Chapter 132
Connor's POV
The main manor of the Thunder Wolf Pack was decked out in festive decorations, celebration thick in the air. I walked alone at the edge of the bustling crowd, watching pack members heap praise upon Ivan, young pups even mimicking his lightning-summoning gestures. The noble daughters who used to orbit around me were now all talking about "Hero Ivan."
I felt invisible.
The spotlight that should have been mine had been completely stripped away. That sense of humiliation cut like a blade through my heart—every time I heard Ivan's name, every time I saw the pack's worshipful gazes, a suffocating rage welled up inside me.
I was the Alpha's son, the pack's true heir. And him? Just some rogue of unknown origins. What right did he have to steal everything that should have been mine?
I pushed open the study door. Father Tyler stood at the window, his back to me.
"Father," I said, suppressing the fury in my voice. "Why are you giving a rogue such high honors? Does he deserve them?"
Tyler turned around. A flicker of paternal guilt crossed his eyes, but what dominated was the cold ruthlessness of an Alpha.
"In this world, strength is everything." His voice was terrifyingly calm. "Ivan has mastered the thunder element. He is currently the strongest. As Alpha, I must consider the pack's future."
"But I—"
"But what?" Tyler cut me off. "What do you have, Connor? I know this isn't fair to you, but reality is cruel. You need to learn to accept it."
His consolation rang hollow. In that moment, I realized clearly—in my father's eyes, I had lost all value.
I turned and left the study, but I didn't go far. At the corner, I stopped and pressed myself against the wall. Moments later, Beta Ethan entered.
"Alpha," Ethan's voice came through.
"How are things progressing?" Father asked.
"Chloe's pregnancy has created a bond between Ivan and the pack. That's good." Ethan paused. "Once the child is born, combined with the official mating ceremony, he'll be completely tied to the Thunder Wolf Pack."
"Excellent," Father said with satisfaction. "When the time is right, for the pack's prosperity, I'll have Ivan succeed as the next Alpha. As for Connor..."
My heart seemed to stop beating.
"Let him manage logistics at the border outpost," Father said dismissively. "They need people there too."
Border logistics? That was exile in disguise.
The fear of banishment and the fury of being replaced shattered my psychological defenses completely. I covered my mouth, forcing myself to stay silent, then slipped away from the main manor without a sound.
I needed to vent.
In the deep mountain forest far from camp, I brought several personal attendants with me. I attacked the trees furiously, punch after punch slamming into rough bark until my knuckles bled.
"Young master, please calm down—" one attendant tried to intervene.
"Get lost!" I kicked him in the stomach, watching him curl up in pain as the jealousy in my eyes transformed into pure hatred.
Just then, the space around us began to distort.
The normal forest became grotesque and bizarre, as if invisible hands were kneading reality itself. I backed away warily as my attendants huddled together in terror.
A figure emerged gracefully from the void.
She wore deep purple robes, her features delicate yet eerily pale, twisted spatial ripples surrounding her body. Unlike any witch I'd encountered, she radiated an aura of dangerous nobility and oppression.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"Elvira," her voice flowed like silk. "Space witch."
She casually flicked her fingers.
Before I could react, my attendants screamed. Space itself became blades, instantly slicing them to pieces. Blood sprayed everywhere—yet miraculously, none touched Elvira.
I tried to flee, but found the space around me compressing.
Suffocation seized me. I felt my bones being crushed, my organs ground to pulp. The terror of impending death drove me to my knees, struggling desperately but unable to break free.
"Please... please..." I forced out the words.
The pressure suddenly vanished. I knelt on the ground gasping for air, drenched in cold sweat.
"Good," Elvira nodded with satisfaction, her voice taking on a seductive quality. "Now we can discuss a deal."
"What... deal?"
"The Blood River Pack's goal is simple." She paced elegantly. "That rogue who stole the thunder power—Ivan—and recovering the elemental force that belongs to us. Once he disappears, you'll still be the sole heir, and the pack won't suffer any harm."
She withdrew three black crystals from her robes, emanating a void-like aura.
"Place these at three weak points in the pack's defensive barrier." Elvira handed me the crystals. "Then everything will return to how it should be."
I stared at the crystals in my hand as images flashed through my mind—Father's cold face, Ivan's smug smile, the pack members who worshipped him.
I remembered Father's words: "Let him manage logistics at the border outpost."
I clenched the crystals tight, a vicious gleam flashing in my eyes.
"I need to know the exact locations," I said hoarsely.
Elvira smiled—beautiful and dangerous.
"A wise choice."
She extended her pale fingers, tracing a three-dimensional image of the Thunder Wolf Pack's territory in the air. Three points of light flickered at vulnerable spots in the barrier.
"Do you remember?"
"I remember."
"Excellent." Elvira's form began to fade. "Remember, Connor—you're simply reclaiming what should have been yours all along."
She vanished into twisted spatial ripples, as if she'd never existed.
I stood in a pool of blood, three black crystals clutched in my hand. Around me lay my attendants' corpses, their blood soaking into the earth.
Moonlight filtered through the canopy, falling across my face.
I murmured softly, "Once he disappears, everything will return to how it should be."