Chapter 31 THE BROTHER’S CRUELTY
JAKE’S POV
Watching Alicia beg is the best thing I've felt in months.
She's on her knees in the dirt, tears running down her face, hands clasped together like she's praying. Begging me to let the Beta go. To show mercy. To remember we're family.
Family. The word makes me want to laugh.
"Please, Jake." Her voice breaks. "He hasn't done anything to you. Let him go."
I press the silver blade harder against Monty's throat. Watch blood trickle down his neck and stain the chains. He doesn't make a sound, doesn't beg like she does. I'll give him that much. The bastard has courage.
But I don't feel sorry for him. Don't feel anything except cold satisfaction.
Finally. Finally she's hurting the way I've hurt for years.
"Jake, please. I'll do anything."
Anything. Like she has something I want. Like there's a world where I care about her pain.
I remember when we were kids. Maybe six years old. I fell from a tree and broke my arm. Alicia ran two miles to get Father, crying the whole way. He came back, fixed my arm, told me I was brave. Told Alicia she did good.
Back then, I thought we were a team. Brother and sister against everything.
Then I got older. Started seeing things clearly.
Like how Father's face would soften when he looked at her. How he'd spend hours with both of us, teaching us stuff. Laughing at our jokes even when they weren't funny. How he'd ask about our day. I had to share everything with her.
And the sick part? Vincent wasn't even her real father. He raised another man's child and loved her just like he loves his own son. Gave her equal attention and care as me .
"Jake." She's still begging. "I know you're angry. But Monty didn't do anything wrong. This isn't his fight."
"He made it his fight when he bonded with you." My voice comes out flat. Empty. "When he chose to protect the thing that's been destroying our family since you were born."
"I didn't destroy anything!"
"You destroyed everything." I look at her properly now. Those eyes are full of tears. Face pale with fear. Power rolling off her skin even now, barely controlled. "You were born from an affair. Born from lies. And Father loved you anyway. Loved you more than me. More than Mother. More than the pack he was supposed to lead.
"That's not my fault."
"Isn't it?" I crouch down to her level, keeping the blade ready. "You walked around acting like you belonged. Smiled at Father like you deserved his love. Never once asked why he treated you better than his real son."
"I didn't know!"
"You didn't want to know." The difference matters. "You were happy sharing a love that is meant to be mine alone. Happy taking what should have been mine."
Her eyes search my face. Looking for the brother she remembers. The one who taught her to swim. Who scared off bullies when she was little. Who protected her.
That brother is dead. Starved from unsatisfying love while Father gave everything to his bastard daughter.
"When did you start hating me?" Her voice is barely a whisper.
"I don't know. Maybe always." Honest answer. "Maybe the first time Father chose your happiness over mine. Maybe when I realized I'd never be good enough because you existed." I stand back up. "Does it matter?"
"Yes."
"It doesn't." I gesture to the warriors holding her. "Because hate or love, you're still a threat. The True Luna. The thing that's going to rip the wolf world apart. And I'm going to stop you."
My phone buzzes in my pocket. Twice. The signal.
"Hold him steady." I tell the warriors, stepping away from Monty. "I need to take this."
I walk to the edge of the courtyard, pulling out the phone. The message is in code like always. But I've done this enough to read it fast.
KEEP HER ALIVE. NEED HER AT FULL POWER. KILL BETA IF NECESSARY.
My jaw tightens. They said they wanted her dead. That was the whole point. Kill the True Luna before she becomes unstoppable.
Now they're changing plans?
I type back quickly: She's too dangerous. Let me finish this.
The answer comes in seconds: NO. Plans changed. Her power is needed. Keep her alive. Push her to full awakening. Then we move.
I stare at the screen, anger building. They've been giving me orders for months. Told me when to reveal Alicia's secret. When to attack. How to turn father against her. When to back off. I followed because they promised me what I wanted. Recognition. Power. My rightful place as Vincent's heir.
But this? This is different.
They want her alive. Want her powerful. Which means they've been using me to trigger her awakening, not stop it.
I was a tool. The whole time.
Another message: Kill the Beta if needed. Show her consequences. Make her desperate. Desperate Lunas make mistakes. But DO NOT kill her. Clear?
My finger hovers over the keys. I should refuse. Should tell them to go to hell. Should kill Alicia right now and end this.
But I'm in too deep. These people know things about Father. About the pack. About deals made before I was born.
If I refuse, they'll destroy everything.
So I type: Understood.
One more message: Good. Phase two starts at dawn. Be ready.
I delete everything and put the phone away. When I turn back, Alicia's still on her knees. Still begging. Still thinking family means something.
Pathetic.
"Alright." I walk back to Monty, blade ready. "You want to save him? Reject your mates. All four. Right now. Do that, and he lives."
"Jake, no…"
"Reject them or I cut his throat. Simple choice, sister."
I watch her face. Watch hope die in her eyes as she realizes I mean it. Watch her mouth open to say the words.
And I feel nothing.
No victory. No satisfaction. Just emptiness.
Because even this, hurting her like this, doesn't fill the hole where Father's love should have been.
Before she can speak, Logan stumbles into the courtyard. Bleeding. Desperate. Shouting warnings about traps and lies.
The idiot doesn't know how right he is.’
"Then prove me wrong." Logan challenges. "Let them go."
I almost laugh. Let them go? When I've been ordered to push Alicia to desperation? To make her show her full power?
"I need proof she understands." I press the blade harder. More blood flows. "And right now, proof means blood."
I pull back, getting ready for the killing stroke. Not because I want to kill Monty specifically. But because they said I could if needed. And proving to Alicia that I'm serious is very needed.
The blade starts coming down.
Then Alicia explodes.
Silver light bursts from her in a wave. It hits me like a truck, slamming me backward into the wall. The impact cracks something. I taste blood.
Through blurry vision, I see her standing. Eyes glowing pure silver. Power pouring off her like heat. Every wolf in the courtyard is forced to their knees by the weight of her presence.
The True Luna. Finally showing what she really is.
And despite the pain, despite the fear crawling up my spine, I feel satisfaction.
Because this is what they wanted. This is the awakening. This is Alicia at full power, desperate and dangerous and everything the prophecy said.
I did this. I pushed her here.
My phone buzzes. I pull it out with shaking hand
PERFECT. Continue as planned. Let her escape. Track her. Phase two at dawn.
Alicia's talking now. Threatening. Her power makes the air thick.
She melts Monty's chains with a thought. Just melts them like they're nothing.
The warriors are terrified. I can smell it. They want to run but can't move under her power.
This is what I've always feared. What I knew she'd become. A monster in my sister's face. Power without limits. Destruction waiting to happen
And I helped create her
She looks at me before leaving. Those glowing eyes meet mine, and for just a second, I see the little girl who used to climb trees with me. Who laughed at stupid jokes. Who thought I was the best brother in the world.
Then it's gone. Replaced by something old and terrible and done with mercy.
They run. Her and her mates. My warriors move to follow, but I wave them off.
"Let them go."
"But Alpha—"
"I said let them girl…the children none!"
They back off, confused but obedient.
I pull myself up, every bone aching. The impact broke ribs, maybe worse. But pain doesn't matter.
I dial the number I've only used twice before. It rings once.
"Status?" The voice is twisted, unrecognizable.
"She awakened fully. Complete power control. Melted silver with a thought. She's everything you said."
"Excellent. And the Beta?"
"Alive. She saved him.
"Even better. Love makes her predictable." A pause. "Phase two at dawn. You know what to do?"
"Yes." I hate how small my voice sounds.
"Good. And Jake? This is almost over. When the True Luna reaches full awakening, when she triggers the Convergence, you'll have everything we promised. Your father's respect. Leadership. Everything you wanted."
"And if she doesn't trigger it?"
"Then we use backup plans. But the way you're pushing her? She'll trigger it." The voice sounds amused. "You're doing great work. Your hate makes you useful."
The line goes dead.
I stand in the empty courtyard. Blood dripping from my mouth. Ribs grinding with every breath.
But worse than the pain is the realization settling in my gut.
I've spent years hating Alicia. Years blaming her for stealing Father's love. Years believing she was the curse destroying us.
And now I'm working for people who want to use her awakened power for something called the Convergence. Something they won't explain. Something that needs her at full strength.
I helped create the monster I feared. And I have no idea what they plan to do with her.
My phone buzzes one last time:
Dawn. The cemetery. Bring the artifact. Time to show the True Luna what she really is.
The artifact. They gave it to me three months ago. Small stone with old symbols. Told me to keep it safe. Said it was the key to everything.
I've carried it since, not knowing what it does. Just following orders.
Tomorrow at dawn, I find out.
I look toward the border where Alicia disappeared. My sister. My enemy. The girl I've hated so long I forgot if there was ever anything else.
"I'm sorry," I whisper.
But I don't know if I'm saying it to her or to the brother I used to be before hate ate everything good inside me.
Either way, it doesn't matter.
Tomorrow at dawn, everything changes.
The Convergence begins.jj
And whatever that means, I know one thing: neither of us is walking away unchanged.
If we walk away at all.