88 Chapter 88 Dangerous Secrets Revealed
He retreated into the deeper shadows between the trees, preparing to disappear.
“Enough of your games!” I hissed, yanking him close enough that our breath created small clouds in the frigid air. “You achieved your objectives, and I secured what I needed. Why resurrect this nightmare now?”
I stumbled backward as the memory of our original desperate arrangement came flooding back. “You deceived me! That was never part of our initial agreement.”
My hands, which had been clutching his jacket so fiercely, began to shake uncontrollably. The overwhelming force of his Alpha dominance crashed over me like a tidal wave. It was not a physical blow but something far more primal, a direct order to my very essence. Despite every fiber of my being that screamed in resistance, despite all my pride and determination, my fingers loosened their hold and my gaze fell submissively to the ground.
Icy dread crawled up my spine. “The witch’s work was flawless! If Julian has not suspected anything after all these years, Seraphina will never realize the truth now that she has returned. The magic is impenetrable.”
Hot rage flooded my system. This was his specialty, wielding leverage like a weapon, always seeking control over others.
“Consider this your warning. Keep Seraphina away from the child, Roxanne, or the witch’s spell will shatter. When it does, the true parents’ scents will overwhelm the air, and you will lose everything.”
“Behind schedule?” I snarled, advancing toward him with every muscle coiled tight. “The entire territory is swarming with guards because of your constant interference. Patrol routes have been doubled thanks to the chaos you create wherever you go.”
He leaned closer, explaining the intricate deception. “When the witch wove her spell around the child, she addressed two critical elements: scent masking and paternal recognition interference. Julian is Elena’s biological father, but the magic ensures his wolf interprets that connection as protective affection rather than undeniable blood recognition. That is why he loves her deeply but never sensed her as his actual offspring.”
Dorian’s smile turned predatory, filled with dark knowledge. He moved closer, forcing
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me to crane my neck upward to maintain eye contact.
“Cut ties cleanly?” he mocked. “Sweet Roxanne, we are nowhere near finished. We possess a secret that could destroy lives, and discovery is inevitable.”
I released his collar and lowered my head, my shoulders curving inward in automatic
surrender.
I despised how accurate his assessment was. Julian did love Elena with fierce devotion.
Dorian’s laughter held no warmth whatsoever. “You cannot mother a child who belongs to someone else, especially when that child’s true mother will be living within the same pack.”
I dispensed with any attempt at civility. The fury that had been simmering throughout my dangerous journey finally erupted.
“Never underestimate maternal instinct, Roxanne,” Dorian warned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Magical barriers are powerful, but a mother’s intuition runs deeper.”
His laughter returned, colder and more cutting than before.
My composure finally shattered completely. “What scheme are you planning, Dorian? What is your true objective?” The confusion overwhelmed me because we had maintained this secret successfully for over five years. “Do not dare involve my daughter in your manipulations!”
My chest constricted with defensive anger. “You destroyed everything! You insisted on masking Elena’s natural scent. If you had refused, everyone including Julian’s wolf would have recognized her as his daughter and mine, making the timeline questions irrelevant.”
His response was a harsh laugh that grated against my already frayed nerves.
“What do you want from me now?” I whispered, feeling completely vulnerable. “I refuse to continue this charade. I am a mother.”
“Running behind schedule, Roxanne,” he growled, his voice carrying that familiar edge of authority. “My patience has limits.”
When I finally made it to the clearing near the northern boundary, Alpha Dorian was already there, casually propped against a boulder as though this clandestine meeting was nothing more than a pleasant social call. His all-black attire made him blend seamlessly with the shadows, and he appeared surprisingly fresh for someone who
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88 Chapter 88 Dangerous Secrets Revealed
should have traveled the same treacherous route I had just navigated.
“Still pointing fingers at the person who solves your problems, I see.”
Double patrols everywhere.
The moment I emerged from the treeline, he pushed himself upright and made an exaggerated show of checking his bare wrist.
“Stop this,” I whispered, fighting the lingering sting where his Alpha command had burned through my defenses. “I have managed to build something stable here. I have position, I have a daughter, I have pack acceptance. I will not allow you to destroy it all
again.”
He remained perfectly still, but something dangerous shifted in his expression. His eyes transformed from their usual intensity to something cold and empty. The temperature around us seemed to plummet as he released a low, commanding growl that spoke directly to my wolf’s instincts.
Driven by panic and pure fury, I lunged forward and seized the front of his jacket, twisting the fabric in my grip.
The irony burned in my throat. All this risk for the very man who had orchestrated my current predicament.
I pressed my spine against the coarse bark of an ancient oak tree as two of Julian’s senior guards passed within mere feet of my hiding spot. Their nostrils flared, searching for foreign scents, while their heavy footfalls crushed the dried leaves beneath them. My pulse thundered so violently I was certain it would give me away. Getting caught sneaking out now would destroy everything I had worked so hard to build.
“Much better,” Dorian murmured, his tone now deceptively gentle after demonstrating his superiority. He allowed the humiliation to settle before using one finger to lift my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes again. “I genuinely believed you were content with the choices you made, Roxanne. The life you carved out for yourself.”
“Show gratitude,” he corrected sharply. “The only reason Julian remained with you, the only reason he never expelled you despite suspecting she was not his biological child, is because he feels drawn to Elena. A powerful connection. My understanding of Alpha bonds guided the witch’s work.”
My stomach twisted with nausea. The deception was too complex, too perilous, and I
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hated discussing it openly.
“Think clearly, Roxanne! Without masking her true scent, they would have immediately known she was not yours either. Your scent signature would be completely absent from that child’s natural essence. Julian’s Alpha instincts would have detected Seraphina’s scent on Elena instantly, and he would have raced to reclaim his actual mate. That baby’s authentic scent practically broadcasts Seraphina’s identity.”
“Destroy everything? Roxanne, I was the architect of your salvation.” Dorian’s hand dropped away from my face. “Without my intervention, everyone would have discovered you were never pregnant. You would have had no child to present months later, and Alpha Julian would have discarded you like worthless refuse.”
Each footstep away from my home carried the weight of desperation and terror. The fear of discovery pressed against my chest like a vice. I avoided the main pathways entirely, but even my hidden routes seemed compromised by the increased security
presence.
Roxanne’s POV
Dorian’s smirk widened. “The spell encompassed more than scent blocking. She wove an illusion of resemblance, a glamour that makes any observer see Elena as bearing your physical traits. It was essential for ensuring Julian never questioned paternity.”
I closed the distance between us, planting my hands firmly on my hips. “Explain why you summoned me here. I made it crystal clear that I never wanted to see your face or hear your voice again. We agreed to cut all ties cleanly.”
Dorian stopped moving and stared at me as though I had revealed profound stupidity.
“Your daughter?” Dorian appeared genuinely entertained. “Stop deluding yourself. We initiated this deception together because we wanted to punish those two. The game continues, Roxanne, regardless of your emotional attachment to the girl.”
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