him, Demitrus could feel the pack watching him, measuring him to see if he was still powerful enough to lead them.

“You have been gone a long time Thaddeus,” Demitrus said. “Too long I think.”

“I was able to get right up close to the fortress. I have information, please hear what I have to say?”

Demitrus nodded, looking Thaddeus over. He was a large werewolf. Killing him should look easy, effortless or it would serve no purpose.

“The brother of Errol is searching for his brother. I think this is because the two of them must have run away together. I believe we can find their trail and track them.”

Demitrus nodded, “Good work, Thaddeus.” He circled around to the back side of Thaddeus. “How is it do you suppose that they escaped when we have the territory surrounded?”

“I, I don’t know but they must have-”

Demitrus grabbed Thaddeus by the throat and dragged him closer. He could smell the Rizer pack on him immediately. “You betrayed us.”

Thaddeus thrashed in his hold, something none of his pack dared to do because they knew he would make their death more painful if they fought him. Without the glove to back him up he couldn’t torture Thaddeus to make him pay.

Rage filled Thaddeus. “Do you think you are worth my time?” he asked hoping the pack would believe he’d chosen not to torture Thaddeus as he crushed the neck of Thaddeus in his grasp, killing him. The pack was watching.

Demitrus tossed the dead body of one of his pack to the side. They were not impressed and yet they were not yet brave enough to challenge him.

He stalked toward the largest group of his pack. “Where are the four we sent? I want information?”

Rafael nodded and raced out to the edge of the cliff above Rizer land and howled, calling the Herod pack back for their report.

Victor was sizing him up. He could feel it. Victor was tough as nails, taking him into the pack had been a stupid thing to do. Demitrus had been over confident with his glove. It didn’t matter if the werewolves were stronger than him as long as he had the glove because no matter how strong they were, all werewolves lost when they had to fight against someone with silver.

He should have hidden the glove better from Onyx. She’d let him boss her around so long he didn’t think she had it in her anymore to fight him. He’d been wrong.

At first, he’d been determined to kill her but now he knew he needed her. She knew where his glove was which was the key to his power. He needed the glove. He sure as hell needed it before Victor decided to challenge him for the position of alpha.

“Something to say, Victor?” Demitrus asked puffing out his chest. He hoped the werewolf would buy his bluff.

Victor shook his head. “No, alpha. Nothing.”

“Good, ready the next four who will go and spy for us.” Victor inclined his head and left to do as he was asked. Demitrus knew they weren’t sure if he had it anymore or not and was relieved when Victor decided to obey him instead of challenging him.

Two of the spies they’d sent at returned. “We have news,” one said nodding toward the other.

“Well?” Demitrus barked at him.

The second spy lowered his face not daring to look at Demitrus as he spoke. “It was discovered that… Onyx took another mate.”

Demitrus forgot himself. His rage took over and he launched himself on the spy. He tore into the throat of his own pack member strangling him for what he said.

He nearly launched himself at the other pack member but the animosity and anger in the air warned him that he was pushing his pack too far. They would challenge him if he continued to kill their own.

Onyx had to pay for this. She’d humiliated him again in front of his pack. Taking another mate was the ultimate disrespect as wolves mate for life.

“I’ll have her in a collar at the end of a leash to pleasure you all however you see fit by nightfall,” he roared.

The answering cheer was not the bloodthirsty cry he was used to hearing from them, but what could he do.

Nothing.

Not until he had Onyx back.