Chapter 114 Suffer The Same Way
Gavriel unconsciously touched his lips as he walked toward his horse. It wasn’t the first time he had kissed Althea, but somehow, that small gesture from her made his heart pound uncontrollably.
If not for Abner, his wife, and the other servants nearby, he might have ended up taking Althea right there. He had to leave in a rush because he no longer trusted himself around his mate. The bond between them seemed to grow stronger with each passing day.
Shaking the thought of her from his mind, Gavriel reminded himself to focus on the task at hand. He was heading to personally inspect the borders of the southern territory, particularly the lands that once belonged to Cain, the former Alpha of the Shadowthorn Pack.
“Sire, do you think Cain has something to do with this breach involving black magic?” Simon asked curiously.
Gavriel mounted his horse and said, “There’s a chance, so we need to make sure we capture that bastard as soon as possible.”
“I thought Lady Althea would be our bait?” Simon asked.
Gavriel didn’t respond right away. He let out a heavy sigh instead. At first, he had been willing to use Althea’s life as bait, but now, he found himself hesitating, as if that plan was no longer an option.
“He’ll make a move once the rumor spreads that Althea isn’t truly his daughter,” Gavriel said after a pause. “Besides, Cain is a heartless man. We can’t even be sure if Althea would serve as the best bait. So far, he hasn’t made any rash moves to get her back. Let him believe he still has the upper hand, that he can use Althea against me because she’s my mate.”
He hummed softly, then pulled on the reins, urging his horse forward at a faster pace. He knew exactly what was going on in Cain’s mind. Cain likely believed he could soon use Althea against him, especially now that his daughter was gaining favor from both Gavriel and the people.
In reality, Althea could easily sacrifice herself by killing him and in doing so, her father’s goal would be achieved without effort. Gavriel had spent days silently observing her, waiting for that moment, but it never came…
‘Was it because she didn’t want to die?’ he wondered. Everyone knew that a woman marked by someone of Lunaris Dominion descent like him shared a bound life with her mate. If he died, she would die as well. However, the same didn’t apply in reverse—if his mate died, he would suffer greatly, both emotionally and physically, yet it would still be his choice whether to die of heartbreak or endure the pain.
Or maybe Althea was simply waiting for the right moment to strike and kill him. Whatever the reason, he would continue to watch and observe her for now.
The first place he visited was Cain’s former pack territory, and so far, everything appeared to be in order. Still, he didn’t leave right away. Instead, he stopped at the manor’s grand hall and instructed Simon to gather a few members of the pack he needed to speak with.
As he waited, Gavriel poured himself a drink and sat in the Alpha’s chair, his expression unreadable and his thoughts heavy.
Before long, Simon returned, accompanied by two women and a familiar man.
The air in the grand hall felt heavier as the three stood before Gavriel. Sarah, the healer mage, kept her hands clasped together, her eyes lowered in respect. Beside her stood Micah, the timid servant, and Tristan, the warrior whose jaw tightened the longer they stood in silence.
Gavriel took a slow sip from his cup before setting it down with a faint thud. “Tell me everything you know about Althea’s life in this pack,” he ordered, his tone calm but sharp enough to make them flinch. “Do not leave anything out.”
Uriel brought him one from the pack members he had talked to who witnessed some of Althea’s mistreatments, but Gavriel wanted to know everything, every single detail.
Sarah was the first to speak. “Your Majesty… Lady Althea’s life here was never easy,” she began softly, her hands trembling. “I treated her wounds many times, but I was always ordered to make sure no scars were left behind before Alpha Cain returned. They didn’t want him to notice what they had done to his favorite daughter. The Luna and the mistresses made sure she looked unharmed on the surface.”
Her voice faltered as she lowered her gaze. “She was punished for the smallest mistakes—sometimes for things she didn’t even do. They locked her in the storage room during the cold months and left her there overnight. There were times she went days without food. I tried to sneak her bread or soup, but if they caught me, they’d have me whipped.”
Gavriel’s eyes hardened, his jaw tightening. “Who gave those orders?”
“Luna Meena, my lord,” Micah replied with a shaky voice. “And the second and third mistresses followed her lead. They couldn’t stand Lady Althea because Alpha Cain still showed her favor when he was around. So they took out their jealousy on her. They made her clean the stables and the training grounds with bare hands, even when she had open wounds.”
Micah swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears. “Once, Luna Meena made her kneel in the courtyard under the rain for hours. They said she stained her half-sister’s dress, but it wasn’t true. Her hands were shaking so much from the cold that she fainted.”
Tristan stepped forward, his voice rough with guilt. “That’s when Melva and I started helping her in secret. We brought her food, covered her with blankets when we could. She never once complained, even when she could barely move. She just smiled and said she was fine.”
He looked down, guilt flickering in his eyes. “I couldn’t protect her like I should have.”
Gavriel’s expression went dark as the testimonies unfolded. Each new detail tightened the line of his jaw until his knuckles whitened around the cup.
He pushed himself up from the Alpha’s chair so fast the cup trembled on the table. “Rudolf,” he called, voice low and sharp. Rudolf, who had been assigned as his officer in charge of overseeing the pack, stepped forward at once.
“Bring those responsible before me. They will answer for what they did. Let them experience the weight of their cruelty. They will suffer the same way, tenfold.” His voice held no question, only cold resolve.