CHAPTER 114

CHAPTER 114

\[Khuraan's POV\]

The vodka swirled in my glass, catching the low light from the bar. I watched it move, clear and smooth, while my mind replayed that morning at breakfast.

Two days ago now. Two days since I'd watched Giselle's face crumble when I'd thrown those words at her.

A smile tugged at my lips. I took a sip of vodka, savoring the burn.

She'd deserved every word. Every dig. Every reminder that she'd chosen Blake over my brothers.

The look on her face when I'd asked about married life. The way her hands had clenched. The flash of pain in her eyes before she'd tried to hide it.

Perfect.

I mentally patted myself on the back for a job well done. That's exactly what I'd been going for. Make her uncomfortable. Make her regret her choices.

Make her hurt the way she'd hurt Zarkhan and Hakkan.

I'd pay good money to see that expression again. The shock. The embarrassment. The barely concealed anger.

She thought she could waltz back into this house like nothing had happened? Like she hadn't betrayed my brothers?

Not on my watch.

I hated her. Simple as that. And I wasn't going to pretend otherwise just to keep the peace.

If she wanted to play house with Blake, fine. But she'd do it knowing exactly how I felt about her.

I took another drink, letting the alcohol warm my chest.

But hate aside, something wasn't adding up. Something about this whole situation felt wrong. Off.

Blake showing up out of nowhere. Claiming to be Jessica's brother. Marrying Giselle so quickly.

And Giselle herself. The way she'd looked at Zarkhan at breakfast. The tension between them.

If she'd really chosen Blake, why did she look so miserable?

I shook my head. No. I wasn't going to feel sorry for her. She'd made her bed. Now she could lie in it.

But that didn't mean I couldn't figure out what was really going on.

There was a secret mission here. Had to be. Blake and Giselle hadn't shown up at our pack house by accident. They wanted something.

The question was what.

I ruled out Valeria immediately. She was Giselle's mother. Whatever was happening, she probably didn't know the full story. Just a pawn in someone else's game.

Jessica was harder to rule out. I didn't like her. Hadn't liked her from the start, even before she'd gotten pregnant. Something about her felt fake. Calculated.

But she was carrying my child. Or so she claimed.

I frowned into my glass. Was the baby even mine?

The thought had crossed my mind more than once lately. The timing had always seemed convenient. Too convenient.

But no. I was overthinking it. The baby was mine. Had to be.

Which left Blake and Giselle as the real players in whatever this was.

Blake with his smooth words and perfect manners. Always knowing exactly what to say to Father. Always inserting himself into pack business.

And Giselle with her secrets and her sad eyes and her obvious discomfort around her own husband.

What were they planning?

I swirled the vodka again, lost in thought. Trying to piece together the puzzle with too many missing pieces.

The door to the bar opened behind me. I didn't turn around. Didn't care who it was.

Footsteps crossed the floor. Confident. Male.

I still didn't look. Just took another sip of my drink and let my mind wander through possibilities.

Maybe Blake wanted control of the pack. Maybe he was working with another alpha to stage some kind of coup.

Or maybe it was about money. Father had plenty of it. The pack was wealthy. Easy target.

But then where did Giselle fit in? Was she part of the plan or just another victim?

I wanted to believe she was guilty. Wanted to hold onto my anger and blame.

But something nagged at me. Something I couldn't quite name.

"Khuraan."

The voice made me stiffen. I knew that voice.

Blake.

I looked up slowly, making sure my face showed exactly how little I thought of him. Let my eyes drag over him with open scorn before looking away again.

He chuckled. Actually chuckled like my dislike amused him.

That made my jaw clench. Made my hand tighten on my glass.

I stood up from my stool, done with this conversation before it even started. I had no interest in talking to him. No interest in pretending we were friends or family or whatever he thought we were.

My feet carried me toward the exit. Away from him and his fake smile and his calculated charm.

I was almost at the door when his voice stopped me.

"Is there any particular reason you hate me?"

The question hung in the air.

I paused. Turned my head just enough to glance back at him.

He stood there by the bar, one hand in his pocket, looking completely relaxed. Like my opinion of him didn't matter at all.

That should have made me angrier. Should have made me want to punch that smug look off his face.

Instead, I just looked at him. Really looked at him.

Studied his face. His posture. The way he held himself like he owned the place.

And I realized something.

He expected me to answer. Expected me to list out my grievances so he could explain them away or turn them back on me.

That's what he wanted. A conversation. A chance to manipulate me the way he'd manipulated Father and Valeria.

Well, he wasn't getting it.

I turned away without saying a word. Faced the door again.

"Nothing to say?" Blake pressed. "Come on, Khuraan. If you hate me so much, at least tell me why."

I could hear the smile in his voice. The amusement.

He thought this was a game.

Maybe it was. But I wasn't playing.

My hand reached for the door handle. Cool metal under my palm.

"Silent treatment?" Blake continued. "Really? That's the best you've got?"

I pulled the door open. Let the light from the hallway spill into the dim bar.

"You're not even going to try to defend your brothers?" His voice got sharper now. Less amused. "Giselle told me all about how protective you three are of each other. How you'd do anything for family."

My hand clenched on the door handle. Hard enough to hurt.

He was baiting me. Trying to get a reaction.

I wouldn't give him one.

"She told me about that night in the gym too," Blake said, his voice dropping lower. Intimate. "About Zarkhan. About what he did to her."

My jaw locked. My whole body went rigid.

"She told me everything," he continued. "Every touch. Every kiss. Every filthy thing your brother did to her."

I could feel my wolf pushing forward. Demanding I turn around. Demanding I make him shut up.

But I held it back. Barely.

"And you want to know the best part?" Blake laughed softly. "She loved it. She loved every second of what he did to her. Begged him for more."

My nails dug into my palm. My breathing got heavier.

"But now she's mine," Blake said. "And I get to do all those things to her. I get to make her beg. Make her scream. Make her forget your brothers ever touched her."

That was it. That was the line.

I turned around slowly. Met his eyes across the bar.

Blake's smile widened. Victorious. Like he'd just won something.

"There he is," he said. "I knew you couldn't just walk away."

I took a step back toward him. Then another. My fists clenched at my sides.

"Careful," Blake warned, but he didn't look worried. "We wouldn't want anyone to think you're jealous, would we?"

Jealous. Of him and Giselle.

The thought was laughable. Ridiculous.

I didn't want Giselle. Didn't care what happened to her.

But my brothers did. Or they had. Before she'd betrayed them.

"Stay away from my brothers," I said, my voice low and dangerous.

Blake raised his eyebrows. "I'm not the one who needs to stay away from them. Your brothers are the ones who can't let go. Especially Zarkhan."

"I said stay away."

"Or what?" Blake spread his hands. "What are you going to do, Khuraan? Fight me? Tell your father? He already loves me. Thinks I'm the best thing that ever happened to this pack."

He wasn't wrong about that. Father did love him. Had welcomed him with open arms.

Which made this whole situation worse.

"I know you're up to something," I said, changing tactics. "You and Giselle. Whatever game you're playing, I'm going to figure it out."

Blake's smile didn't waver. "Game? What game? I'm just a man who married the woman he loves."

"Bullshit."

"Is it?" He tilted his head. "Or are you just angry because she chose me over your brothers?"

"She didn't choose anything," I shot back. "You manipulated her. Forced her into this."

"Forced her?" Blake laughed. "Is that what she told you? That I forced her?"

I didn't answer. Didn't have an answer.

Because Giselle hadn't told me anything. Hadn't told any of us anything.

She'd just shown up married to him. Done deal.

"Face it," Blake said, his voice softer now. Almost gentle. "Your brothers lost. I won. And nothing you do is going to change that."

My hands shook with the effort of not lunging at him. Of not wrapping them around his throat and squeezing.

But that's what he wanted. Wanted me to lose control. To give him an excuse to play the victim.

I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

Instead, I turned away again. Back to the door. Back to my exit.

"Running away?" Blake called after me. "Just like that?"

I didn't respond. Just pulled the door open and stepped through.

"This conversation isn't over," Blake said.

I paused in the doorway. Looked back over my shoulder one last time.

"Yes," I said quietly. "It is."

Then I walked out, leaving him standing there in the empty bar.

My heart was racing. My hands still shaking with anger.

But I'd done it. I'd walked away without giving him what he wanted.

Small victory. But I'd take it.

The hallway stretched out in front of me. Quiet. Empty.

I needed to talk to my brothers. Needed to tell them about this conversation. About Blake's taunts and implications.

But first I needed to cool down. To think clearly instead of reacting emotionally.

I headed for the gym. Exercise would help. Would burn off this angry energy before I did something stupid.

My mind kept replaying Blake's words. About Giselle. About what Zarkhan had done with her.

I'd suspected something had happened between them. Had seen the way they looked at each other.

But hearing Blake talk about it. Hearing him claim her like property.

It made my blood boil.

Not because I cared about Giselle. But because Blake was playing games with my family.

And nobody played games with my family and got away with it.

I pushed through the gym doors, already reaching for the tape to wrap my hands.

Whatever Blake and Giselle were planning, I'd figure it out.

And when I did, they'd both pay for it.