Chapter 4 THE KING'S GAMBIT
CHAPTER FOUR
The King’s Gambit
XAVIER'S POV
"So, what are you going to do next?"
I stared at Kaiden, the silence of my study stretching thin and tight, and for the first time in thirty-five years, I felt words turn to ash in my mouth. "I don't know."
Kaiden lifted a dark brow, a sharp, mocking scoff escaping his lips as he leaned back. "The Almighty Alpha Xavier doesn't know what to do? That’s a new one. This could literally be the headline of the year. The King of the North is so lovesick he’s paralyzed in a dilemma? Pathetic."
I let out a low, vibrating growl that vibrated the glass on my desk, finally shutting him up. I sighed, rubbing my temples. I couldn't remember the last time a decision felt this heavy, and yet, Avrielle had managed to bring me to my knees without even trying.
"I really don't know, Kaiden," I repeated, the weight of the night before still clinging to my skin.
"I don't get you," Kaiden muttered, his voice dropping into that ruthless, cold tone he used when he was losing patience. "The situation is different now than it was five years ago. She’s divorced. She’s free. What the hell is stopping you from claiming what’s yours?"
I stared out the window, the memories of six years ago rushing back like a flood. I’d been drowning in war then—the Shadowmoon Pack was breathing down our necks, and the pressure was suffocating and when the news of treason came from the Beta’s house, I hadn't looked into it.
I’d just signed the order for the victim to be beaten to death based on the proof presented. It was a standard verdict for a traitor.
I didn't regret it until the day of Adrian’s wedding. I'd just managed to stabilize the peace between the two packs and I’d walked in to congratulate my nephew, only to find that the bride—the victim I had nearly executed with my own hands—was my fated mate.
My wolf had howled in a mixture of agony and fury, recognizing her the second our scents mingled. But she was marrying my brother’s son. She was family.
I couldn't stay for the ceremony. For five years, I’d played the role of the doting uncle, secretly funneling wealth into Adrian’s hands just so she could live in luxury.
I’d protected her from the shadows, watching her grow sadder and more neglected, until last night. When I heard she’d been in an accident and thrown out like trash, my wolf took over. I went to that club for her. And I didn't regret for a single second the way she had moaned my name under the strobe lights.
"Maybe because I'm her ex-uncle-in-law," I replied, my voice raspy.
"Since when has a label or a taboo ever stopped you from taking what you want?" Kaiden snapped. "You’ve burned down entire villages for less."
He was right. After finding out she was my mate back then, I’d gone through the case of the treason and found out she was indeed completely innocent and the Beta had framed her for personal gain. Just so he'd gain more power.
I was consumed with so much fury back then, I ended the entire family and made sure to feed the Beta’s head to the dogs.
"She’ll think I’m a freak, Kaiden. If I suddenly show up playing the loving savior hours after her marriage imploded? It’s insane."
Kaiden sighed, a jagged, frustrated sound. "Maybe this will change your mind." He tossed a thick folder onto my desk.
"What is this?"
"Read it," Kaiden muttered because he definitely wouldn't dare command me.
"Remember the theft from five years ago? The framing? The Beta didn't act alone. Your nephew, Adrian, ordered the strike and Ivana was the one who fed him the intel to make it stick."
I froze, my eyes scanning the documents. I’d always known Adrian was a coward who feared me because I held his purse strings. He’d blamed me for his parents' death for years, and I’d used the wealth as a leash to keep him in check. But this?
"There's more," Kaiden added, his voice turning lethal. He tossed a second document at me. "Evidence that Adrian colluded with the Shadowmoon Pack six years ago. He gave them the distraction they needed for their border raids just so he could pull off his plan to 'save' Avrielle and look like the hero."
A cold, hollow realization settled in my gut. Adrian was hungry for power, yes, but the Shadowmoon Pack wouldn't have helped him unless there was a massive payoff. Unless... unless Adrian knew six years ago that Avrielle was my mate. He’d stolen her to spite me, to keep the Alpha’s mate as his own personal trophy. But how did he know she was even when I was yet too?
But if he did all that chaos to have her, why let her go now? Why the easy divorce? Unless she was no longer a useful tool and had become a threat. And in our world, threats are eliminated.
"Where is she?" I barked, the chair scraping loudly against the floor as I stood.
"I don't know," Kaiden replied, his expression darkening. "The last report says Adrian threw her out of the house after you left with absolutely nothing. Barefoot. No phone. No money."
My heart leaped into my throat. It had been hours since I left that house. It was nightfall now.
‘Find her, Xavier!’ My wolf, Thorne, roared in my mind, his voice a deafening command.
‘Our mate is in danger! Find her before they do!’
My eyes bled into a predatory gold as I stormed out of the study. I didn't wait for Kaiden. I sprinted to my car, the engine roaring to life as I tore out of the manor grounds.
I pushed my senses to the limit, mind-linking Thorne to catch even a ghost of her scent on the wind. I didn't know where the road led, but the smell of rain and ozone was masking everything, and a terrifying thought took hold: If I lose her now, I'll burn this entire pack to the ground.