Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Damien’s fist slammed against the table, sending a crack through its center. Papers flew to the ground, which he ignored.
“You knew,” he growled, his eyes burning into Beta Zane. “You knew she was Alpha Jareth’ daughter and you didn’t tell me?”
Zane didn’t flinch, but his jaw tightened. “It wasn’t my place to tell.”
Damien stood slowly, hands trembling. “Not your place? I could have used her. She could’ve beer leverage-a bargaining chip against Red Fang!”
‘She’s not a chip. She’s a person,” Zane replied, hid voice low.
Damien scoffed, pacing the room like a caged beast. “You’ve always protected her. Always sidec with her. And now I see why. Do you know what I’ve lost? I let her go. I cast her out. And now she walks back into this pack wearing royalty like armor.”
‘You didn’t just let her go,” Zane said coldly. “You made sure she burned.”
Damien’s head snapped toward him. “Watch your tone.”
‘No,” Zane said, stepping forward. “For once, you watch your actions. You pushed her out. You gnored every warning. And now the entire realm knows you exiled the Red Fang Alpha’s daughter.”
Damien leaned forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “He called her his. Said she’s
is bloodline. And you-you kept that from me?”
‘I protected her identity because she asked me to. Because Helena asked me to.”
‘Helena?” Damien repeated, confused.
Zane nodded. “Alice’s mother fled from Red Fang for a reason. There was a war she didn’t wan her daughters caught in. Helena knew. That’s why she protected Alice.”
Damien’s expression twisted. “So you’re telling me-this entire time, the woman I treated like a >ackup Luna was born of royalty?”
Zane’s eyes were steel. “Yes.”
Damien let out a bitter laugh. “And now she has power. Now I’ve lost the only card I didn’t know
was holding.”
He collapsed into his chair, his shoulders heavy with frustration.
‘She could’ve been mine,” he muttered.
Zane narrowed his gaze. “She was never yours. You just kept her caged because it made your ife easier. Because you couldn’t accept the fact that Helena was dead and it wasn’t because of
ner.”
Damien’s eyes reddened at the mention of Helena. His hand curled tightly into a fist. “She was there when Helena died. Why didn’t she burn instead of her?”
Beta Zane sighed. “You are turning Nathan into a monster like you. Stop trying to blame others, her death was no one’s fault. Perhaps even you couldn’t stop it.”
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Silence settled between them.
Then Damien looked up, face darkening. “Do you think she’ll return to Red Fang permanently?”
Zane’s voice was like ice. “Wouldn’t you?”
Damien’s fists clenched again. “I need to fix this.”
“There’s no fixing this.”
“I need to find a way to get her back on our side. Use her, if I must.”
Zane turned sharply. “Then you’ve learned nothing.”
Damien’s voice dropped low. “I’m not losing this war, Zane.”
The moonlight spilled into the quiet guest chamber, casting pale silver across the stone floor Alpha Jareth stood at the balcony, the cold breeze teasing the edge of his cloak, but his mind was far away-back in time.
When the door opened, he turned.
Alice stepped in cautiously, her face unreadable. She said nothing at first, only closed the door behind her and stood with arms folded.
“I’m glad you came,” Alpha Jareth said.
She didn’t move closer. “You should’ve come to me years ago.”
His eyes lowered.
“I know,” he murmured. “And you have every right to hate me.”
“Of course I hate you,” she said. “I want to understand. Why did you abandon us?”
Alpha Jareth took a long breath. “Because I was deceived, Alice. I thought I was protecting you.”
Her expression sharpened. “By vanishing? By pretending we didn’t exist?”
He turned from the window, stepping toward her. “The Shadowborn came to my borders twenty-five years ago. They wanted control over Red Fang. I refused. So they decided to threaten me with my family.”
Alice’s brows pulled together.
“I sent
your mother away to save her,” Alpha Jareth continued. “I didn’t know she was carrying you at the time. She never told me.”
Alice’s throat tightened. “And when you found out?”
“I tried to find you,” he said quietly. “But the Shadowborn were watching me. They already took too much. Your mother died running from them. And when I finally caught wind of who you were -Luna of Silverclaw, I couldn’t come to you. If I did they would find out you were my blood.” He took another step forward, his eyes glinting.
“I waited and I hated myself every day. But now they know you’re mine. I can’t hide anymore. And neither can you.”
Alice swallowed hard. The truth settled like a boulder on her chest.
“They forced me to marry one of theirs five years ago,” Jareth added, his voice darkening. “A woman bred by the Shadowborn to spy on me. She died giving birth.”
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“Liora?”
Alpha Jareth nodded.
Alice’s heart clenched. “They used your grief against you.”
He nodded. “And your sister, Helena… her death wasn’t an accident. They silenced her to threaten me again after Liora’s mother died.”
Alice breath hitched.
“She was trying to tell me something that day,” Alice whispered. “She asked me to meet her a the warehouse. But I was too late.”
Alpha Jareth’s voice broke. “I’m sorry, Alice. I should’ve protected you both. I failed.”
“This is no time to dwell on past pains, they’ve been sending warnings and I feel they are close They gave me a two days warning to come them –
―
Alpha Jareth shook his head and cuts in. “No there is no way I’m giving you to them.”
Alice nodded. “I would definitely come up with a plan. And I promise, they will pay for the pains they cost. You should just focus on Liora, they might come after her.”
4:16 pm
hapter 16
