Chapter 131 PRICE OF COMPASSION
Edeline
"Hey, Dad..." I began, trying to shift the focus from the incident involving Anita and Mirabelle. "We need to discuss more than just this. We should consider pressing charges for attempted murder against both Mirabelle and myself, and also for the poisoning of Darius. And don’t forget, Tatiana must face consequences too, since it all started with her! This is exactly what we need. What are your reasons for your actions?" My voice rose, my hands gripping my disheveled hair in frustration.
Dad stood tall, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made me flinch. "You know full well that poisoning an oracle is a grave offense!" he said, his voice carrying a mixture of anger and resolve. “We have all the evidence we need! If Tatiana did poison Darius, what should be done about her? She's pregnant. Perhaps the best course of action would be to send her back to her place of origin and ensure she doesn’t return.”
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, his eyes closing momentarily as he composed his thoughts. “I understand you want Tatiana banished; it might make things simpler for everyone involved. But what you don’t see is that with her here, and with Percival’s developing connection with you, she might be more likely to lose the baby. That’s what we’re focusing on right now, Edeline. And I refuse to let Darius get away with this. Even if he was poisoned, his actions are unforgivable. But your compassion is clouding your judgment. William and I have discussed all of this thoroughly. I’m sorry, but Darius won’t die. We won’t allow it. However, he must face consequences. That’s enough for now. If you have any evidence, bring it to me and I will ensure it is documented in Anita’s case,” he said, his tone firm as he dismissed me. I stood there in shock, disbelief written all over my face.
It was disheartening to see my father prioritize his desire to punish Darius over addressing the harm caused by Anita and Tatiana. It seemed he was willing to overlook their actions just to keep Tatiana around and remove the threat she posed to our family. It was frustrating to witness him neglecting his duty to work for the wolves and seek justice, all because of his own selfish motives.
With a surge of anger, I pushed my chair back so violently that it toppled over. My fists clenched tightly, nails digging into my palms, as I glared at him with intense fury. “This is going to be the end of us,” I declared, my voice dripping with resentment. “If you go through with this, you’ll be all alone.” With that, I stormed out of the room, leaving him bewildered and speechless.
I was on the brink of losing my composure...
I couldn’t forgive him for this. My only option now was to focus on freeing Darius. If my efforts to help him failed, I had a contingency plan. I would release him personally and then leave this land behind forever.
...
The steam filled the room, thick and suffocating. Breathing in the dense, warm air was a struggle, but strangely, it seemed to open my airways, providing a momentary relief.
It had been ages since I last took a shower. After Darius's attack and spending the night at Doc’s, I had been too preoccupied running errands to find time for myself. The grime and unpleasant odors had clung to me, a stark reminder of the chaos. Exhausted, I had fallen asleep without a second thought to cleanliness.
Yesterday had been a whirlwind. After my tense conversation with Dad, I had hurried over to the blacksmith to get a new key made for what turned out to be a horrifying torture chamber. While waiting, I had stopped by to check on Mirabelle. She was taken aback by the details I shared but mentioned having been plagued by strange visions lately. Her revelations now made sense in light of what I had discovered. Afterward, I went up to Darius’s room and, after a bit of searching, found his hidden stash under the floorboards. I retrieved the teabags he had mentioned, hoping they might prove useful despite the lack of official help. Even though the odds seemed slim, I had to try. Everyone had seemingly given up on Darius, despite his innocence.
The Alpha and Dad’s actions had done little to stop the inevitable. Once Darius’s punishment ended, he would still face challenges for a higher status. Nixx, with his alpha blood, was determined to see him challenged. He saw Darius as a direct threat to his family and wanted to ensure he faced punishment. It was only a matter of time before the silver whips came out.
I could only imagine Percival’s reaction when he found out—his anger would be palpable. And Tatiana’s face... oh, it would be a sight to behold.
It troubled me deeply to think that someone might betray their own family in such a damaging way. I was resolved not to let that happen.
Yesterday, I had hurriedly grabbed the teabags and raced to the blacksmith to get the new key made. To my surprise, I bumped into William and managed to discreetly slip the key into his pocket. He seemed a bit down, but it wasn’t anything too drastic. I didn’t think Mom had confessed anything to him; it felt like the incident had barely made a ripple. After that, I made it home in time for dinner, though I dozed off while waiting for the hot water to warm up.
Nixx had clearly exhausted his evening. He’d stayed out late and only returned home at 3 a.m. I hoped he hadn’t gone to see Tatiana, given the current mess.
I must have been more tired than I realized because I slept for a solid 11 hours, from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. this morning. After breakfast, I finally managed to take a shower. Mom seemed off downstairs, but I let it slide. I wasn’t ready to bring up the situation with her—she needed to address it with me first. Dad was missing last night and this morning, busy getting ready with William.