Nina

I nod, but it’s more for show than anything else. I’ve known this was coming. I’ve known it since my father started grooming me for this role, all those years ago. But it’s different now. This isn’t about power. This isn’t about being Alpha for the sake of it. This is about survival. My survival. Our survival.

My father leans forward, eyes locked on me. “We’re not doing this half-assed, Nina. This is the real thing. Tonight, you take control. You step up, or you step aside.”

I meet his gaze, my jaw clenched tight. There’s no stepping aside. Not now. Not when everything is on the line.

“I’m...