Chapter 182: CHAPTER 182

For several long moments, neither Victor nor Martha spoke.

The bedroom was a mess. Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor, blood stained the wooden boards beneath their feet, and the sharp scent of rogues still lingered heavily in the air. Martha silently retrieved a clean cloth from the dresser before gently wrapping it around Victor's bleeding arm. He winced slightly but never looked away from the three bodies lying motionless across the room.

When she finished tying the bandage, she rested a trembling hand against his arm.

"Victor..."

He finally turned to look at her.

She hesitated, unsure whether she wanted to ask the question that had been tormenting her since the attack began.

"Do you think..." Her voice faltered. "Do you think this has something to do with Marcus? You know…"

Victor's expression softened.

He knew exactly why she would think that.

Since Marcus had been declared a rogue, neither of them had seen nor heard from their son. Every passing day had only deepened the fear that somewhere out there, he was angry enough to blame them for not protecting him.

Victor lowered his eyes for a moment before quietly shaking his head.

"Our son has made many mistakes."

His voice remained calm, though there was an unmistakable sadness beneath it.

"He's stubborn... reckless... and far too much like me for his own good."

The faintest smile touched his lips before disappearing again.

"But one thing Marcus would never do..." He looked directly into Martha's eyes. "...is put his own mother in danger."

Martha released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"So you don't think he sent them?"

Victor slowly turned back toward the bodies.

"No."

His expression hardened.

"This wasn't Marcus."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Someone wanted me dead."

The realization settled heavily between them.

Victor replayed every second of the attack inside his mind. The rogues hadn't searched for valuables. They hadn't demanded money. They had come straight to their bedroom, straight to him. Whatever this was, it had been carefully planned.

Victor stared at the three lifeless bodies scattered across the bedroom floor, his mind piecing together everything that had just happened. The attack hadn't been random. The rogues hadn't searched the house or demanded money. They had come straight for him. Whoever had sent them hadn't wanted to rob him.

They had wanted him dead.

Without another word, Victor closed his eyes and reached out through the mind-link.

Daniel.

Silence answered him.

A faint frown creased his forehead. He reached out again, this time with greater urgency.

Daniel.

Still nothing.

Victor's heart skipped.

That had never happened before. Either Daniel had deliberately blocked the mind-link, something he had never once done to his younger brother, or something had happened to him and their Alpha link had been severed.

A cold knot tightened in Victor's stomach.

Without wasting another second, he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and quickly dialed Daniel's number. The call rang twice before someone finally answered.

"Victor?"

Daniel's voice was thick with sleep.

Relief washed over Victor so suddenly that he almost laughed.

"Thank the goddess."

The concern in Victor's voice instantly chased away whatever sleep Daniel had left.

"What happened?"

"I've been trying to reach you through the mind-link." Victor leaned wearily against the wall, the exhaustion from the fight beginning to settle over him now that the danger had passed. "When you didn't answer..." He let out a slow breath. "I thought something had happened to you."

Daniel sat upright immediately.

"I'm fine."

A brief silence settled between them before his voice became serious.

"Victor... what's going on?"

Victor looked across the room at the bodies of the three rogues lying motionless on the floor before answering.

"My house was just attacked."

Daniel froze.

"What?"

"Three rogues broke into the estate." Victor's voice remained remarkably steady despite the blood still running beneath the bandage around his arm. "They tried to kill Martha and me."

Daniel threw the blankets aside and climbed out of bed in one swift movement.

"Are the two of you hurt?"

Victor instinctively glanced down at the fresh bandage wrapped around his arm before shaking his head.

"I'll live. It's nothing serious."

"And Martha?"

"She's safe."

Only then did Daniel release the breath he had been unconsciously holding, relief softening his features before the weight of Victor's words settled fully over him. His expression hardened once again.

"What happened?"

Victor briefly recounted the attack, explaining how the rogues had forced their way into the house and how the last survivor had admitted they had been promised a large payment for killing him.

Daniel listened without interrupting.

When Victor finished, Daniel remained unusually quiet.

"Did they say anything else?" he finally asked.

Victor shook his head before realizing his brother couldn't see him.

"No."

Victor's jaw tightened.

"Unfortunately, the one who knew something died before I could question him."

Silence filled the line once again.

When Daniel finally spoke, there was a noticeable change in his voice. His normal warm voice had disappeared, replaced by a calm, unsettling seriousness that immediately caught Victor's attention.

"Victor," he said quietly, "I need you to take Martha and go somewhere safe."

Victor frowned.

"What is it?"

Daniel's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"I'll have guards sent immediately to protect both of you."

Victor slowly looked around the bedroom. Broken furniture lay scattered across the floor, the bodies of the three rogues remained where they had fallen, and the metallic scent of blood still hung heavily in the air.

"Daniel..." His brows knitted together. "What exactly is happening?"

Daniel closed his eyes for a brief moment.

He remembered Ariel standing in Beta Leonard's office only hours earlier, her voice trembling as she repeated Marcus's words.

"I can’t tell you right now," he paused, carefully choosing his words. "But I need you to trust me on this."

Victor frowned even deeper.

“I don’t understand. All three rogues are dead."

Daniel opened his eyes and looked toward the bedroom door. There were too many questions and not nearly enough answers.

"I'll explain everything later," he said quietly. "For now, just get Martha somewhere safe. Don't stay in that house any longer."

Before Victor could ask another question, the line went dead.

Daniel slowly lowered the phone and stared at it for a long moment before setting it on the bedside table. The last traces of sleep had completely vanished. He quickly changed into fresh clothes, his mind refusing to slow as he replayed everything that had happened over the course of the day.

This was no coincidence.

Someone had realized the truth was beginning to surface.

Quietly opening the bedroom door, Daniel stepped into the dimly lit palace corridor. The guards stationed outside immediately straightened when they saw him.

"Alpha Daniel."

Daniel never broke stride.

"Wake Beta Leonard."

The guard blinked in surprise. It was well past midnight.

"Now?"

Daniel finally looked at him.

"Yes. Now."

The urgency in his voice was enough to send the guard running without another question.

Daniel continued walking alone through the silent palace corridors, his footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor.

Somewhere in Maplewood, someone had tried to silence Victor Blackwood.

And for the first time, Daniel realized they were no longer uncovering a conspiracy that had died seventeen years ago.

They were hunting one that was still very much alive.