Chapter 116
Chapter 116
ALEXANDER
The anger I had carried into the dungeon still pulsed faintly in my veins, though I had forced myself to leave the prisoner before my temper ruined everything.
Rage solves nothing…Faye had been right about that. Rage only satisfies the beast inside me, not the Alpha responsible for a whole pack. Now, alone in the quiet of my room, I could finally peel back the rage and look at the truth with clearer eyes.
The man in that cell had been stubborn, more so than most I had broken before. He coughed blood, spat it to the floor, but repeated the same thing over and over: Marcus was coming. Marcus, the “rightful Alpha” of Blood Crescent. I turned the phrase over in my mind, again and again, like a stone grinding against my teeth. It made no sense.
There were many who wanted me dead, many who wanted my territory, my wolves, my company, my throne…but none who would dare to claim it by right.
The Blackwell line had ruled Blood Crescent since its birth. By blood, by trial, by the oath of the moon itself, we carried the weight of the title. There was no loophole, no alternate history in which another bloodline could challenge us without war. For a man to say it was his by right meant one of two things: either he was a fool, or he was speaking someone else’s truth.
I had been furious because I could not decide which possibility insulted me more.
I leaned back against the chair. Calmness had returned, but deep down, I could feel the storm. The prisoner had sworn he knew no more than the name. No last name, no pack, nothing. Only that word…Marcus…and the title he claimed.
And yet, Faye had seen something I had nearly missed. She had been standing beside me in the cell, steady, watching every flicker of the prisoner’s expression. She said he wasn’t lying. He believed what he was saying. That, more than anything, unsettled me. Wolves lied….wolves deceived. But conviction… conviction was harder to fabricate.
A sharp rap came at the door, breaking my thoughts. I ignored it at first, unwilling to have my concentration shattered by yet another trivial matter. But then came my Irene’s voice.
“Alexander? It’s me p>
I exhaled, rose from the chair, and unlatched the door. Irene slipped in, and behind her came Faye. I stepped back, letting them enter before I shut the door again.
Irene studied me, her eyes narrowing slightly. “How are you holding up p>
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Clair
Chapter 116
I gave her a thin smirk, the kind that wasn’t really an answer. “What do you think p>
She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I think you’ve always had a talent for overthinking everything. Maybe this is one of those times. Prisoners talk nonsense when they know they’re beaten. Maybe this one just wanted to get under your skin p>
Her tone was casual, dismissive, but Faye cut in before I could reply.
“No. You didn’t see him,” she said, her voice firm. “That man wasn’t just trying to rattle us. He looked… satisfied. He wanted us to know exactly what he said. Like he knew it would leave a
mark p>
Irene tilted her head, skeptical, but I remained silent for a moment. My sister’s optimism was a shield she had always used, one that kept her from staring too long at the darker corners of our world. Faye had no such shield. She looked at the shadows until they revealed their shapes. Between the two, I had to choose which perspective sharpened me more.
Finally, I spoke. “Frustration doesn’t even begin to cover what I feel right now. We’ve been attacked, wolves have died, others are still fighting to recover, and for what? By the time we had their men on the ground, all we found were mercenaries. Not tied to any pack. No allegiances, no banner to trace p>
The words came out clipped. I wasn’t complaining, I was stating facts. “And the one man left alive…our prisoner…claims all he knows is that their sponsor calls himself Marcus. The rightful Alpha of Blood Crescent p>
Irene crossed her arms. “So no name, no pack, no address? Nothing p>
Faye nodded slowly, answering for me. “Nothing. They only saw him when he chose to appear, and he was the one who picked the meeting places. A different location every time p>
Irene frowned. “No address. No pack. Then how did he give them instructions? There has to be something. A clue. If they’ve seen him, then they’ve noticed something. His build, his smell, his manner of dress, maybe even accessories. Wolves always leave traces of themselves, even when they don’t mean to p>
Her words struck a chord, and I saw Faye’s eyes sharpen with sudden thought. She turned to me quickly.
“Alexander–do you still have the sketch Derek sent? The one with the ring p>
For a moment I only stared at her, the pieces aligning in my head with unsettling precision. I reached for my phone, and unlocked the screen. Handing it to her, I searched her face.
“You think it might be the same person p>
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< Chapter 116
Claim
Faye didn’t answer immediately. She studied the sketch on my screen for a long moment, her brows drawing together in that way they always did when her mind was piecing things into order. Finally, she exhaled.
“It’s just a hunch,” she said at last. “But I see a pattern here p>
My eyes narrowed slightly. “Go on p>
She lifted her gaze to mine. “Derek had said something when he took in that guard. He said the man confessed that whoever bought them over, the one who orchestrated the whole attack, always moved the same way. He never gave them anything solid. No fixed location. Just appeared when he wanted, arranged a sudden meeting, handed down instructions and money, then vanished again before they could question him p>
The words sank into me. Always on his own terms, no threads to follow…no trace.
Faye’s voice lowered, thoughtful. “This ring… it may not be coincidence. The way he operates, the silence he leaves behind…it matches too closely. It could be the same man Derek’s prisoner described p>
She rose from her seat, the decision clear in her posture before Irene even asked.
“And where exactly are you going?” Irene said, suspicion showing in her tone.
Faye was already at the door, my phone in her hand. “To see if I can get more answers p>
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