CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY NINE
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CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY NINE
Nolan’s POV
I watched Talia walk away. I rubbed a hand over my face. I should go back to my room and take more of the herbs. Maybe they could dull the noise in my head.
‘That won’t fix anything,’ my wolf growled. ‘You drove her away, and now you’re going to reject her? If you do, I’ll never forgive you.’
“I had to,” I muttered. “It’s better this way.”
‘Better for whom? You or her?’ my wolf growled.
I didn’t answer.
Even now, I could still feel the faint pulse of our bond. We were her second mates, but she was our only one. It must mean something, and yet, here I am trying to ignore it.
I thought about what would happen after the Sacrifice Ceremony. The Alpha King would stand before the gathered Alphas, praising the Moon Goddess, and then, he’d choose a mate for his daughter. He’d pick someone with a strong lineage, a political advantage. It would be someone to strengthen his alliances. The idea of another man touching her caused irrational rage.
‘You have no reason to be upset. You agreed to this,’ my wolf said quietly.
Before I could respond, a knock came from the door. “Come in,” I said.
Marco stepped inside, looking uneasy. “You called for me?” he asked.
“I did,” I said. “Sit.”
Marco didn’t move and said, “I’m fine standing.”
“We need to talk about what you told Talia,” I finally said.
Marco didn’t say anything as he waited for me to continue. I half expected him to apologize, but he maintained his composure. “You told her about my plan to attack Silverfang. You told her everything,” I said sharply.
“I couldn’t lie to my mate, and Talia needed to know,” Marco explained.
“It wasn’t your decision.”
“It was,” he shot back.
“What did you just say?” I asked as I looked up in surprise.
“Talia needed to know what was at stake and what you were prepared to do if the Alpha King didn’t see reason,” Marco explained. “I know you, Nolan. I’ve seen you make rash choices when you’re angry, and this was one of them. My job as your Beta isn’t to follow you blindly; it’s to stop you from destroying yourself when you stop thinking clearly.”
I stared at him for a long moment. Marco didn’t back down. It wasn’t like I expected him to do. Marco thought out everything he did.
Finally, I said, “You overstepped.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But I’d rather live with your anger than a pile of innocent bodies. I don’t want that, and I know you don’t want that blood on your hands.”
I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t going to argue with someone who believed they were wrong.
‘Well, he is right,’ my wolf huffed.
7/2
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY NINE
+25 Bonus
Marco let out a slow breath. “You know, I used to believe the Alpha King killed your father. Every sign pointed to him. His timing, his influence, and even his silence after the death. It all fits too well. But now, I’m not so sure.”
I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is this due to Della?”
“It’s not just because of her,” Marco answered quickly. “Della and Talia told me that the Alpha King’s wolf is gray and silver. That is nothing like the murderer.”
That caught me off guard. I frowned. “You’re sure about this?”
“Yes,” Marco said firmly. “Talia confirmed it as well. And if the King is not the murderer, we’ve been chasing after the wrong person this entire time.”
The idea that I had been holding a grudge against the Alpha King for so many years, only to find out I had been wrong, made my stomach twist. It would mean everything I had done up until now was all for nothing. “If you haven’t seen it yourself, then I don’t believe it. They’ll say and do anything to keep the Alpha King and Silverfang safe.”
“I don’t need to see it myself,” Marco said. “Think about it. If the Alpha King was truly guilty, would he spend years hunting the same rogues we’re after? Would he risk his men, his reputation, and his own life chasing shadows just to keep up an act?”
“You sound like you’re defending him,” I said coldly.
“I’m not defending him. I want you to think without your pride. You’re letting hate guide you,” Marco shot back. “If the Alpha King was the killer, you wouldn’t be standing here. He would’ve had you executed after the poisoning incident.”
He did have a point. This entire time I had been looking for something off with the Alpha King. There was nothing, not one blemish.
Marco took a step closer. “And if you really hated the King as much as you claim, you could’ve let Talia die. You didn’t. You risked your life to bring her back.”
“I did what I had to,” I said.
Marco snorted. “You can’t lie to me, Nolan. You always say things like that when you don’t want to admit the truth.”
I glared at him, but he didn’t flinch. “Enough, Marco.”
“No. You’re going to hear this,” Marco continued, “you can keep pretending this bond doesn’t matter. You can talk about rejecting her all you want. But the truth is, you’re torn because you know walking away means losing the only person who ever made you feel anything real since your father’s death.”
“Enough, Marco,” I snapped.
He nodded slightly, “Fine but you’re not going to have the luxury to live in denial soon.”
“What do you mean?”
“Other Alphas are coming to Silverfang for the Sacrifice Ceremony,” he said. “They’re coming for alliances, for power, and for the princess. Three days from now, she’ll belong to someone else. You have until then to decide whether you’ll reject her or fight for her.”
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