Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Fractured Loyalty

Elena pov

I slammed the door to my chambers behind me, the sound echoing down the empty corridor like a gunshot. My ribs screamed with every breath, and my back felt like it had been dragged across broken glass—which it had. Marcus had lost his damn mind tonight. I could still feel his hand around my throat, the raw power behind it. Unbelievable.

The man who once trusted me with everything was ready to crush my windpipe over that boy.

Rain hammered against the tall windows, steady and cold, just like it had been all night. I peeled off my torn coat, letting it drop to the floor, and moved straight to the marble bathroom attached to my suite. The mirror showed exactly what I expected—bruises already blooming along my jaw and neck, a nasty gash on my forearm from the desk shards. I grabbed a clean towel, soaked it in warm water, and pressed it to the worst of the cuts.

The sting was sharp, grounding. I hissed through my teeth but kept cleaning. Blood mixed with water swirled down the sink. Marcus had thrown me like I was nothing. His own sister. All because Sam had slipped away for some minutes of air.

I stared at my reflection. “You’re unbelievable, Marcus,” I muttered. “Completely gone.”

A silver picture frame sat on the side table near the mirror. I glanced at it, the familiar words engraved on the base catching the light: They shall pay for you. I didn’t linger. Not tonight.

I hit the intercom on the wall. “Bring him in. The one from the east wing. Now. And make sure we’re not disturbed.”

While I waited, I changed into a fresh black silk blouse and tailored pants, moving carefully around my injuries. The fabric felt cool against my heated skin. By the time a sharp knock sounded, I was seated at the heavy oak desk in the main room, a glass of whiskey in my hand and my expression locked into calm control.

“Come in.”

The door opened. My subordinate, Rico—a broad-supported wolf who’d been with the family for years—pushed the young impostor inside. The man looked nervous, eyes darting everywhere. Good.

“Leave us,” I told Rico. He hesitated for half a second, his gaze flicking over my bruises, but he nodded and stepped out, closing the door with a soft click.

I took a slow sip of whiskey, letting the silence stretch. The intruder stood awkwardly in the center of the room, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Sit,” I said, gesturing to the chair opposite my desk.

He sat. His hands trembled slightly as he rested them on his knees.

I leaned back, studying him. “Why are you here?”

He swallowed hard. “You recruited me, ma'am. Like you told Alpha Marcus. I’m new staff. Just trying to do my job.”

I smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Try again.”

“I—I swear. I was hired last week. Background check and everything. I don’t know what you think I—”

“Wrong answer.” I stood slowly, circling the desk. He tensed but stayed seated. “Why. Are. You. Here?”

His story changed on the second try—something about needing money, hearing the estate paid well. On the third, he claimed he was just a fan of the family’s business reputation. None of it added up. His eyes kept sliding away. His voice cracked on details. I wasn’t buying a single word.

I moved fast. In one motion I had him pinned against the wall, my forearm pressed across his throat. He gasped, hands clawing at my arm, but I held firm. My ribs protested, but the pain only sharpened my focus.

He wheezed. “Please—I don’t—”

I grabbed his right hand, isolating the pinky finger. One sharp twist and the bone snapped.

His scream tore through the room, raw and ugly. He buckled, but I kept him upright against the wall.

“You’re not even a wolf,” I said coldly, watching his face twist in agony. “I can smell the fear on you. No pack scent. No power. Just a pathetic little impostor.”

He tried to pull away. I slammed him back, then drove my knee into his thigh hard enough to make his leg give out. He crumpled to the floor, and I followed, pressing my heel into his chest.

“Talk,” I ordered. “Or I start breaking things you can’t hide.”

He sobbed, curling around his injured hand. I gave him thirty seconds before I grabbed his wrist again.

“Alright! Alright!” he gasped. “I’m an impersonator. I’ve stolen identities before—credit cards, bank accounts, whatever paid. Got caught on a big job. Cops had me dead to rights. Then this detective pulled me aside. Said I could work off my sentence. Infiltrate here. Report back on Marcus, on the boy, on everything.”

I eased the pressure on his chest slightly. “Keep going.”

He spilled it all then, words tumbling out between pained breaths. How he’d posed as new staff, how easy it had been to slip in with the chaos after Sam’s kidnapping. How he’d fed small details to his handler.

I looked down at him, shaking my head. “You ain’t good at your work.” I punched him square in the nose. Cartilage crunched. Blood sprayed across his shirt and the floor.

He howled, clutching his face.

“Which detective?” I asked, voice low.

“Harlan,” he choked out, blood dripping through his fingers. “Detective Harlan.”

The name hit me like cold water. Harlan. I knew that name. Had run into his investigations before. Persistent bastard.

I straightened up, staring at the broken man on my floor. “Now this just got interesting.”

He tried to crawl away. I planted my foot on his back, pinning him.

“Listen carefully,” I said, my voice calm and sharp. “You have a mother in Oakwood, right? Apartment 3B. And a little sister who just started community college. Cute girl. They don’t deserve what happens if you disappoint me. From this moment, you work for me. You report to me. Everything you see, everything you hear—especially about Marcus and Sam—you bring straight to me, and I decide what you tell that detective. Understand?”

He nodded frantically, face pressed to the carpet. “Y-yes. Please. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Good.” I stepped back. “Rico!”

The door opened immediately. Rico stepped in, eyes widening slightly at the blood and the man curled on the floor, but he said nothing.

“Take him away. Clean him up. Patch him. He’s valuable now. Keep him under watch, but make sure he can still move around the estate.”

Rico hauled the impostor to his feet. The man whimpered but didn’t resist as he was dragged out. The door clicked shut again, leaving me alone with the rain and the metallic smell of blood in the air.

I walked back to my desk, poured another whiskey, and downed half of it in one go. My body ached. My mind raced. Marcus had completely lost it, he acted foolishly without me this place will be down to nothing. He couldn’t appreciate my effort but Throwing me around like an enemy because Sam ran off for some air. The boy had him by the throat, and Marcus couldn’t even see it.

I picked up the burner phone from the locked drawer. My fingers hovered for a moment before I dialed the number. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered.

“It’s me,” I said quietly. “Marcus has lost it. Completely. He nearly killed me over the boy. I can’t keep looking out for him while he’s losing his mind like this. We need to talk about next steps.”

The rain continued to lash the windows as I waited for the response, my bruised fingers tightening around the glass. The weight of the family, the pack, and everything we had built pressed down on me heavier than ever.

But I had always been the one who cleaned up the messes.

And I was tired of watching my brother destroy us all.