The weight of Cierce's words hung in the air, like a looming death sentence. My instincts screamed at me to brace myself for the impending confrontation, while the darkness of the night intensified around us. It was time to face the consequences of a betrayal that cut as deep as the claws of a hungry wolf.
The weight of her words hung in the air, but I didn't allow fear to take hold of me. Instead, I faced Cierce with determination. “You betrayed our friendship, Cierce. Why?”
A bitter smile danced on Cierce's lips, her eyes filled with resentment.
“Because I'm an omega,” she replied, her voice a bitter whisper. “Always rejected, always underestimated by the pack. The only joy I had was when the Goddess blessed me, saying that Jeff was my destined wolf. But even that, you and Hunter managed to take away from me.”
I furrowed my brow, perplexed. “I didn't take anything from you, Cierce. I don't understand what you're talking about.”
Cierce shook her head, her gaze fixed on emptiness. “They took it when you and Hunter went to Denver with Jeff and Caleb, without Alastair's permission. That disobedience cost Jeff isolation, while you two lived well. Disobedience that would never be allowed for an omega.”
I sighed, understanding the underlying pain in Cierce's words. “I'm sorry, Cierce. It was Alastair's decision. We have no control over his choices.”
Cierce smiled bitterly. “It doesn't matter anymore. When Hunter returns and sees that the boys are fine, Jeff will come back to the pack.”
I looked at Cierce, sensing a disturbing expression in her eyes. “Are you okay, Cierce? I told you that Jeff is dead.”
Cierce stared at me, a mix of contempt and anger. “Another death caused by you. Just like Caleb's, whom you killed on the road to protect Hunter.”
My mind stirred with the accusation. “It wasn't like that, Cierce. I didn't kill Jeff; it was Caleb.”
Cierce looked at me, incredulous. “You're lying to avoid the consequences. I expected nothing less from you, Fierce.”
I shook my head firmly. “I don't need to lie. That's the truth. And I doubt that you orchestrated this entire plan. Something doesn't add up.”
Cierce looked at me with disdain, defiant. “Why doubt me? Just because I'm an omega?”
I shook my head. “It's not because of that. It's for another reason.” I looked at Cierce and said with conviction, “I only shared about Caleb's death with one person. Now, I'm more certain than ever who has always been behind all of this.”
“No, you don't,” Cierce, irritated, replied. “Only me, Jeff, Caleb, the banished ones. There's no one else, Fierce.”
I narrowed my eyes, doubting her assertion. “Are you absolutely sure of that? It doesn't seem like you and the others would be capable of such cruelty, especially you, Cierce.”
She stared at me, defiant. “Believe it or not, Fierce. Jeff, Caleb, and I were willing to do anything to regain our lives.”
I approached her, my expression serious. “I don't believe you, Cierce. On the night of the test, there was no time for you to go to Alastair without being noticed by Hunter. And what about the fight with the Bear? Jeff's scent was too distant. It wasn't just that.”
Cierce remained silent for a moment, assessing my words. I continued, my mind seeking answers.
“Maybe you sent Jeff, as you're probably already thinking of telling me. But there's something more. Something that doesn't fit in your story. The death of Sibyl.”
Cierce averted her gaze, visibly uncomfortable. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
She looked at me, waiting for my revelation. “Sibyl. The omega wolf who was our best friend, remember? I doubt that you would scheme to kill Sibyl. Perhaps you mentioned seeing her near the Cabin, but at that time, you didn't know why she and I were there. I don't believe you would hand her over to Alastair to die... Yet, I'm sure Sibyl's death was also part of the plan. Did you hand her over to Alastair?”
Cierce widened her eyes, vehemently denying. “I wouldn't do that!”
I shook my head. “I know you wouldn't have handed Sibyl to Alastair to die. And it's not just that. Who tracked me and the boys? Who led the banished ones to us?”
Cierce hesitated for a moment before answering. “One of the guys did that.”
“Which one?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.
“I don't know. Jeff hired some men to help us, but I wasn't involved in that.”
My suspicion persisted. “You can't tell me which one tracked us? That's too convenient, Cierce.”
She sighed, seemingly resigned. “I wasn't involved in all the details, Fierce. Jeff led that part of the operation.”
“Jeff is dead, Cierce. We can't confront him. But you... you need to give me all the information you have.” My piercing gaze confronted hers. “Who, Cierce? Who was responsible for all of this?”
Cierce averted her gaze, reluctant to admit it. “Garm.”
My mind worked frantically to connect the dots. Garm, Caleb, Jeff, Sibyl, Cierce, the involved men—everything seemed to be pieces of an elaborate puzzle.
“He wasn't even part of the pack. What would he gain from kidnapping the boys? And Ignis, what did she have to do with all this?”
Cierce glanced away for a moment, as if pondering her own internal questions. “I don't know. I just followed orders, Fierce.”
“Orders from whom?” I asked, pressing for more answers.
Cierce remained silent for a moment before responding, “Someone who promised something I had longed for a long time.”
My eyes narrowed, curiosity mixing with a tinge of apprehension. “Who, Cierce? Tell me who was behind this.”
A dark smile curved Cierce's lips, as if the revelation was a kind of vengeance. “Since you're destined to die, I see no reason to hide anything more. It was Hunter.”
His name echoed like thunder in my ears. Hunter, the alpha, the father of my children, the one who should be the guardian of the pack. The idea that he could be involved in this nefarious plan was unbelievable. My mind spun as I processed this information.
“Hunter?” I whispered, in disbelief. “He was behind all of this?”
Cierce nodded, her gaze defiant. “He promised me and others the fulfillment of our deepest desires in exchange for our loyalty.”
I stared at Cierce, searching her eyes for any sign of falsehood, but her gaze held the truth.
“Hunter?” I repeated, as if the words could rearrange themselves differently. “You're saying Hunter, my mate, planned the kidnapping of our children? He wouldn't do that. You're lying.”
Cierce looked at me with a mix of sadness and resentment. “He did, Fierce. He asked us to find the boys.”
A knot formed in my stomach at the thought of this possibility. “And Ignis? What did she have to do with it?”
Cierce looked down for a moment before answering. “Ignis was a distraction, a way to keep you focused on someone else while the plan unfolded. She wasn't part of the real plan.”
My expression hardened with incredulity. “It wasn't Hunter,” I contested, recalling the contradictions in Cierce's stories. “First, it was Jeff's plan, then yours, and now you're trying to blame Hunter to divert attention from who's really behind all this.”
Before Cierce could respond, Zora appeared, her curious gaze probing the tension between us. “What's happening here?” she asked.
My eyes turned to Zora, and I said with conviction, “I know everything, Zora. I know that you're behind all of this.”
Zora raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by my accusation. “Me? What are you talking about, Fierce?”
“Cierce told me about the kidnapping plan and revealed that Hunter was giving orders,” I explained, pointing to Cierce. “But it doesn't make sense. I don't believe Hunter would do something like this. You're the mastermind behind all this, Zora.”
Zora arched an eyebrow, surprised, but remained calm. “What are you talking about, Fierce?”
“Don't pretend, Zora. From the beginning, you've been manipulating every piece of the kidnapping of my children. First, the kidnapping of my children, then Ignis's arrival, the guys, Caleb, and now Garm.”
Zora remained silent for a moment before releasing a sigh. Then she sarcastically clapped her hands. “Congratulations, Fierce. You finally figured it out. Too bad you didn't see one thing.”
“What?” I asked, ready to unravel another mystery.
Zora smiled satisfied. “I'm the one responsible for everything from the beginning. Even before Hunter's test, I had already devised my plan.”