Chapter 0025

Isabella smirks at him. "Athena has something to tell you."

He gives a dismissive look. "Then why are you here?"

"Support."

He scoffs at the word.

I inhale deeply. "I told you my brother never mentioned his Wolf."

"You lied to me?" he cuts in.

"No. Not like that. I didn't know every Wolf has another person inside."

His gaze sharpens on me, one brow lifting.

"When you spoke about Titan, I thought it was an Alpha thing." I glance at Isabella, who motions for me to continue. "I didn't realize it applied to everyone."

"And now you do?!"

"I never witnessed it at Silver Creek."

"Never?" He sounds genuinely curious.

I shake my head, repeating what I told Isabella.

"Nobody discussed their Wolf? Nobody ever shifted near you?"

Another head shake. I knew how absurd it sounded. Raised in a Wolf pack yet never saw a shift until the attack here.

"Strange, right?" Isabella comments.

"Never?" he presses.

"It never crossed my mind. I had other concerns. My role was to clean and endure beatings." The last part slipped out unintentionally.

Anger flashes across his face. "Enduring beatings is not a role."

Silence fills the room. I can hear my own heartbeat pounding.

"My brother enforced a rule. Shifting was permitted only beyond the trees." I shrug. "I never entered the trees."

Alpha Alexander closes his crimson eyes. "They never shifted, even when they... harmed you?"

"No."

His eyes snap open. "Then it seems we're heading to Silver Creek after all. Isabella, locate Sebastian. Tell him to gather our best."

"We're attacking?" she murmurs.

"Possibly." His eyes lock on me. "You're coming too, Athena."

Alpha Alexander instructs me to change out of joggers and a tee. I pull on black jeans and combat boots. He enters the bedroom as I tug a sweatshirt over my head.

He doesn't comment on my outfit, grabbing his jacket from the closet. The same one he wore when we first met.

"Ready?"

"...I think so."

"Good. The cars are waiting."

"What about the snow?"

He pauses to look at me. "The snow isn't deep. But that's not your real concern, is it?"

I shake my head.

"I'm not returning you. I'm taking you to provoke them." He offers a cold smile.

I open my mouth to speak, then close it. I take a deep breath and return a faint smile.

"Do you believe you'll find the answers you seek?"

"I'm not leaving until I do!"

I follow him out of the house. Several large vehicles are lined up, with people boarding. The front vehicle is the limo I rode in before. The driver stands beside it, holding the door open.

"They'll follow us to a point, then hang back. Close enough to attack if your brother isn't cooperative." Alpha Alexander mutters. "We don't want to appear hostile."

I watch Beta Sebastian enter the limo first.

"And you won't be left alone with anyone," Alpha Alexander adds.

I sit in silence while the men discuss plans openly. I feel occasional glances but no questions are directed at me.

"Well, it's not abandoned," Beta Sebastian remarks, gazing out the window.

I look through my window and see the people who took pleasure in beating me.