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“Xavier,” he said finally, his voice low. “You know about the
Dark Alley incident, so you must know how danger Xavier is. If
the truth about Dark Alley Pack comes out, Xavier will be a
threat to us all!”
“So what? He hates you. Not me. Not my fucking problem,” I
shrugged nonchalantly.
“But he may not see us as the sole enemy. His hatred won’t just
be for the Royal Council–it might turn toward you as well.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “Me? You’re really grasping at
straws now, aren’t you? I had nothing to do with your sin. The
blood is on your hand and your hand alone.”
Owen’s tone grew sharper. “Think about it, Asher. You’re the
Alpha King. You’ve inherited your uncle’s legacy, his
connections, his sins. Do you really believe Xavier won’t see
you as complicit? The truth will put him against all of us-
including you. And if Xavier sides with Isaac, it’s even worse. You’ll have a war on your hands.”
My jaw tightened, but I didn’t let him see any hesitation.
“Xavier and Isaac? They don’t even know each other. It’ll be
ages before they team up.”
“But they both hate you. That’s something they share. And
words said that Xavier had connected with vampires.”
I stood up, my voice ice cold, “That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever
heard. You think I’ll buy this nonsense about alliances and
vampiric threats? Vampires were wiped out during the witch
wars. Everyone knows that.”
Owen’s face twitched, but he didn’t reply. I leaned forward, my
eyes narrowing. “This isn’t about Xavier, is it? You’re just
covering your tracks. Trying to justify your actions. But here’s
the thing–you don’t need to justify anything to me. You’ve
already lost.”
Owen opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off with a
wave of my hand. “Save it. We’re done here. I got what I
needed.
On my way back to the palace, Owen’s warnings echoed in my
mind.
He wanted me to believe that Xavier was the real threat, that
the truth about Dark Alley Pack would turn Xavier against me.
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But I wasn’t afraid of Xavier.
He might be strong, but I was stronger. And unlike the council, I
wasn’t hiding behind lies and manipulation. If Xavier wanted to
come after me, I’d be ready. But first, I needed to deal with the
immediate threat: Isaac.
One way or another, this was going to end. And I would make
sure Isaac paid for every life he’d threatened, every ounce of
pain he’d caused. No more games. No more second chances.
Back at the palace, Simon was guarding outside of Mia’s room
when I arrived. He straightened when he saw me, ready for
orders.
“Simon,” I said to my best warrior, my voice steady. “I need you
to escort Mia to the Nightshade Pack. Their lands might be the
only chance she has to recover. Ensure her safety at all costs.”
Simon nodded firmly. “Understood, Alpha. I won’t let anything
happen to her.”
I found Violet in Mia’s room, sitting beside her bed. She must
haven’t slept in days. She looked exhausted, her face pale and
her eyes red from crying. Her hand rested on Mia’s, holding it
tightly as though she could anchor her daughter to this world
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through sheer will alone.
When I told her the plan, she shook her head immediately.
“NO!” she cried, her voice trembling. “Are you sending her away
alone? No, I can’t let her leave my sight, Asher. What if
something happens to her? I need to be with her.”
I crouched beside her, taking her hands in mine.
“Relax babe,” I said softly, “I know how you feel. But we can’t
leave this palace while we are at war, and Mia can’t recover
here. I’m sorry but this is the only way. We need to trust Simon
to protect her.”
She looked at me, tears streaming down her face. “And what if
they’re wrong, Asher? What if this doesn’t work?”
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat almost too much to
bear. “Then we’ll find another way. But we have to try this first.
It’s her best chance.”
Violet looked back at Mia, her expression full of anguish.
“I can’t lose her,” she whispered. “I can’t.”
“You won’t,” I said firmly, gripping her hands tighter. “We’ll
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save her. I promise.”
After a long moment, she nodded reluctantly, her shoulders
sagging with defeat, “I hate it, Asher. To be apart from my daughter. To lose my brother and don’t know where he is.
Things shouldn’t be like this. We are a family. We should stay
together. Why are thing so fucked up right now!”
