Chapter 61 061
DERRICK
The study room was quiet except for the faint rustling of papers beneath my fingers. A dim lamp on the desk cast a pool of golden light across the wooden surface, illuminating the stacks of files I had been going through since evening. The night outside was calm, but the silence inside my mind was anything but peaceful. Responsibilities piled up like the documents before me, each demanding attention, each carrying the weight of the pack’s safety. My eyes skimmed through the words on the page, but my thoughts kept drifting. Leadership never truly allowed rest. Even in stillness, there was always something lurking beneath the surface, waiting to disturb the fragile calm.
A sharp knock on the door shattered the quiet.
Before I even spoke, my senses had already confirmed who it was. Her scent seeped through the door like a warning.... familiar, persistent, and impossible to ignore. Zuri. I leaned back slightly in my chair and released a slow breath, my fingers pausing over the file. Of course it was her. Lately, she had made a habit of appearing unannounced, carrying strange claims and even stranger confidence. The other night she had stormed in with that absurd accusation about Lyka planning an attack. At the time, it sounded like nothing more than one of her usual attempts to stir chaos.
“What is she up to again?” Charles muttered inside my head, his deep voice rumbling with clear irritation. My wolf had grown increasingly impatient with Zuri’s presence. Ever since she had begun inserting herself into matters that didn’t concern her, Charles had been restless. He disliked disruptions, especially when they came from someone whose intentions were murky.
“Come in,” I said firmly.
The door opened almost immediately, as if she had been waiting for permission with her hand already on the handle. Zuri stepped in with her usual dramatic energy, her movements quick and purposeful. The moment she entered, I sighed softly and leaned back in my chair, studying her expression. There was a spark in her eyes.... something between excitement and urgency.
“What did you want, Zuri?” I asked, my tone flat and tired. Despite my calm voice, I could sense the anticipation in her posture. She looked like someone who had just discovered a secret and couldn’t wait to reveal it.
“I told you something yesterday but you denied me, right?” she began, her arms folding as she stared at me with determination.
I rolled my eyes slowly. Here we go again.
“Yes, your crazy assumption…” I started, but she cut me off immediately.
“No, it’s not a crazy assumption! It’s the truth!” she exclaimed loudly.
Inside my mind, Charles let out a low growl. He hated being interrupted, and Zuri had just done exactly that. The irritation rippled through me as well, but before I could respond, she continued speaking with an almost triumphant tone.
“This is it! I told you that I would find evidence, right?” she said quickly.
Before I could react, she shoved a letter directly in front of my face. The sudden movement made my brows knit together in annoyance. For a moment I simply stared at her, wondering if she had truly lost her mind. What kind of stunt was this?
“What insolent.... ” I began sharply.
But the words died in my throat the moment my eyes focused on the letter.
The content froze me.
The air in the room seemed to thicken as I stared at the paper, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. The familiar symbols etched on the parchment were unmistakable. My fingers slowly reached out and took the letter from her hand, my gaze scanning every line again just to confirm it wasn’t some cruel trick of the eyes.
What was going on?
“What does this mean?” The question echoed in my mind like thunder.
“This… where did you find this?” I asked quietly.
A heavy lump formed in my throat as realization began creeping into my thoughts. I didn’t need anyone to explain the document to me. I had seen enough of them throughout my life to recognize it instantly.
It was a death command.
“Why is she with a death command letter?” Charles murmured suspiciously inside my mind, his voice lower now, more alert.
But I didn’t answer him. My entire attention was fixed on Zuri, waiting for her explanation.
“I’m sure you can already guess who it’s meant for,” she said slowly, watching my face carefully. Then a strange smile curved on her lips. “And do you want to know the exciting part? It has her pack’s stamp on it.”
My eyes snapped back to the letter immediately.
The stamp.
There it was.
Clear as daylight.
Lyka’s pack insignia pressed firmly against the corner of the parchment.
My heart thudded heavily in my chest.
Why would her pack’s mark be on a death command targeting my people?
Confusion flooded my thoughts all at once. Lyka had fought beside us during the last attack. She had risked her life to help defend the pack. I remembered the way she stood against the enemies without hesitation, the determination in her eyes as she fought like someone protecting her own family.
So why would she issue a command to massacre us?
It didn’t make sense.
Questions piled up rapidly in my mind, each one darker than the last. Had everything been a lie? Was her help just part of a larger plan? Or was someone trying to frame her?
I clenched my jaw as the possibilities twisted inside my head.
“Where did you find this?” I asked again, dropping the letter onto the desk.
My eyes hardened as I studied Zuri carefully. She had always been clever, and there was very little she wouldn’t do if it meant achieving her goals.
“One of my maids found it,” she replied quickly. “It was in the trash that came out of her room.”
She avoided my gaze when she said it.
That alone told me enough.
She was lying.
Still, the letter itself couldn’t be ignored. Regardless of how she obtained it, the mark stamped onto the parchment belonged to Lyka’s pack. That fact sat heavily in the room between us.
“You can see that she is not.... ” Zuri started again.
“Leave,” I interrupted sharply. “You’ve done enough.”
My voice came out quieter than I expected, but it carried a weight that made her pause.
I could feel the tension tightening in my chest like a chain slowly pulling tighter. Every breath felt heavier than the last.
“Did you mean that I should leave?” she asked cautiously.
I rolled my eyes in frustration. Why did she insist on making everything difficult?
“Yes! Do you need me to spell it out?” I roared.
She flinched at the sudden rise in my voice. For a brief moment, fear flickered across her face before she quickly turned toward the door.
“Okay,” she muttered before leaving the room.
The door closed behind her, and silence returned to the study.
But this time it felt suffocating.
My gaze slowly drifted back to the letter lying on the desk. The parchment seemed heavier now, like it carried a curse. I stared at the stamp again, anger beginning to boil beneath my skin.
What was she thinking?
Was this meant to scare me?
Or worse…
Was it real?
My body tensed as the thought forced its way into my mind. If this command truly came from Lyka, then it meant she was planning something far more dangerous than I had imagined.
Murderous intent flickered through my veins.
Without wasting another second, I mind-linked Scott.
I needed him here immediately.
I refused to let emotions cloud my judgment, but I also couldn’t ignore a threat to my pack.
“What are you thinking, Derrick?” Charles asked quietly. “Don’t tell me you suspect your mate.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
“Yes,” I admitted silently.
I was suspecting her.
And I didn’t see any reason not to.
Moments later, Scott entered my office. He stood near the desk, waiting patiently, but I couldn’t speak right away. My thoughts were racing again. Doubt, anger, loyalty, instinct.... they all clashed inside my head like warriors fighting for dominance.
What was I supposed to do?
“Alpha?” Scott asked carefully. “You called for me.”
I rubbed my jaw slowly, trying to steady my thoughts.
“Scott,” I began, my voice lower now, “I’m going to ask you something.”
He nodded, signaling for me to continue.
“What do you think I should do if I discover something that poses a threat to our pack?” I asked.
Scott raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“What? That shouldn’t even be a question,” he replied immediately. “You take it out.”
His answer came without hesitation.
“You’ve been fighting threats your entire life,” he continued. “Even when that monster lived under the same roof as you, you never backed down. So why would you suddenly show mercy to something else that threatens the pack?”
I exhaled slowly.
He was right.
I had never hesitated before.
I had faced enemies stronger than me, darker than anything this world could imagine, and I had never once stepped away from protecting my people.
So why was I hesitating now?
Because of her?
My jaw tightened.
“That settles it,” I said firmly as I stood up from my chair.
Scott straightened slightly as I stepped closer to him.
“As the sole ruler of this pack,” I declared, my voice echoing with authority, “and the one chosen by the protector spirit of our people…”
I paused for a brief moment, the final decision locking into place inside my mind.
“I order you to go and arrest Lyka Ortega.”
Scott’s eyes widened in complete shock.
“What?!”