Chapter 58 058
LYKA
I stared at Aiden, trying to understand what exactly he was accusing me of. The intensity in his eyes made my chest tighten, but I refused to show any weakness. The night wind brushed against my skin near the lake, yet the chill I felt had nothing to do with the cold.
What happened between Derrick and me was never supposed to become public knowledge. No one was meant to know. It was something that had happened in secret, in confusion, in circumstances that even I barely understood. Yet the way Aiden was glaring at me now made it seem like the entire world knew.
And that irritated me more than anything.
“Don’t say nonsense, Aiden. I’m not in the mood for it,” I said coldly, hoping he would finally drop the matter.
But Aiden had never been the type to back down.
“You’re still not replying to my question!” he roared, his voice echoing across the quiet lakeside. “What happened between you two? No… what is happening between you two?”
I shut my eyes for a moment, inhaling slowly.
There was no way I could tell him the truth.... not when he was already this furious. If I revealed everything now, he would only feel betrayed. And the truth itself was something I was still struggling to process.
I didn’t even know Derrick was the one behind my pack’s tragedy.
The thought twisted painfully inside my chest.
I knew Aiden wasn’t going to move from where he stood. His posture was rigid, stubborn, his fists clenched as though he was holding himself back from shaking the answers out of me.
My teeth clenched in frustration.
And to make matters worse, the crippled man was still there, standing a few feet away and watching the entire scene unfold as if it were some sort of entertainment.
That alone fueled my anger even more.
“No,” I said firmly, opening my eyes and meeting Aiden’s gaze. “Whatever suspicion you have about us… it’s not true.”
Aiden exhaled heavily, relief flashing briefly across his face.
But before the tension between us could settle, a mocking voice suddenly cut through the air.
“Are you sure about that?”
My spine stiffened instantly.
“I mean,” the man continued with a lazy smirk, “just because you say something doesn’t mean we should all believe it.”
My temper snapped.
I turned sharply toward him, anger blazing in my chest.
Why was he interfering?
Why was he sabotaging me?
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Did he notice that I saw him earlier?
Was this his way of retaliating? Of trying to distract everyone before I could expose him?
The realization made my jaw tighten.
Fine.
If he wanted to play games, then I would play along.
But I wouldn’t be the one losing.
I stepped toward him slowly, my gaze sharp.
“Did you think you should be the one talking?” I asked coldly.
Then my eyes drifted down toward his legs.
“And your legs… are you even crippled?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I saw something dark flicker across his expression.
Good.
That meant I had struck a nerve.
I walked closer until I was standing directly in front of him.
Before he could react, I grabbed his collar and yanked him forward.
Gasps came from behind me, but I ignored them completely.
“What if…” I whispered dangerously, tightening my grip, “I find out you’re lying to me about anything?”
My fingers curled against the fabric of his shirt.
“I’ll come for your head.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn’t bother wiping it away. The anger burning inside me was far stronger than any embarrassment.
My hand slid up to his throat, gripping it tightly.
The man’s eyes widened as he struggled to breathe.
“Let him go, Lyka!” Aiden shouted behind me.
But I couldn’t.
I just… couldn’t.
Why did it hurt so much?
Why did everything feel so tangled and wrong?
Why did this man standing in front of me feel like the key to the misery that destroyed my life?
“I don’t think I’m the one you should be grabbing by the collar!” the man suddenly snapped hoarsely. “It should be him! You should be stabbing a dagger into his heart!”
I let out a bitter chuckle.
So he finally lost his composure.
Good.
That meant the mask was cracking.
“You seem angry,” I said quietly. “Maybe now you’ll start talking.”
I loosened my grip slightly but didn’t step away.
“What were you doing in that room earlier?” I asked slowly. “The one down the passageway.”
For the first time since this confrontation started, genuine shock crossed his face.
“What did you say?” he stammered. “You saw me? No… you saw me?”
I laughed under my breath.
Did he think he was invisible?
“Yes,” I said coldly. “I saw you. So you’d better start talking.”
I released his collar and stepped back slightly, watching him carefully.
He looked unsettled for a moment, clearly trying to process what I had revealed.
But then he straightened himself, attempting to regain his composure.
“What you should really be concerned about,” he began slowly, “is how to make Derrick pay for.... ”
My patience snapped.
Before he could finish that sentence, my hand shot forward and grabbed his jaw.
That loose mouth of his needed to be shut.
“Don’t you dare tell me what to do,” I hissed. “I’m not your subordinate.”
But before I could continue, strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist.
The ground disappeared beneath my feet.
“Aiden!” I shouted as he lifted me away from the man.
“Let go of me!”
I struggled violently, kicking and twisting as he carried me away from the lakeside.
“I’m not done with him!” I screamed.
Only when we were several steps away did Aiden finally set me down.
I spun toward him furiously.
“Why did you do that?!” I demanded. “I wasn’t finished with that man!”
Aiden stared at me with a grim expression that instantly silenced the rest of my anger.
“Are you seriously trying to take your anger out on him?” he asked quietly.
His words caught me off guard.
That wasn’t what I was doing… was it?
But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew it didn’t matter.
Nothing I said right now would convince him otherwise.
So instead, I shrugged bitterly.
“You’re right,” I said. “I’m taking my anger out on him because I can’t take it out on the right person.”
Aiden hissed in frustration and turned away from me.
Without another word, he walked off into the darkness.
I watched him leave, my chest heavy.
“Don’t you think he should know… that the Alpha is your mate?”
Amanda’s quiet voice broke the silence.
I immediately shook my head.
“That will never happen.”
The idea alone made my stomach twist.
Aiden already hated Derrick.
If he found out Derrick was my mate… everything would only get worse.
“I won’t add more fuel to the doubts he already has,” I said quietly. “Let’s take that secret to our graves.”
Amanda studied my face before nodding slowly.
“You’ll be fine… right?” she asked.
I forced a small smile.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured her. “You can relax. There won’t be an assassination tonight.”
But even as I said the words, my throat tightened.
Why did my eyes burn like I was about to cry?
“Don’t act on your own,” Amanda warned before finally walking away.
I exhaled heavily and made my way back to my room.
The moment I stepped inside, all the strength drained from my body.
I slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor.
My mind was a mess.
Everything felt wrong.
Everything.
Yet one thing remained clear in my heart.
I clenched the letter tightly in my hand, my veins pulsing with anger.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do to you, Derrick,” I muttered through gritted teeth.
“I don’t even know what I’m capable of anymore.”
My nails dug into the paper.
“But one thing is certain.”
“I’ll make sure you regret ever touching my family.”
My breathing slowly steadied as another thought formed in my mind.
If I wanted revenge…
I needed to start somewhere.
“How am I going to destroy you?” I murmured thoughtfully.
Then a slow smile spread across my lips.
“Maybe I should start by unraveling your secrets.”
Yes.
That would be the perfect beginning.
The people in this pack worshipped Derrick like a god.
If I exposed his hidden truths… if I shattered the image they believed in…
Ruining him would become far easier.
I let out a quiet laugh.
Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?
“Well then,” I whispered as I pushed myself up from the floor.
“I guess it’s time to get to work.”
I walked toward the door with determination burning in my chest.
I would need Amanda’s help.
And together…
We were going to turn this pack upside down.
Derrick destroyed my home.
Now it was my turn to return the favor.
He would pay for everything.