Chapter 59 Allie, Run!
"My goodness, what is happening?" Mary shrieked, her eyes fixed on the imposing black wolf just a few dozen feet away from the pack house.
"Allie, run!" Jason repeated his warning before swiftly shifting into his wolf form. In an instant, the gray and white Alpha lunged at the massive black wolf, despite merely being less than half its size. Jason aimed for the black wolf's neck, but the agile creature easily evaded the attack.
Undeterred, Jason pounced on the black wolf once more, this time leaping onto its back. However, the black wolf's powerful tail coiled around Jason, forcefully slamming him to the ground.
"How dare you harm my husband?!" Mary hissed angrily, her fear cast aside. She propelled herself out of the window, transforming into a wolf with brown fur and striking green eyes in mid-air, joining the fray.
"Dad!" Alicia screamed, her heart pounding as she witnessed Damian pinning her father to the ground, her hand instinctively covering her mouth.
Her outcry caught the attention of the black wolf, and their gazes locked. Even from a distance of approximately 50 feet, Alicia could discern that the once pure blue eyes of the wolf were now clouded with anger.
A resounding howl escaped the black wolf, conveying a message to Alicia - you had betrayed me.
Following the howl, twelve rogues with the fur of various hues emerged from behind the black wolf, storming into the pack members' house, wreaking havoc on the decorations meant for tomorrow's celebration of the Alpha's birthday and the pack's anniversary party.
"Let's go!" Eric calmly took Alicia's hand, guiding her as she remained in a state of shock.
Descending the stairs alongside Eric, Alicia's mind was a whirlwind of confusion. Why had Damian shifted to attack her? What had she done to make him accuse her of betrayal?
\[FLASHBACK\]
15 minutes ago.
Damian approached the territorial boundary of Scarlett Pack and discovered Jennifer trembling, clutching the sign that marked the pack's territory. Jason and the adult male members of his pack stood motionless, fixated on the twelve rogues outside the wooden fence.
Upon noticing Damian's presence, Lyon and Edward, the pack leaders, swiftly shifted back into their human forms, surprising both Jason and his pack members.
"Alpha Ellis informed us that you might be in danger at Scarlett Pack. He specifically instructed me to ensure that you read the encrypted files he sent you, concerning Alicia and Alpha Martin," Lyon stated, casting a cautious glance at Jason.
"Ellis?" Damian furrowed his brow, recalling the peculiar tone of his phone conversation with Ellis earlier in the evening. He retrieved his phone and discovered that Ellis had sent him an encrypted file accompanied by the message - YOU MUST READ THIS.
Damian delved into the file and discovered it to be Martin's will. He quickly skimmed through the contents of the will and found Alicia's name.
"I, Alpha Martin Lewis Wilton, hereby transfer control of 10 packs situated in Eastern North America, 35% of Wilton Group, all properties under my name, stocks, unconditionally to Alicia Isobel Wilton(former name Alicia Isobel Scarlett), who currently possesses the Upper Moon Ring.
"I, as the Alpha of the Wilton Family, forbid any member of the Wilton Family from interfering with Alicia. Isobel. Wilton's decisions and freedom following the passing of Tobias. Daniel. Wilton."
Damian absorbed every word of the will. Apart from the section he had just read, he didn't come across any mention of Martin's arrangements concerning himself.
Anger surged within Damian, causing him to grip his phone so tightly that the screen cracked.
He had already known that Martin had given up on him, so Damian didn't feel hurt or resentful about that. His anger was directed towards Alicia.
The will revealed that Martin had bestowed the moon ring upon Alicia, yet she hadn't disclosed this information to Damian or Tobias.
Suddenly, Damian pieced together a revelation about Alicia's deceitful behavior.
It became evident to him that when she contacted Tobias, Alicia regarded Martin as a benevolent figure because he had granted her the Upper Moon Ring. She must have been aware of the ring's significance and deliberately concealed it from Tobias and Ellis.
Her refusal of the luxurious car Tobias had given her and her façade of nobility and indifference towards wealth were all part of her ruse.
Alicia had rejected Damian not out of fear that he and his pack would be viewed as adversaries by the Wilton Family, but because she aimed to obtain power from Martin who hated rogues by ingratiating herself with him. In comparison to the power and riches bestowed by Martin, the status of Luna of the Moon Halo Pack and the fortune of her husband Tobias who had remained disabled for over a decade, were inconsequential for Alicia.
He remained unaware of the exact words Alicia had used to please Martin to make him give her the Upper Moon Ring, a symbol of half of the Wilton Family's power. However, based on the contents of Martin's will, Damian surmised that Alicia may have intended to leave the Wilton Family with a substantial fortune and start a new life once Tobias passed away.
Alicia's primary concern was her father and the well-being of Scarlett Pack. With her father and pack facing financial difficulties, Martin had bestowed upon her enough wealth to elevate her and her family to riches and high social status.
It was possible that Alicia had developed some feelings for Damian due to the mate bond. But she didn't appear happy upon learning about her pregnancy and had attempted to distance herself from him, denying that he was the father of the unborn child.
Now her abnormal behavior had a reason. Because she was afraid that Martin discovered that the father of her unexpected child was a rogue, it could jeopardize her access to the power, status, and wealth bestowed upon her by Martin.
What a calculating gold-digger she turned out to be!
Damian had believed Alicia to be as pure and holy as moonlight. However, after reading the will, he now harbored suspicions of her betrayal of him, fueling his rage.
The rogues and Jason, along with the Scarlett Pack's members, stood frozen, holding their breath, fearful of provoking the enraged Alpha, as if the mere sound of a pin dropping would result in their annihilation.
Jason, sensing that something was amiss, cautiously inquired, "What's happening?"
"Alicia, you betrayer!" Damian seethed, forcing the name of the betrayer through gritted teeth.
He didn't know what happened to Damian. But Jason's realization of the gravity of the situation prompted him to swiftly turn to his Beta, Thomas, and instruct him, "Go and warn Alicia to flee."
Damian glared at Jason and issued a command to his pack members, "Lyon, Ed, apprehend every member of this pack. Let no one escape."
Lyon hesitated, unlike his usual compliant nature, and started, "Alpha... Is it possible that..." His sentence trailed off as Damian's furious gaze bore into him.
For a brief moment, Lyon felt as though an icy gust of wind had struck his face, causing an involuntary shiver. He had never witnessed this side of Alpha Damian before. Even during the confrontation with Alpha Scott, who had mistreated Alicia, Damian had never emanated such an imposing aura of fury, leaving Lyon cowering before the Alpha as his legs involuntarily trembled and shifted.
"Grrrr!" Damian bellowed at the moon above, transforming into a towering black wolf.
No one could betray him! He was determined to capture the mate who had betrayed him and make her fully comprehend the consequences of her betrayal.
\[FLASHBACK END\]
Eric took Alicia down the stairs, leading her towards the back door of the kitchen.
"That monstrous black wolf, he's your mate, isn't he? What's happening to him? Is he out of his mind?" Eric questioned, struggling to comprehend the situation.
"I don't know," Alicia replied, her mind still reeling from the shock. She hesitated, causing her pace to slow. "But I need to go back and find out the reason."
The distant echoes of wolves howling and the sounds of the ongoing battle filled Alicia's heart with concern. She worried about the safety of her father and the other pack members, fearing that Damian might inflict harm upon them.