Chapter 47
GAVIN’S POYF
I knew my message had been well delivered to Ace, now it was only a matter of days before we faced each other again in the face off
I stood on the cliff close to the borders of his pack, the same place where everything went wrong six years ago. I pulled our my phone and typed a quick message to Charlotte.
In a few days, I’ll explain how I know you and the little I know about your past
I hit send and took an exasperated sigh.
The fight wouldn’t be worth it if Charlotte was there to watch. A good part of me hoped seeing me would stir something in her, trigger her memory. She has to remember what an asshole ce really is and the kind of man he has always been.
He’s all around her now, pretending to be who he is not, lying to her face like he didn’t once hate and reject her. He may not have been the one who threw her off the cliff, but he was the reason she was there that night. Everything that happened started with him.
Ace and I were cousins. I was two years older than him. The last Alpha King didn’t come from our generation, he came from our bloodline, many years ago. Our great grandfather, three generations before us, was the last Alpha King. When he died, the throne died with him. The moon goddess never chose another after that, and all the packs learned to live without an Alpha King.
Our grandfather had two sons. My father was the firstborn and was meant to become the Alpha of the pack, but he died during a brutal fight against the vampires. After his death, Ace’s father took over as Alpha. That was how Ace’s family line
rose.
Then Ace was born with the moon mark and I wasn’t. From that moment, everyone knew he was different, special, destined to be Alpha. Even if there was no Alpha King anymore, Ace was born to lead. I never cared for the position of an Alpha anyway. I had plans for my life, and those plans were far away from the Brownleague pack.
Everything changed when a young teenage girl was brought into the pack. Charlotte Creed. I noticed her early, my interest was drawn to her in a way I didn’t expect, but she was still young, so I kept my distance. I did the right thing. Or at least I tried to.
But life has a way of mocking me. As she grew older, she fell for Ace, just like many young female wolves did. That was when I left the pack. Not out of hate, but to stay away. Ace was my cousin, and in our own twisted way, we loved each other. I didn’t want to stand between him and the woman he would choose.
When I came back, Ace and Moon were already dating. Charlotte was of age by then, and my feelings for her had only grown stronger. I tried to make a move on her, but I never got the chance to do so because my very hot headed and annoying brother liked her too.
He never said it out loud, but I noticed it. The way he always showed up when she needed help. The way he fought for her without making noise about it. He bought her gifts on her birthdays, things she never asked for. He even learned how to make pancakes for her. Ace had never boiled water for himself, but there he was, standing in the kitchen at night with Nana, learning how to flip pancakes properly just so Charlotte could eat whenever her family starved her.
I remember walking into the kitchen one night. Nana was sick, and Ace was struggling on his own, burning his fingers while trying to make blueberry pancakes. The smell was everywhere, and he looked frustrated but determined.
“If you like her this much that you’re willing to burn yourself making pancakes for her,” I said, stepping closer, “why don’t
you stop whatever this is you’re doing with Moon and go for the girl you actually like?”
I took his hand and wrapped his finger with a small adhesive bandage, shaking my head at him.
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JU43
Tue, Fed IV
Chapter 17
“I don’t know what your’re talking abend he tried in deny, sold my eyes I pushed him down to sit on the stoed and took over the pan, Bipping the pancakes carefully
“Wu believe what you feel for her step sister is real, but it’s not teak up with her now..
d one day it’s going to be too late before your see that ju
“Amd do what?” he snapped, finally looking at me. “Break up with her to date her sister? The daughter of a prostitute? That’s never going to happen,” he hissed in the most condescending toge
My hands stilled on the pan. I drew in a slow, deep breath, holding it in so I wouldn’t punch the hell out of his face right there.
“Daughter of a prostitute, huh?” I dragged in. “And yet you’re her, burning your fingers in the kitchen, making food for
her”
I turned to him and gave him a long, hard look. “You are just very stupid”
I finished the pancakes, placed them neatly on a plate, covered dem, and set them where she usually picked them up.
“This is going to be my first and last chance, do right by her,” I said, turning to leave. His voice stopped me halfway.
“Since when are you suddenly interested in the women I play with?” he scoffed, “I can have as many as I want and do whatever I want with them. What’s your business in any of it, and why are you suddenly interested in Charlotte…”
He stopped short when he saw the look on my face. His eyes widened. “Oh my God. You like her.”
I didn’t deny it. I just walked away that night, from the kitchen and from the pack again. I couldn’t bear to watch them together when he eventually got his head straight. I stayed away for a long time, until one of my men brought me news that Charlotte had been thrown into the cage by Ace.
When I heard the reason, I knew it was a lie. Moon was lying, and my brother, as usual, chose to believe her.
I went back to the pack to knock some sense into him, and that night we fought in the woods. Neither of us backed down until blood was dripping from our bodies. We were covered in mud and dirt from the wet ground, breathing hard, wounded, and angry.
“I can’t believe you threw her in prison,” I yelled, my voice ripping through the woods. “She just shifted for the first time. She won’t survive there without food or water.”
For the first time in my life, I wished I was the Alpha and not him. If I were, he would never have had the power to treat her that way.
“It’s none of your business what I do with my mate,” he snapped, then he sneered. “Ex–mate, actually, because I rejected her sorry ass.”
It felt as if my world stopped. I left the pack so they could be together, thinking I was doing the right thing. Hearing that she was his mate was painful enough, but knowing he rejected her shattered something in me. I didn’t think, I moved. My fist connected with his jaw and sent him flying through the air. Alpha blood ran in both of us, and neither of us was weak.
He landed hard on the wet ground and started laughing haughtily.
“You really like her, don’t you?” he mocked. “Such a shame I got to have her first. She gave herself to me freely, like the cheap prostitute she is, just like her mother.” His smile was cruel. “I rejected her, man. She’s not worth it and never will be.” That was the moment I knew I could kill him.
He didn’t sound like the Ace I knew. Ace was arrogant, full of himself, hot headed and dangerous, but he would never talk down on his mate. No matter how angry he got, there were lines he never crossed. Or maybe I was wrong about him all along and he was never the righteous man I thought he was.
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Chapter
Everything happened uitam after that night Cie meniem we were fighting the next he handed her. Then than bocking animal pushed her off lift and the wit intend for wed
Thand myself for me fighing harder for Charlone I let her ge, years ago, telling myself is she the right thing to do. I poned wait I would never make that mistake again. I would hate myself forever if I walked away a second w165
My phone it up in my hand. It was a message from Charlotte
Won’t bother asking how you got my number When do we
A unile slowly found its way to my lips as I typed back. Don’t worry your pretty head I’ll be in a few days. The place is somewhere you won’t expect”
I pushed the fight back to five days. I knew she would be healed by then. Yes, I knew about the Rougarou attack at her house. I had been watching her since she stepped back into America with her son. Being anywhere near Ace was like inviting chaos, and trouble always followed him.
I let her go once and it almost destroyed me. I wasn’t making that mistake again. This time, I would fight for her and let her see the truth with her own eyes.
My phone suddenly started ringing in my hand. My heart did a stupid flip, like a kid hoping it was her. The smile on my face vanished the second I saw the name on the screen.
It was Ace, my brother.
“I can’t believe the almighty Alpha Ace Virel is calling me,” I said the moment I picked up, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “How long has it been since you called my line? Eight years? Six: Damn, I must have finally done something right in my lifetime.”
“Shut the hell up. What do you want?” he hissed into the phone and I chuckled softly. He really hadn’t changed. Still arrogant and full of himself, acting like the world owed him something.
“Why would I want to fight you?” His voice was tight with anger now. “What exactly do you stand to gain from this?”
“Your elders are wonderful people, aren’t they?” I said calmly. “I’m sure they already filled you in. But there’s a part they didn’t mention. If you win, I’ll help you flush out the Rougarous. Every single one of them, right down to their leader. After that, you can do whatever the hell you want with them.”
There was a brief pause. “And if I lose…?” he asked.
A slow smirk curved my lips. “Then you do whatever I want you to do. There are things you have that you don’t deserve anymore, Ace. And I want them all.”
He let out a low, dark huff, the kind you could feel through the phone. “I never knew you to be the greedy type. You’ve changed.”
“Everybody changes, little brother. You did too. In everything you do, make sure you win. Because I won’t give you the chance to hesitate. If you step into that ring, you better be ready to finish it.”
“And if I refuse to fight you?” he asked.
“That’s not an option,” I said flatly. “You know me. I’ll destroy everything you’ve built. Your pack. Your name. Your throne.” I paused. “And I’ll start with the one thing you can’t shake.”
His breathing shifted on the other end.
“Oh, and one more thing,” I added. “I’ll be inviting a special guest that day.” Then I ended the call.
I’ll have your rejected mate watch while I punch the life out of you, I muttered, knowing he couldn’t hear me.
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Chapter 17
I couldn’t want to as the load on his five when he saw Charlotte If he refuse to fight, he’ll lose one than he ran inte and if he fights Chattestte will we the dark side of hit she never exired.
Either way, is not going to stud well for hom
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
