Chapter 32
Apr 17, 2025
The world stood still.
Felicia’s heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out everything else—the whispers of the wind, the labored breaths of the warriors, the distant howls in the forest.
She couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
He killed your brother.
Damien’s words echoed in her mind, over and over, like a drum beating against her skull.
No. It couldn’t be true. It couldn’t.
Her vision blurred as she looked around the battlefield, at the blood-stained ground, at the warriors frozen in shock, waiting for what would happen next. Her chest tightened as a sinking feeling clawed at her insides.
She lifted her gaze, her eyes locking onto Damien, and for the first time in a long time, she saw something different in him. Not anger. Not hatred. But raw, painful honesty.
Her voice came out in a whisper, shaky and uncertain. “What are you talking about, Damien?”
Damien took a step forward, his face a mask of barely contained rage. But his voice, when he spoke, was steady and lethal.
“I’m talking about Lucien,” he said, his eyes darkening. “About what he’s done. You think he’s protecting you? That he’s keeping you safe?” He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “He’s the reason your family is broken, Felicia.”
Felicia felt suffocated, like the air had suddenly been stolen from her lungs. She clenched her fists. “Stop being vague, Damien. If you’re going to say something like that, then tell me everything.”
Damien’s jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists before he exhaled sharply, as if forcing himself to remain calm.
“You know about the rogue attack on my pack,” he started, his voice sharp as a blade.
Felicia swallowed, nodding slowly. She had heard about it. Everyone had.
“They didn’t just come to cause chaos,” Damien continued. “They were there for a purpose.” His eyes flickered with something dark. “They killed my clairvoyant.”
Felicia inhaled sharply. His clairvoyant?
The clairvoyant of a pack was its spiritual guide, the wolf who could see into the unseen, sense threats before they arrived. Killing one was more than just an attack—it was a declaration of war.
“That’s not all,” Damien added. His voice hardened, his body tense with barely restrained fury. “We caught one of the rogues.”
Felicia’s stomach tightened. “And?”
Damien’s next words shattered everything.
“The rogue confessed,” he said, each word laced with venom and truth. “He said Lucien sent him.”
Felicia felt like the ground beneath her tilted, like she was falling into a deep, endless abyss.
She turned to Lucien, her entire body trembling. Her heart screamed for him to deny it, for him to tell her this was all a lie.
Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the weight of her words could break mountains.
“Is this true?”
Lucien’s golden eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn’t expected this moment to come.
She took a step closer, her hands shaking. “Is what he’s saying true?”
Lucien finally met her gaze, his face unreadable. But for the first time since she had known him, she saw something else in his expression—bewilderment.
His lips parted, but no words came out at first. Then—
“It’s not.”
Felicia’s breath hitched.
Lucien took a slow step toward her, his golden eyes searching hers. “I didn’t do it, Felicia.” His voice was calm, controlled. Too controlled.
Felicia’s stomach twisted.
She wanted to believe him. God, she wanted to believe him.
Felicia’s lips trembled as she turned her gaze back to Damien, desperate for clarity, for anything that made sense.
“Why would a rogue say that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why would he lie?”
Damien’s face was unreadable, but his eyes burned with certainty.
“They don’t lie when they’re dying, Felicia,” he said coldly.
Her knees almost buckled.
Lucien let out a scoff, shaking his head. “Damien, really? You’re taking the word of a dying rogue over mine?”
“I’m taking the word of a man who had nothing left to lose.” Damien snapped back. His gaze flickered to Felicia. “And deep down, you know I’m right.”
Felicia took a step back, suddenly unsure of everything.
Lucien’s face darkened. “You’re doubting me?”
Felicia hesitated.
For the first time in years, she looked at Lucien—really looked at him.
His golden eyes, always so warm, so confident, so full of control.
But now, she wasn’t sure if it was control… or calculation.
Felicia swallowed hard. “Lucien,” she whispered, “I need the truth.”
His jaw tightened, his hands clenching at his sides. “I told you the truth.”
Felicia turned to Damien, her eyes begging for an explanation.
“Lucien has been attacking my pack for months,” Damien said, his voice sharp. “He’s been sending rogues, testing our defenses. This was never about peace, Felicia. It was about waiting for the right moment to destroy us.”
Felicia’s head spun. “That… that doesn’t make sense.”
Lucien let out a low, humorless laugh. “Exactly.” He stepped closer to her, his eyes locking onto hers. “Think, Felicia. If I wanted Damien dead, I would’ve done it already. You know that.”
Felicia’s breath caught.
She did know that.
