Chapter 64: THE BIGGEST THREAT

Delilah

The pain of losing someone so dear is unbearable, but the pain of losing a soulmate is a torment that cuts deeper than any other. It’s a wound that never truly heals, a void that nothing can fill. I should have stopped him. I should have fought harder, argued longer, done anything to keep him.

If only I had insisted.

But I didn’t. I let Farrell leave for the human city, and now he’s gone. A witch attack…that’s what they said. But why? Farrell was kind, gentle, and had no enemies. He was never the type to seek trouble. So why would a witch attack him? Unless… it wasn’t random

The witch attack that took his life haunts me every waking moment. It feels like a cruel twist of fate, a punishment for my failure to protect him. Farrell was peaceful, kind, and had no enemies. Why would a witch target him? The question gnaws at me, feeding my guilt and sorrow. Was it because of me? Was I the reason he was attacked? The thought is unbearable, but it lingers, and it's taunting.

“Queen Delilah,” Raymond’s voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. “Please, you need to take care of yourself. It’s been two weeks since my brother died. The whole pack is grieving. You need to be strong for them. You need to step up and rule this pack as their Luna. It’s what’s expected of you.”

His words stung, not because they were harsh, but because they were true. Yet, how could he expect me to take Farrell’s place so soon? The pain was still raw, the wound still bleeding. Besides, I had responsibilities to the Shadow Claws Pack as well. I was their Luna, their queen. I had left them immediately after my coronation to mourn Farrell, and now it was time to return. They needed me, just as much as this pack did.

I grabbed my bag and stood up from the bed, my movements was slow. Raymond rose from the sofa, his face twisted in confusion. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving already?” he asked, his voice tinged with shock.

“You will have to take Farrell’s place as the Alpha now. It’s your right,” I replied, turning to face him. “Farrell is no more. I can’t continue to be the Luna of this pack. At some point, you will also find your mate.”

I stepped away, but he grabbed my hand, pulling me closer. His breath fanned my ear, and for a moment, I was too stunned to react. “I can replace my brother, you know,” he whispered, his voice low and intense. “After all, I was your first lover before he took you away from me.”

His words froze me in place. What was he saying? Yes, we had been close in college, but we were never lovers. We were friends, nothing more. I loved him, but not in that way. How could he twist our friendship into something it never was?

“You were my best friend, Raymond,” I said, pulling away from him. “How can you call that a love relationship? Yes, I love you, but not as a lover. As a friend.”

I didn’t want to hurt him, but things were spiraling out of control. I had always trusted him, relied on him. How could he betray that trust now, of all times?

“Do you even love your brother?” I asked, my voice trembling with emotion. “Do you respect him? Because if you did, you wouldn’t even think of me the way you just did. I am not just your late brother’s mate and Luna. I am the queen of the seven Zones, and the Luna of the Shadow Claws Pack. I am not without a mate.”

I ran my hands through my hair, exhaling deeply. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not after everything we had been through. “I don’t want to believe you said that,” I continued, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “So I want to believe this conversation never happened.”

I grabbed my bag again, ready to leave, but his words stopped me cold. “What kind of friends kiss passionately, Delilah?” he yelled, his voice echoing through the room. “What do you think, that I would just leave you in his hands?”

He stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “I knew Sandra was with my brother. At the time, they were just… fcking. But the moment he set his eyes on you, he knew you were with me. And yet, he took you away from me and married you.”

His words hit me like a punch. Sandra? Farrell? What was he talking about? I dropped my bag, folding my arms across my chest as I tried to process what he was saying.

“What happened between us that night was a mistake,” I said, my voice firm. “We were drunk, someone spiked our drinks, and you know it. That kiss meant nothing to me, Raymond. You need to pull yourself together. And what do you mean Sandra had been sleeping with Farrell before I met him? Are you saying I married my friend’s lover?”

The room felt like it was spinning. I needed answers, and I needed them now.

“You know nothing, don’t you?” Raymond asked, his voice dripping with bitterness.

“I want to know,” I replied, my voice was firm. “Please, tell me.”

He moved closer, but I stepped back, maintaining the distance between us. He stopped, his eyes locked on mine.

“I knew about your plan with Sandra,” he admitted, his voice low and dangerous. “I knew you took those pills to satisfy him. But I promised myself it would be me, not my brother. I promised Sandra I would help her get my brother back. Everything was going according to plan until you suddenly became the king’s unexpected mate. It shattered me.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Raymond, my best friend, had betrayed me in the worst possible way. He had conspired with Sandra, manipulated events, and now he was confessing it all as if it were some twisted love story. “Wow,” I said, my voice shaking as a tear slipped down my cheek. “That was a lot, you know. I’m sorry to tell you this, but you just lost a good friend.”

I grab my bag and turn toward the door. This time, he doesn’t stop me.

The moment I step outside, I mind-link my mate.

“I think Raymond was behind Farrell’s murder.”

Silence. Then his voice, calm yet sharp.

“Where are you now?”

“I’m on my way,” I responded. “But I’ll teleport for safety.”

“No. Don’t.”

His urgency makes my heart race.

“You’re being followed.”

I freeze. My breath catches in my throat as I glance around. The packhouse grounds are quiet, but a sinister energy lingers in the air.

“Just stay where you are. I’m coming for you,” he says firmly. “Rosa has confessed. There’s more going on than we realized. We’re fighting a wicked force, Delilah, and they’re using our loved ones against us.”

A chill creeps down my spine.

I tighten my grip on my bag and exhale slowly, forcing myself to stay calm. This isn’t just about Farrell’s murder anymore. There’s a larger game at play, and I’ve just stepped into the center of it.

And Raymond…someone I once trusted, might be the biggest threat of all.