CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
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CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Talia’s POV
The moment Jason and Viki disappeared, Marco gave the crowd a polite nod and said, “You may continue enjoying yourselves.”
But no one did.
Guests shuffled away quickly, leaving half-finished drinks and awkward glances in their wake. The music had gone quiet, and even the warm sunlight now felt oppressive. I couldn’t help but feel awful because all of this happened because of my argument with Jason and Viki.
Della and I stood in silence near a cabana, watching the last few guests leave.
I exhaled. “What just happened?”
Della didn’t answer. Her eyes were locked on the path where Marco had come from. Her body was still tense like she was bracing for a fight.
“Why are people so scared?” I asked. ” Fangvale isn’t even his territory.”
Della whipped her head toward me, eyes wide. She slapped her hand over my mouth before I could say another word.
“Don’t talk about him here,” she hissed under her breath. “Let’s go home. I’ll explain to you.”
Confused but trusting her, I followed her quietly out of Fangvale.
We arrived back at the Silverfang estate just as the sun began to sink behind the hills.
Della was silent until we closed the door behind us. Then she dropped her purse on the table and let out a long, tight breath. “I can’t believe Alpha Nolan actually came to Fangvale.”
“I still don’t get it,” I said, settling onto the couch. “Why did everyone leave? Why was everyone so scared?”
“Because it’s a bad omen,” she said. “That’s why it’s such a big deal he was there. Nolan never goes to public events. People call him the recluse Alpha. When he comes around, bad things are bound to happen. To know that he was at Fangvale, that’s big news.”
“But, I am not understanding.”
Della nodded. “Blood Moon is second only to your father’s Silverfang Pack in strength. He became Alpha when he was just twenty-one and turned his whole pack into a military force. No one crosses him.”
I knew of Alpha Nolan. He was infamous for being ruthless. Any wolf that stood against him was cut down without mercy. He never attended the annual rituals led by my father. Alpha Nolan was the only Alpha of the ten to skip them; however, my father was never offended. He always said, “He’s there when I need him, that’s what counts.”
“Yes, I understand all of this, but he shouldn’t frighten the other packs,” I argued.
Della sat beside me and folded her hands tightly. “There used to be eleven.”
I blinked. “I know that. It was absorbed into another pack.”
“No. My father told me that small pack was invaded by Blood Moon without warning. Alpha Nolan wiped them out and killed the Alpha himself. And your father did nothing. He didn’t even publicly reprimand Nolan,” Della explained.
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CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
+25 Bonus
I felt my stomach drop. “When did this happen?”
“Of course, when you were with Jason.”
“Why…why didn’t my father do anything?”
Della shook her head. “Nobody knows. But some think your father tolerates Nolan because he’s too dangerous to provoke. Others think they share a secret. It has to be something big to keep them from turning on each other.”
I sat in stunned silence.
My father? The same man I’d always seen as the ultimate authority, the unchallenged Wolf King? Why hadn’t he acted? Had Nolan become too strong, too dangerous?
For the past three years, while I was trapped under Shadowclaw’s roof, I hadn’t thought much about Silverfang. I hadn’t needed to. It was another world I no longer belonged to. But now that I was back, I saw how little I really knew and how wrong I had been. I felt ashamed that I didn’t keep up with what was going on.
I was still lost in thought when I heard the front door open.
A moment later, Solon stepped inside, surprised to see us. “Back already?” he asked. “How was Fangvale?”
“Chaotic,” Della muttered, already heading to the kitchen for water.
He glanced at me. “Anyone interesting show up?”
I hesitated for a beat too long. “Alpha Nolan.”
He froze mid-step. “What?”
“Well, we didn’t really see him. We heard him,” I added quickly. “His Beta made an appearance and basically told everyone to be quiet. Della dragged me off right away.”
Solon shoulders relaxed only slightly. “Good. That was a very smart move from Della. Talia, you need to stay away from anyone associated with the Blood Moon pack, especially Alpha Nolan.”
I frowned. “Why? Does he threaten Father’s rule?”
He looked me over carefully before replying. “You don’t need to worry about that. Our father won’t let Alpha Nolan just do what he wants. Just stay out of his orbit, Talia. You’ve been through enough.”
“But…”
“I mean it.”
Solon’s tone was firm. He never spoke to me like that unless it was serious. I nodded and said, “I’ll stay away.”
Solon left the room without another word, My mind was spinning. Nolan even had Solon on edge,
But that only made me more curious.
Who exactly was Alpha Nolan?
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