Chapter 170

Chapter 170
{Lucien’s POV}

‘He's serious huh?’ 

The silence between us stretched long. Neither of us willing to be the first one to break it. Or so I thought.

Needless to say, Ronan said nothing, only stood there, his eyes fixed on me with that piercing weight that had unsettled men far less than I. I, however, absorbed it. The satisfaction that swelled within me was nearly intoxicating. He wanted Damon back. He would wait for me to state my terms.

The irony was delicious. I had no idea where Damon was either, yet I carried myself as though his very life sat within my palm. It was all about control, the perception of it, the art of keeping the upper hand even when the ground beneath you shook.

I leaned the slightest bit closer, my words nothing more than a whisper meant for him alone. “This is your chance, Ronan. Show me, show everyone here, just how much you consider Damon family.”

His silence lingered, unbroken. The muscles in his jaw twitched but his mouth never moved. He simply stared.

I smiled, teeth barely showing, but the curve of my lips was steeped in victory. “Fine. Let’s test the depths of your loyalty. Forfeit yourself from the succession, right here, right now. Do it in front of the Council and the Elders. When they crown me Alpha King, I will return Damon to you.”

Not a flicker crossed his face. No tremor, no flinch, no sound. His stillness made the back of my neck prickle. For a fleeting moment, uncertainty nipped at me. Would he refuse? Would he try something else?

After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke. “I’ll agree. But hear me well, Lucien. If you fail to keep your end of the bargain, not even that throne will save you. Alpha King or not, I will end you.”

I stilled. His voice carried no empty bravado, only cold contempt and resolve. I regretted thinking it. But he gained my respect… For all his faults, our differing ideals? Everything… Ronan was not without a spine. Even cornered, he still managed to inspire fear in the hearts of others.

I forced myself to lean back, smoothing my jacket calmly. The smile returned to my face.

Before I could savor the moment longer, the voice of an Elder boomed across the hall. The ceremony had begun.

“All contenders, take your places. By the order of the Council and the sanctity of our tradition, we now call forth the results.”

A wave of murmurs spread as numbers were read aloud, votes tallied, support measured. 

As expected, it came down to Ronan and me. No surprises there. The Elders themselves raised their hands, their votes like stones cast into a balance.

And as fate would twist it, the scale stood even.

“A tie,” the speaker announced. “By tradition, this can only be settled the old way. A duel between Alphas. Blood to decide what words cannot.”

The hall erupted in a roar of anticipation.

I looked sidelong at Ronan, seated in the row beside mine. He did not look at me, not at first. He looked at the crowd, at the Elders, and then, with a suddenness that startled even me, he rose to his feet.

“There is no need for a tiebreaker,” he said, his voice thundering across the chamber. “The winner has already been decided.”

Whispers crackled like fire through the rows. My pulse quickened. He was about to yield. He was about to make me King.

But before he could finish, the doors burst open. Sean and Colt stormed in, their steps hard against the polished stone.

“Ronan, stop!” Sean barked.

Colt’s eyes blazed as he shouted, “Lucien isn't the one! The informants have located Damon. He’s alive. He’s been found!”

The words cut into me like iron hooks. My jaw clenched, my plan unraveling before my eyes. My men reacted before my thoughts could catch up. At my signal, they surged forward, teeth bared.

Sean and Colt were ready, their claws flashing as the first clash rang out. Fur met fur, growls thundered, the once-sacred hall turning into a battlefield.

“Protect him!” I snapped, my voice ringing out above the chaos. My head of security moved swiftly, signaling for reinforcements.

Ronan roared, his wolf pressing against his skin until it burst forth in a violent display. His body shifted, bones cracking, his suit shredding as his wolf form tore free. Massive, terrifying, and untamed, he lunged into the fray with the force of a storm.

My men met him head-on, but it was like tossing sticks into a river. He moved through them with savage precision, tearing one down with his claws, throwing another across the hall. Sean fought at his side, claws and teeth carving through my men with brutal efficiency, while Colt’s fists broke bones like twigs.

The chandeliers above rattled. Elders shouted for order, their robes whipping as they scrambled for safety. The Council tried to hold the line, but even their voices were drowned beneath the roar of combat.

I stood at the edge of it all, my heart a war drum, my mind calculating. Every move, every strike, every scream was a ripple of strategy gone awry.

And then, movement caught my eye.

Through the smoke of dust and the blur of bodies, a figure strode forward. Damon.

‘There goes my plan.’. I sighed internally. 

“Well, if it isn’t the man of the moment,” I called out. “Where have you been all this while? We’ve been worried about you.”

Ronan froze mid-strike, his wolf’s head snapping toward the sound. His eyes widened, hope flaring as if the world itself had just given him back air to breathe.

“Damon!” he cried out, his voice breaking through even the carnage. “You’re alive. I’ve been searching for you. I’m glad you’re here. 

“Glad you made it back to me.” Ronan smiled.

The sight of his glee, the raw relief on his face, twisted my mouth into a smile.

I let the tension stretch before I broke it with words that would unravel everything. “No need to hide it anymore.”

My laugh rolled out, cruel and rich, filling the fractured hall.

“Welcome, brother,” I declared, my eyes locked on Damon’s. “It’s been a while.”

And in that instant, as silence rippled across the hall despite the clash of claws and bodies… I felt the shift of power. The revelation had landed. And Ronan was shocked..