Chapter 149 Chapter 149

Chapter 149 Chapter 149
Kavian’s pov

“I very well know your father, Alpha King Almon—well, I have heard stories of him. How brutally savage he can be,” Marcel said.
I stepped closer, my face nearly touching the bars that separated us.

“I assure you, those aren’t mere stories,” I said, voice low. “And no tale can truly describe just how brutal he can get.”

“I do not have any doubts about that,” he replied calmly.

“Then what are you waiting for? Get your alpha to release me. Perhaps there is still a chance for this city to be saved.”

He went quiet for a moment, his expression hardening. Then he spoke.

“I know my alpha very well. He is stubborn like a goat, especially when it concerns his daughter’s safety. He would stop at nothing to protect her. He believes you and your family are a threat to her and to our people—and your brothers might have just sealed that conviction even more firmly with what they did earlier. Killing and injuring many of our men right in his home? That’s a clear sign of war. He will not listen to anybody, not even me. In fact, as we speak, he is already making plans to defend this city and even take the fight to your father. And now that he has the support of the alphas of the two other packs in this city, spirits are very high.”

“I promise you it won’t end well,” I said sharply. “You have to find a way to convince him to release me.”

“Should I tell you a secret?” Marcel said suddenly, his tone shifting—darker, mysterious.

“What secret?” I demanded.

“My alpha initially instructed me to come here and get enough information from you on how to defeat your father and your brothers. And you were meant to be executed afterwards, to serve as justice for the men your brothers killed. Alpha Damian has volunteered to do the honors.”

“And why are you telling me this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. He took a few steps back, walking with the slow confidence of a man who believed he saw further than everyone else.

“You see… all of them are optimistic about their chances of defeating your father and brothers. They believe the three packs of Ashwood City finally united against a common foe will bring a glorious victory.”
He shook his head slightly.
“But I do not share that sentiment. I know for a fact that when your father and brothers attack this city, they will conquer it—and kill everyone in sight. And that is why I am here… to make a deal with you.”

My suspicion sharpened. “What type of deal?”

He paused for a long second before answering.

“There is no stopping the war that is coming. But we can both help ourselves. I will help you escape before they carry out the execution, and in return, you will convince your father not to completely destroy the city—and spare my life, of course.”

“What do you mean by not completely destroy the city?” I asked slowly.

“Well… you are free to kill as many men as you like— even alphas. But leave enough people alive who can still rebuild the city from the ashes.”

I really looked at him then, seeing him clearly for the first time.

“You have ambition of being the alpha,” I said as the realization clicked into place.

“There is nothing wrong for a man to strive to be better than what fate has said he would be. Yes, it is my dream to be alpha, and I believe I deserve it,” he said and I frowned sharply at him.

“Even at the cost of your alpha? A man you swore to protect with your life as his beta?” I asked, disbelief tightening my voice.

“And I have been fulfilling that vow for over two decades now. I still am,” he replied, his tone steady but edged with something darker. “But I refuse to die with a man who chooses to lie to himself. The truth is, this pack is destined for doom. If it doesn’t fall to your father and brothers, it will fall to someone else. And it saddens me to admit it, but my alpha has grown weak—and not because of age. It’s a mental weakness that began the night his wife died.”

I stared at him, my perception shifting as the pieces began falling into place.

He continued, voice low and carrying years of stored frustration.
“The death of his wife affected him so deeply that the strong, brave, vibrant man I once knew… vanished. In his place is someone paranoid—who only cares about his daughter’s safety, even to her detriment—while neglecting the core needs of the pack and its people. Over the years, our pack has grown weak, while the neighboring packs—Moonlit Shadow Pack and Nightshade Wolves—have grown in strength and numbers. The only reason we haven’t been destroyed already is because of our ties with Moonlit Shadow Pack. But even that won’t hold forever. One moment… and everything will crumble.”

He stepped back, shoulders rising with a quiet, calculated confidence.
“This pack needs a strong alpha with a clear mind. And since he has no son, I am the only fitting one to take his place… should anything happen to him.”

His last words clicked everything together, the truth settling cold in my chest.

“You are the one,” I said.
He raised his brows.

“What?”

“The cloaked figure. The one giving Alpha Damian information about your pack—and Rosemary—at nights.”

His face froze for a heartbeat, stunned, and though he didn’t admit it, the guilt in his eyes was confirmation enough.

“Well… all you should know is that everything I did was for my pack’s favor,” he said. “Damian is dangerous. Wild. I had to make sure he didn’t attack Crescent Pack and slaughter everyone.”

“You are a traitor, that’s what you are,” I snapped, unable to hold back the disgust rising in me.

His expression hardened. “Do not dare call me names. You weren’t there the day his father was murdered by Rose’s late mother. I saw the look in young Damian’s eyes—revenge and bloodlust—and that look never left. I had no doubt he would strike one day. So, as beta of my pack, I did what I had to do to ensure his fire didn’t consume Crescent Moon Pack… except for those responsible for his pain.”

I shook my head. “How can I trust a man who betrays his own alpha?”

A faint, humorless chuckle slipped from him.

“Me and you are not so different. From what I heard… you betrayed your father—your alpha—for your love.”

I frowned, jaw tightening.

“We are not the same. We can never be the same. I did what I did to protect, yours is born out of self-ambition." I said, my voice low and tight, and he smiled like my anger amused him.

“If you choose to see it that way, fine… but the fact remains we both need each other to survive.”

“And what if I let your alpha know about your betrayal?” I asked, leaning forward, and again he smiled—slow, confident, infuriating.

“Do you actually think he would believe you over me? Plus… it would be sad if anything should happen to Rose, don’t you think?” he said, and a cold, sharp fury ripped through me at his subtle threat toward Rose.

I charged at him, instinct taking over, but the wolfsbane bars burned into my skin and caged me back. “I will kill you if you lay a finger on Rose,” I said, ignoring the sting, ignoring the smoke curling from where the metal touched me.

“Relax. I do love Rose like she is a daughter,” he said calmly, hands raised as though he were the reasonable one. “But I just want us to have an understanding… that what we discussed should remain between us.”

His composure only stoked my rage, but slowly—slowly—I forced myself to breathe, to pull away from the bars before the pain blurred my vision entirely.

“I won’t say a word,” I told him, voice rough.

“Good. You don’t have anything to worry about then.” He turned as if the conversation meant nothing to him, then paused at the doorway. “Please do think about what we discussed. You do not have much time anymore.”

He left, and the echo of his footsteps felt like a countdown tightening around my throat.