Chapter 181 THE SILENCE BEFORE BETRAYAL
Chapter 181
Jax’s POV
The road stretched on and on. Dust rose behind the car as we drove farther from the Stormfang pack.
The pack, even the palace, was now just a memory lost behind the trees.
I watched the driver tighten his grip on the wheel. I could have stayed. I could have sent someone else.
No. Never. That thought alone made my chest tighten.
What if something went wrong again?
What if the omega never made it back to the palace to deliver the news?
What if…
Too many what-ifs crashed into me like a thunderstorm in torrential rain.
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. The driver pressed harder on the gas. The car sped along the bumpy road.
Beside me sat Leo, the faithful servant who had brought news of Brielle’s whereabouts.
But something else caught my attention.
The silence.
The sudden silence filled the car.
Heavy. Strange.
I glanced at him. He quickly looked away. A small sound slipped from his nose, like he wanted to speak but held himself back.
I frowned.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
Leo shook his head quickly, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“No, my king.”
My king.
The words lingered between us.
He shifted in his seat, sitting straighter now. His shoulders pulled back, like he was afraid to relax. One hand slipped briefly from his pocket, closer to my side, but the other remained buried, as if glued inside.
I looked back at the road. The tires rolled over stones, making soft cracking sounds.
Leo kept his distance, even though he sat right beside me.
Like there was a wall between us.
The air felt different.
Cold. Tight.
I could feel it without him saying a word. Something was off, and I didn’t like it.
“I hope you kept the gold bar I gave you safe,” I said.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
His reply was flat. Brief. That was all.
He glanced at me once, then turned back to the window, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
I couldn’t push the conversation any further.
I wondered what could have gone wrong, but I didn’t want to press him.
The journey to Alpha Dominion’s pack was quiet, lonely, almost as if I had traveled alone.
Silence sat firmly between us.
We eventually arrived at Alpha Dominion’s pack in the thick hours of the night.
The weather was warm, brushing gently against my skin. I should have paid a visit to their king, to show respect, but such a visit from one alpha king to another, unannounced, could raise suspicion.
The border guards would inform their king of my arrival.
We would settle that at the next Alpha Kings’ general meeting.
Leo stepped out of the car. I studied his movements, his clumsiness, the way he dragged his feet as though stones were tied to them.
“That’s it… over there,” he said, pointing toward an old bungalow with faded paint.
Everything about it felt dark… unsettling. But I remained calm.
People shouldn’t be trusted, my late father had always warned me. I didn’t know if I was walking into my own death.
So I prepared for it.
That is how the wise survive.
During the journey, I had kept my shotgun hidden beneath my cloak.
My fingers brushed against it now. I knew it might be the only thing keeping me alive.
As we approached the building, we saw an old, fragile man, bald-headed, standing guard.
He recognized me instantly. Excitement lit up his face.
“Your Honor… you…”
“Shhh…” I cut him off quickly, pressing a finger to my lips. My presence here must not be made public.
I was grateful we had arrived at such a late hour.
I slipped a small wad of cash from inside my clothing and handed it to him, to silence him.
He dropped to the floor, almost as if he had seen his savior.
We entered the building.
It was quiet, with many rooms lining the passageway. Candlelight flickered in every corner.
The sharp scent of antiseptic and ointment filled my nose.
That was the only thing that reassured me this place might truly be a healing house, and not a death trap.
We moved through the passageway until we met an old woman.
“You need to fill a form, Your Honor,” she said.
My eyes narrowed. “No… no. I don’t want anyone knowing I was here tonight.”
“I’m sorry… that is the rule.”
I reached into my cloak again, pulled out some cash, and dropped it into her hand.
Her face lit up with a smile.
I noticed her quietly sliding an old book away at the far end of the table.
“You can follow me, Your Honor,” she said, her smile widening.
She turned, and we followed.
After walking a short distance, she stopped in front of a room.
There was no door. The windowpane was broken.
She stood at the entrance, gesturing for us to go in.
I remained at the doorway, my hands behind my back, staring at Brielle’s almost lifeless body from a distance.
Leo stood behind me,like a man ready to flee at the first sign of trouble.
The old woman stepped inside.
“Where did you find her?” I asked.
“A kind-hearted wolf pulled her from the river and brought her here,” the old woman replied, folding her hands behind her back.
“Where is he?”
“He dropped her off and left.”
I turned to Leo. “How did you know she was here?”
“One of the guards outside… he’s my friend. He’s from our pack, my lord.”
My eyes flickered with surprise.
I stepped closer. I could see her scalp, her forehead tightly bandaged. Her body looked lifeless. Her skin was pale, her lips dry and cracked, as though she hadn’t had food or water in days.
I took another step toward her bed.
Then her eyes snapped open.
Her body began to shake violently, as if something had taken hold of her.
Her mouth stretched wide.
Everyone froze.
Her body convulsed, her jaw opening as though she wanted to scream.
But no sound came.
Then,
A voice. Which didn't belong to Brielle.
Low, Cold and Mocking.
Right behind me.
“Too late, Alpha… you walked right into it.”
Behind me…
I heard the faint click of a gun being cocked.