Chapter 0027

Alexander

My fingers squeezed Victoria's throat tighter.

She choked, gasping for air.

Her hands clawed desperately at my grip.

I loosened my hold just enough.

"Are you growing it?" I demanded.

"No," she rasped, voice strained.

"Then how did you get it? Was it Dominic? Or that fool Marcus?"

"I found it!" she croaked out.

"Lies!"

"It's true!" she insisted, coughing.

"Who were you targeting? Me or her?"

Movement caught my attention.

Athena stepped forward from behind me.

"Was it you?" she whispered softly.

"Don't speak to me, traitor!"

"Answer her!" I ordered.

I slammed Victoria against the wall.

A sickening crack echoed through the room.

She cried out in sharp pain.

"I don't understand her question," she gasped.

"Let me make it clear. Her parents were murdered with Wolfsbane Toxin. The blame was placed on a six-year-old. Your mate claimed she should have known plants. You know this already. So I'll ask again. Did you kill them?"

"GET AWAY FROM MY MATE!"

Dominic charged into the room.

He crashed into me, sending us both stumbling.

I landed heavily on top of Athena.

Our eyes locked instantly.

Her blue gaze held mine.

A soft gasp escaped her lips.

My chest pressed against hers.

In that moment, I knew.

Titan was right all along.

She was my true mate.

'Told you so!' Titan murmured smugly.

But it still didn't make sense.

How could she have two mates?

I rose to my feet quickly.

Dominic was already raging.

He checked the marks on Victoria's neck.

His eyes burned with fury.

"How dare you attack my mate in my own home!"

"Can't you smell the Wolfsbane Toxin?" I snapped.

His jaw tightened visibly.

"She was alone! She was defending herself!"

"I came for answers, not a war. But if you want war, I'll give it to you."

He raised his hands suddenly.

Realization dawned on his face.

He knew I meant every word.

"It was a mistake. She shouldn't have done it. But you must understand, Alpha Alexander. My mate felt threatened."

"The contract states if you harm Athena again, this pack becomes mine."

"But she didn't harm her. You discovered the poison in time. No damage was done." His eyes flicked to Victoria. She still sat on the floor, rubbing her neck. "Technically, she broke no rules."

'He found a loophole,' Titan growled.

Indeed he had. Dominic was the first to ever find a loophole in my contracts.

"Surely we can discuss this misunderstanding," Dominic said. He turned to his mate. "Leave us."

"I'm staying," she insisted.

"Let her remain," I said. "Let her stay and reveal all your secrets."

I sat back down, watching them both.

My eyes moved to Athena.

I raised a finger to my lips.

She nodded in understanding.

She knew to stay silent and listen.

To hear the lies she'd been fed for years.

"Where's the other one?" I asked.

Victoria said Marcus and Dominic were hunting together.

Yet Dominic arrived alone.

"He's coming," Dominic muttered, jaw clenched.

"Good. While we wait, tell me the truth. Who really killed your parents, Dominic?"

His eyes shifted to my mate.

"I already told you."

"But it's not the truth, is it? Your mate tried to poison us with the same substance. It makes me think it was her. Or perhaps both of you?"

"It was Athena! Why does it matter? You took her as your bride. You clearly don't care about her past actions."

"Because it's not true. Deny it all you want. I know it was one of you." I looked directly at Victoria. "Or maybe both of you were involved."

Victoria dropped her gaze immediately.

"Did you plan it together?" I asked bluntly. "Were you so desperate for power that you killed your own parents?"

I saw his jaw tighten.

His cheeks pulsed with tension.

"If you did, that's your burden. But to blame a child? To punish her so cruelly? That's unforgivable. If the pack discovered the truth, they'd see you as a traitor. You'd have no place here."

"What do you want?" he snarled.

"The truth."

"Don't!" Victoria cried out.

"Silence!" I growled at her.

Dominic turned to look at Athena.

"You did kill them. But it wasn't supposed to be them. You were too young to remember. You were supposed to take the poisoned lemonade to Victoria's parents. But you took the jug and served our parents first."

I watched Athena closely.

She blinked back tears.

Her hands balled into fists.

She slid them under her legs.

She sat on them, hiding her turmoil.

"So you punished her for your mistake?"

"I had to. She served them. There were too many witnesses." He sank into a chair. "I couldn't let it go unpunished."

"And yet you allowed everyone to beat her. You beat her yourself. Was binding her not enough?"

"Then the foolish girl should have followed directions!" Victoria snapped.

Everything fell into place.

Athena had told me about Victoria's changing attitude.

She had tried to befriend Athena.

She wanted Athena to do her dirty work.

It was all a calculated plan.

"Let me understand this. If she had killed your parents, you would never have tormented my bride?"

Neither answered.

"I thought so."

I waited for Titan to speak.

But he just paced in my mind.

He was holding back, waiting for more information.

"You may be angry, Alpha Alexander. But it's in the past. We want to move forward. We want a strong alliance with your pack. I know there's bad history with my sister. But we can move past it. Can't we?"

"Bad history?" I snorted. "You made her life a living hell."

I looked at my mate.

She stared down at her lap.

A fierce need for revenge burned within me.

For everything they had done to her.

They would all pay.

Every last wolf of Silver Creek would feel my wrath.