Chapter 90 90. The Baby Between Betrayal

Chapter 90 90. The Baby Between Betrayal
The silence in the room was suffocating. Sylas didn't answer immediately. Instead, he chuckled, a dry sound that didn't reach his icy eyes.
"You're brave, Shax," Sylas whispered, stepping forward until their chests were almost touching.
His Alpha aura pressed against the air, forcing everyone in the room to their knees. "Be careful. The floor of loyalty is very thin. Once you crack it, you'll fall into a bottomless pit."
Shax didn't flinch. He didn't bow his head, nor did he take a deep breath. His eyes remained locked on his brother. "I'm just stating the facts. Who in this pack doesn't know that you disliked… your late wife?"
"Ah, I know. That bitch has poisoned your brain," Sylas hissed, then turned toward Skai's crib. He motioned for the new nanny behind him to come closer. "Stop acting up, brother. You… don't know anything."
Shax frowned, sharpening his gaze as he became alert, watching Sylas reach out to touch Skai's head. The baby, usually smiling, now looked like he was holding back tears. His lips trembled, pouting.
“Starting today, this woman will be taking care of you, son,” Sylas said.
“I can do it, brother,” Shax interrupted quickly, causing Sylas to glance sharply to the side.
“You need rest.”
Shax took a shallow breath, his eyes flicking to the pale-looking nanny. “No, I’m fine without it. And yes, she can stay. But every drop of milk and every step she takes for Skai must be under my supervision.”
Sylas stopped in the doorway, turning his head slightly. “People will think you’re his father, brother.”
Shax just shrugged slowly, his expression flat as if discussing the weather. “Let’s just call me the uncle who’s crazy about his nephew.”
Three days passed in a chill of tension. Shax became a shadow in the mansion. He sat in the corner of the nursery, his arms crossed, his eyes never leaving the new nanny. When the woman tried to take Skai out of the room for his “morning walk,” Shax always stood right in front of the door.
"The Alpha says he needs some fresh air," the nanny said.
"I'll do it," Shax replied expressionlessly, quickly scooping Skai into his arms. "Follow us."
As night fell and the mansion grew quiet, he slipped out with Skai in his arms, wrapping him in a warm sling. He had done this several times, and each time Skai fell into a deep sleep, which greatly aided his efforts.
He investigated every corner of the mansion, and on some nights, would follow the scent of expensive cigars smoked by the pack elders.
In the usually dusty and rarely used west wing meeting room, Shax saw something that didn't make sense. Sylas, the Alpha who had always scorned the old rules, entered the room with the elders. There was their late father's former Beta, an old figure who had long since withdrawn from pack affairs.
Sylas, for one, wasn't the type to seek advice from the elders. Furthermore, he didn't enjoy spending time with them, as he considered them too strict with old-fashioned etiquette. That's why the gathering was so strange.
'What was he talking about in that room?'
Shax slapped his thigh in frustration at not being able to eavesdrop on their conversation. But that night, he was bolder, or rather, more reckless. He leaned in closer and strained his ears.
He only had a moment before Sylas sensed his presence nearby. Although his hearing didn't perfectly capture their conversation, he could still make out a few words.
They weren't having a casual drink in there. They were discussing family and business when the words "Skai's blood" came up.
'Skai's blood? Why are they suddenly talking about Skai's blood? Could it be that... they already know Skai isn't Sylas's flesh and blood?' Shax thought from behind the darkness of the stone pillar, his eyes trembling as he watched Skai's sleeping face.
That night, he seemed to have caught something crucial.
In the days that followed—
"Still no trace?" Sylas smashed his crystal glass to the floor, shattering it into pieces.
"Sorry, Alpha. The hunter team has searched all the way to the edge of Silver Moon territory, but the scent of the omega human DNA has completely disappeared," a trembling warrior reported.
Shax, standing by the window, grinned faintly. He knew Michelle. She would never leave without her child. If her trail was lost, it wasn't because she ran far, but because she dug a hole right under the predator's feet.
'Yes, there's no way Michelle could have gotten far from here.'
Although Shax had searched the areas near the mansion and hadn't found her, he was certain she was hiding nearby.
..
…
….
In the darkness of the warehouse, behind a pile of coffins and moldy drapes, a gasp could be heard.
"Don't move," a sharp voice hissed.
Michelle leaned against the damp stone wall. Her shoulders were bandaged with torn cloth, blackened with dried blood. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken, but her hands gripped a sharp piece of wood tightly.
Rachel sat on the floor, hugging her knees, her hair a mess. Her eyes were wide and wild, staring at the warehouse door. "He must miss me. He'll save me," she murmured.
"Shut up," Michelle whispered, her voice hoarse with pain.
"You brought me here. You kept me away from him."
"I said, shut up." Michelle covered Rachel's mouth with her hand. "Do you want to get caught? Do you want to go back to jail after I freed you?!"
"You're jealous that he loves me, aren't you?"
"Damn you. Then get out of here and see what they'll do to you if you're so disgusted with me."
Rachel fell silent, her lips curling inward, her gaze sharpening on Michelle.
Rachel stepped forward, her face flushed with irrational rage. "I'm going out now! I'm going to scream until Shax hears me! He'll kill you and take me to his room!"
Rachel lunged for the barn door, but Michelle was faster. Despite her injuries, her wolf instincts were still there. She grabbed the neck of Rachel's dress and slammed her into the old haystack.
"One more sound," Michelle pressed her trembling hand to Rachel's mouth, her fangs extending, almost touching her cheek. Her eyes flashed a menacing golden yellow.
"One more sound from your foul mouth, and I'll make sure Sylas won't have to bother punishing you. I'll personally rip your throat out right here. Do you understand?"
Rachel froze, seeing the utter darkness in Michelle's eyes. Outside, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the barn made them both hold their breath.