Chapter 207
Eleanor's POV
"About what, specifically?" I pressed.
"About Charles," she said, her voice taking on a vindictive edge. "That bastard helped the Alpha King put a target on my son's back. They weren't supposed to make him an active participant."
My heart soared at her words. We had clearly found a weak point to exploit against Charles.
This will be easier than I thought, I realized. Taking down that bastard might be easier than I imagined.
I stared at Lyric Stewart across the interrogation table, unable to suppress the anger bubbling inside me. My disappointment in her was profound, but I couldn't find it in myself to feel sympathy. She had gambled with her own son's life, proving herself stupid, careless, and unforgivably selfish.
No matter how much she believed in the righteousness of her cause, no matter how much she hated the Levenstons or thought she was helping the world, her first responsibility was to care for and protect her son.
Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, but there was defiance mixed with the devastation on her face. Maggie and Natalie stood silently behind me, their scents sharp with anger that matched my own.
"I'm going to have Garth bring Fox in," I said coldly. "So you can see I'm not lying about his condition."
Lyric's eyes widened with hope at the mention of her son's name, and it only made me angrier. How dare she care now, after what she'd done?
Natalie stepped forward, her amber eyes blazing with fury as she addressed Lyric directly.
"How could you?" she demanded, voice trembling with rage. "How could you use your own son in such a despicable way?"
Lyric's gaze dropped to the table, but Natalie wasn't finished.
"You don't deserve to call yourself a mother," she continued, words cutting like knives. "You're a disgrace to motherhood itself. You want to play revolutionary? Fine. That's your choice. But to drag your son into it? To put his life at risk?" She slammed her palm on the table, making Lyric flinch. "That's beyond forgiveness."
Lyric remained silent, unable or unwilling to defend herself.
"He trusted you," Natalie pressed on. "He looked to you for protection, and instead, you threw him to the wolves. What kind of mother does that?"
I placed a hand on Natalie's arm, silently telling her to step back. Though I agreed with everything she was saying, we needed Lyric cooperative, not completely broken.
The door opened, and Garth returned with Fox. The boy was dressed in new clothes, and though his face still showed the strain of recent events, he looked well-cared for. The people threatening him had been caught, giving him a few hours of freedom that had clearly done him good.
I was exhausted after the day's events, but I needed to finish this interrogation. We needed the information Lyric possessed. Sebastian and I had decided this morning to take a no-mercy approach, and I was committed to seeing it through.
Fox bowed slightly to me before his gaze locked on his mother. His eyes immediately filled with tears, but they weren't tears of relief or happiness—they were tears of anger and betrayal.
"Fox," Lyric whispered, her voice breaking as she strained against her restraints.
"Why am I here?" Fox asked me, his voice tight with emotion.
"Your mother wanted to see you," I explained softly. "To confirm you're unharmed."
Fox's jaw tightened. "I don't want to see her."
"Fox, please," Lyric cried, tears streaming down her face. "Baby, I'm so sorry."
"I HATE YOU!" Fox roared, his voice suddenly taking an Alpha command. The force of it made Natalie stumble back. Garth quickly moved to Fox's side, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder.
I forced myself to remain impassive, though I felt the impact of his command. Fox might appear timid, but he was powerful. He is an exceptionally strong Alpha.
"You let them use me," Fox continued, "You encouraged it. You knew what was happening and you pushed me toward it."
"I didn't know they would hurt you," Lyric sobbed, pulling against her restraints. "They promised me you wouldn't be harmed."
Fox laughed bitterly. "Yosef set targets for me. Faye ran away. If they hadn't caught me, I'd probably be dead by now."
Lyric's sobs grew louder as the truth finally sank in. I could see it in her eyes, the realization that everything I'd told her was true. Her son had been in real danger, and she had put him there.
"You knew what you were doing," Fox said, his voice breaking. "Ever since I was fourteen, you've been using me. You knew I wanted friends so badly. You knew how lonely I was, and you used that against me."
"Fox, no—" Lyric tried to interrupt, but Fox cut her off.
"I thought going to Dawnshere was my idea," he continued. "But it was yours all along, wasn't it? You knew exactly what you were doing. You used my weakness, my need for friendship, against me."
Lyric's face crumpled as her son's accusations hit their mark.
"Dad is going to lose everything because of you," Fox continued, his voice rising again. "Our entire family will be exiled. Even if they execute you, we'll still be banished."
"I can fix this," Lyric pleaded. "I'll make it right, Fox, I promise."
Fox shook his head, disgust evident on his face. "You can't fix anything. It's too late."
"Can I leave now?" Fox asked me, his eyes pleading.
I nodded. "Yes, Fox. Thank you for coming."
He turned without another glance at his mother and walked out, Garth following close behind him. The pain radiating from the young man was almost unbearable. I wished I could ease his suffering, but I had other prisoners to question, other threats to neutralize.
I turned back to Lyric, who was staring at the door her son had just exited through.
"Your love is twisted," I told her flatly. "If they had killed him, it would have been so much worse."
Lyric continued to cry, her gaze fixed on the door as if hoping her son would return. But he wouldn't. He had abandoned her, just as her husband had. It was no less than she deserved.
I pulled a chair closer and sat directly in front of her. It was time to get down to business.
Lyric's eyes were unfocused and wet with tears. I snapped my fingers in front of her face to get her attention.
"Focus, Lyric," I commanded. "Your son is gone. He knows what you did. Now it's time for you to tell me everything."
She blinked slowly, tears falling down her cheeks. Her gaze drifted to me, and something in her seemed to break. She bowed her head in a gesture of submission.
"I'll tell you," she whispered. "I'll tell you everything."
"Good," I said, keeping my voice hard. "Because if you don't, I'll recommend your execution. Your life is in my hands now."
I pulled out my phone and set it to record. "Start from the beginning."