Chapter 0420

Zachary

I knock on the office door and get no answer. That’s odd. I expected Alexander to be here already. The meeting with Caleb starts in less than five minutes.

I step inside and move to the far right corner. I position myself behind the desk, near the window. I need a clear view of everyone in the room.

Luc shows up next. He spins in front of me deliberately. He lifts his shirt just enough to prove he isn’t hiding weapons in his belt.

“You actually listened for once.” I mutter.

“It might shock you, but I care about my daughter. I can follow rules when it matters.”

I don’t answer. Alexander walks in yawning. “I need to talk to both of you after this.”

“About my little girl?” Luc asks.

“No…”

He’s cut off as Caleb arrives. Caleb checks his watch. “I’m not late, am I?”

“You’re right on time.” Alexander tells him. “Take a seat.”

“What about my daughter and his kid? Shouldn’t they be here too?” Luc challenges. “Since this is about them.”

“DO NOT call him that.” Caleb growls through clenched teeth.

“I don’t want either of you speaking.” Alexander’s crimson eyes shift between them. “You both need to listen.”

He points at me. He already asked me to explain how I found Charlotte. He believes it will help Caleb understand. “Do you know how Charlotte lived when she was young?” I ask carefully.

“Yes, I know what Seraphina did.”

“I’m not talking about Seraphina. I’m talking about the Humans she sold her to.”

“This has nothing to do with her attacking my son.”

“Maybe not. But you deserve to know. It might help us understand why she pinned Liam down.”

Even Luc doesn’t know the full truth about how I found her. He only heard bits and pieces. As long as she was safe, he was satisfied. But I often wonder if he noticed the cracks in her soul too and just stayed silent.

His eyes flash toward me. I can see his anger rising to the surface. He paces in the background. His hands are balled into fists. He’s like a live grenade, ready to explode.

'Tread carefully.' Alexander links me while watching Luc.

'He’s unarmed.' But that doesn’t mean Luc won’t hit something.

“She was just a child.” Caleb mutters sadly as I finish explaining how she ate from a bowl like a dog the first night I saved her.

“She learned to survive on nothing. She had nightmares for almost a year. They finally eased to maybe once a week.” I glance at Luc. He’s staring into space, probably imagining how he’ll make Seraphina suffer for what she did to his child. “Charlotte has kept everything bottled up for so long. I knew one day she would explode. She didn’t attack him for fun. She attacked Liam because of what he said.”

Caleb looks down.

“He hasn’t told you what he said, has he?” Alexander asks.

“He’s sticking to the same story. He claims he asked for a pencil and she snapped. But I know it’s not the whole truth. She has nightmares; he sleeps soundly, without a care.”

“He called her poison. Told her someone would kill her in her sleep.” I mutter. Hearing Brianna tell me that made my blood boil. “He wouldn’t…”

“He did.”

Caleb narrows his eyes at me. “She told you that.”

“No, she confided in a friend. I believe her.”

“My son wouldn’t say something like that.” Caleb shakes his head dismissively.

“Then bring him in here! I’ll find out if the little liar is telling the truth!” Luc snarls.

Alexander raises his hand to silence everyone. “Caleb, how would Liam know about poison? It’s not something taught to children that young.”

He shakes his head. “He’s never mentioned it before. Not even when fighting with his brother. I don’t think Zoe and I have ever discussed it. Maybe we did without realizing he was listening, but it wasn’t recent. If you haven’t noticed, Alexander, we’re not a family that goes on hunts or to war. We haven’t even joined a pack run because we don’t feel welcome among the Wolves.”