Chapter 112 Darius too hot headed
Fernando strode out of the torture chamber without a backward glance, his jaw clenched so tight it ached. Darius followed a few paces behind, silent, hands still smeared with dried blood.
They crossed the courtyard in tense silence, boots echoing against the stone. Fernando turned sharply toward the east wing of his office. Darius veered off toward the barracks.
“Darius,” Fernando called without turning.
Darius stopped. After a beat, he changed direction and fell into step behind the Alpha.
Inside the office, Fernando slammed the door shut and whirled on him.
“Why did you inject him with wolfsbane?” Fernando demanded, voice low but seething.
Darius didn’t flinch. “Because he deserved it. He’s hiding something. You saw the letter. You saw the evidence.”
“I saw a letter,” Fernando shot back. “Not proof. That handwriting could’ve been forged. And that seal? Anyone with access to the old archives could replicate it. You know that.”
Darius crossed his arms. “Then explain how Samael’s white fur coat was found at the murder site. Wrapped around Eliana’s remains like a shroud.”
Fernando stepped closer, eyes blazing. “The area he went to collect Ashenbloom is deep in the Veil Thorne. It takes exactly three days to get there and back, no shortcuts, no detours. You know the terrain. I’ve mapped it myself. There’s no way he ambushed Eliana, slaughtered her guards, and still made it back in time to deliver those herbs.”
Darius scoffed. “He could’ve sent someone else for the plants. Paid a rogue. Left instructions.”
“And risk Alberto’s life?” Fernando snapped. “You forget the Ashenbloom dies the moment it’s touched by more than two hands. Mira confirmed it. Only Samael and the earth itself were supposed to touch it. Yet when he handed it to her, it was still glowing. Still alive. That means he went himself. Alone.”
Darius’s jaw tightened. “So what? You’re saying he’s innocent just because a flower didn’t wilt?”
“I’m saying something’s fishy,” Fernando said, voice dropping. “And torturing our Gamma Wolf won’t uncover the truth it’ll only bury it deeper.”
Darius exploded. “Why do you keep protecting him? He’s tearing this pack apart! The elders are whispering rebellion. The southern border is one spark away from war. And you’re standing here defending a traitor!”
Fernando didn’t raise his voice. He just stared at Darius, eyes hard as stone. “Wasn’t he your brother too?”
The question hit like a blade.
Darius looked away. His shoulders stiffened. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, quietly, he spoke. “I already sent a message to the Southern Ember Pack. Told them Samael was responsible. That we’re holding him for execution. It was the only way to stop their war drums. Their Alpha demanded justice. I gave them a name.”
Fernando went very still. “You did what?”
“Their Alpha requested we send Samael to them,” Darius continued, voice flat. “For trial. Or punishment. Either way, he won’t return.”
Fernando stepped forward until they were nearly nose to nose. “You think I’ll hand him over to be torn apart by wolves who’d skin him alive for something he probably knows nothing about?”
“He tried to kill your mate!” Darius shouted. “And now Eliana’s dead! What more do you need?”
“I need certainty,” Fernando said coldly. “Not convenient. Not politics. Until I’m certain Samael did this, he stays in this pack. Under my protection. And you—” He pointed a finger at Darius’s chest. “—are prohibited from seeing him. From speaking to him. From even stepping near that cell.”
Darius stared at him, disbelief turning to fury. “You’d sacrifice the pack for one wolf?”
Fernando’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’d rather lose a thousand liars than betray one brother.”
He turned toward the window, dismissing him. “Get out.”
Darius stood there a moment longer, fists clenched, breath ragged. Then, without another word, he turned and left.
The door clicked shut.
Fernando entered the infirmary quietly, his steps muffled by the thick rugs lining the floor. Alberto lay still on the bed, chest rising and falling in slow, steady rhythm. Color had returned to his cheeks, and the faint shimmer of his wolf silver at the edges of his aura hovered just beneath his skin.
Mira sat beside him, fingers resting lightly on Alberto’s wrist, eyes closed in concentration.
“How is he?” Fernando asked, voice lower than usual.
Mira opened her eyes and smiled faintly. “He’ll wake soon. His body’s stabilized. The Ashenbloom did its work. And…” She paused, glancing at Fernando. “I can feel his wolf more than before. Stronger. Clearer. Like it’s finally claiming its place.”
Fernando nodded, relief flickering across his face for just a moment before vanishing behind his usual mask. He crossed his arms, gaze fixed on Alberto. “Good.”
Mira studied him for a beat. Then she asked, “How’s Samael faring?”
Fernando didn’t look at her. “He’s alive.”
“That’s not an answer,” Mira said gently.
Fernando exhaled through his nose. “The only way I could keep him safe was to make it look like I believed he was guilty. If I showed even a sliver of doubt, He would’ve handed him over to the Southern Ember Pack by now.”
Mira frowned. “You went hard on him.”
“He needed me to,” Fernando said flatly. “And someone without thinking injected him with wolfsbane. That wasn’t protocol. That was rage. So I played along until I could control the narrative.”
He turned to her then, eyes sharp. “I need you to go treat him. Secretly. Tonight. Clean the wounds, neutralize any residual toxin, and keep his wolf from fading. No one can know.”
Mira raised an eyebrow. “Even Darius?”
“Especially Darius,” Fernando said.
Mira stood slowly, brushing her robes smooth. Then, a small smile tugged at her lips. “You three… Fernando, Darius, Samael… your bond is funny. Twisted, messy but real. You really made a great pair. All three of you.”
Fernando rolled his eyes. “Darius is just so hot-headed. Acts first, thinks never.”
Mira smirked, crossing her arms. “And what are you, then? Because in my judgment…” She tilted her head, eyes glinting with mischief. “I’d at least pick Darius.”