Chapter 166

Chapter 166
Arabella's POV

Shit.

I told Asher Alexander would figure it out.

It hadn't even been twenty-four hours.

I didn't know what my brother was thinking. He knew Alexander tortured people for a living. He could smell a lie before it even left someone's mouth. More than that—he read me like a book.

And right now, that book was wide-fucking-open.

As much as I appreciated that Asher told me they caught Wesley, he should've waited. He should've picked a better time. A better place.

Now, it's too late.

Alexander didn't take his eyes off me. Not even once.

His silence was lethal. His stillness? Even worse.

"Lucas," Alexander's voice cut through the silence, deceptively calm. "Put Alice in her crib. I don't want her to wake up while I'm dealing with our Puppy."

My breath caught. The way he said "dealing with" sent ice through my veins.

Lucas hesitated, glancing between Alexander and me before adjusting Alice in his arms. "Yeah, I want to know what's going on too. Tristan also wants to know."

Double shit. I wasn't just facing Alexander—I'd have to deal with all three of them. My heart sank further as Lucas carried Alice upstairs, leaving me alone with Alexander, Asher, and an increasingly tense atmosphere.

After Lucas disappeared, the silence thickened until it felt like I could choke on it. Alexander's gaze never left my face, studying every twitch and tell. I couldn't look at him directly—not when his eyes held that dangerous glint.

"I know you heard me speak, Arabella." Alexander's voice was low and commanding. "I won't repeat myself. My orders are not to be disobeyed. Come here."

My stomach knotted with anxiety. My legs felt leaden, refusing to move as instinct screamed at me to run rather than approach. I could feel Asher's worried gaze, but he didn't intervene. He knew better than to challenge Alexander when he was like this.

With mounting dread and certainty that I was about to be punished, I forced myself to walk toward Alexander. My body tensed with anticipation of what was coming. I could feel Asher's eyes following me, but he remained silent, offering no help.

When I reached Alexander, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap in one swift motion. His hand immediately circled my throat—not squeezing, but holding me firmly in place—while his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me back against his chest. His hold wasn't painful, but it was absolute. I couldn't move an inch.

"See, Asher," Alexander's voice rumbled against my back, "Arabella knows better than to keep secrets from me. She knows I'll get the truth from her eventually. Don't you, puppy?"

I shivered at his use of "puppy," hating how my body instinctively relaxed into his touch despite my fear. My traitor body always responded to him, even when my mind was screaming in panic. The shame of it burned through me.

"Alexander, please—" My voice came out barely above a whisper, my throat constricting against his palm.

"Is that what you want, Puppy? Mercy?" His tone was mocking, his breath hot against my ear. "You should know by now that you won't find it from me."

I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, my chest tight with anxiety.

"Or would you rather I prove it to you?" Alexander continued, his voice darkening. "Let your brother see just how easily you submit to me."

My eyes widened in horror, darting to Asher who sat rigidly, jaw clenched tight. The thought of Alexander demonstrating his control over me in front of my brother sent a fresh wave of panic through me.

"You really think you can keep secrets from me, Puppy?" Alexander's teeth grazed my pulse point, making my heart race faster. "After everything we've been through? After the connection we've formed?"

I struggled to control my breathing, but my pulse betrayed me, racing beneath his fingers. My treacherous body couldn't lie, even if my words could.

"We're together, Arabella..." Alexander whispered, his voice low and intense. "You can't hide anything from me."

Part of me knew he was right. He could sense my emotions, my desires, my fears. But this secret wasn't just mine to tell. It involved Wesley, Blood, Asher, and potentially the safety of our entire pack. I wasn't trying to betray Alexander—I was trying to protect him and everyone else from the consequences of Wesley's death.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs announced Lucas and Tristan's return. I looked up to see them both watching me with identical expressions of concern and determination. The room felt smaller suddenly, the air heavier with the weight of three men's attention focused entirely on me.

"So?" Lucas pressed Asher, his voice hard. "How long are you going to drag this out before telling us what's happening?"

Asher sighed heavily and sat down on the couch across from us, creating a standoff with Alexander. The tension between them was palpable, crackling like electricity. I was caught in the middle, Alexander's hand still firmly around my throat.

I caught Asher's eye, silently pleading with him not to say anything. If Alexander found out where Wesley was, he would kill him immediately. That would spark an all-out war with the Black Moon Pack. Wesley's death needed to look like an accident or the result of internal conflict—not murder by the Alpha of a rival pack.

"Please, Asher, don't tell him," I begged silently, hoping my eyes conveyed what I couldn't say aloud.

Turning back to Alexander, I cupped his face in my hands. My fingers trembled against his skin. "I know you're angry with me," I whispered, my voice unsteady. "But I can't lose you, okay? Even if you end up hating me for this, you need to know—this is the only way I can protect you and everyone else."

Alexander's expression shifted, understanding dawning in his eyes. A cold, dangerous smile spread across his face as he let out a low, humorless laugh.

"So that's what this is about," he said, his voice eerily calm. "I fucking knew it. I knew only that cowardly traitor would break so easily, like the fucking rabbit he is."

My throat closed up completely, heartbeat stuttering as I realized he'd put it together. Cold sweat trickled down my spine as Alexander's fingers tightened slightly around my wrist, his other hand still holding my neck as he pulled me closer.

"Tell me," Alexander demanded, his voice deadly quiet. "Where is Wesley, Puppy?"