Chapter 129 129
Venessa’s POV
Fabian’s composure caught me off guard.
He was the last person I ever expected to soften or to appear as though he had, depending on what this truly was. Throughout the assembly, he had been arrogant and defiant, openly challenging me with blatant disrespect. How could a brief display of dominance make him shift so completely? What could he possibly want to confess that I didn’t already know?
King Donovan stared at him in stunned disbelief, and that reaction was understandable. Fabian had just exposed a vulnerability he never allowed anyone to see. Reckless, careless, scornful, conniving, greedy, manipulative, and foolish yes. But never weak. Never tearful. No matter how desperate he became, Fabian did not cry. The fact that he had now meant this was serious.
“Very well,” I said evenly. “I will grant you an audience, Fabian.”
I addressed him without his title deliberately. My brief training with Elder Craig and my father had made one thing clear: no office stood above mine except my father’s.
Fabian inclined his head.
I then asked King Donovan to join us. In times like these, secrecy was a liability. I would not allow Eshera or Tremaine to exploit hidden conversations to sow doubt and mistrust among us.
“This is meant to be private,” Fabian objected, clearly unsettled by Donovan’s inclusion.
I merely shrugged.
“The only way to counter our enemy is through transparency,” I said calmly. “You both need to be open with each other if we’re going to unite our races. If you continue dealing with these threats separately, we will lose.”
I turned to Fabian.
“It is essential that Donovan trusts you and believes in your intentions.”
Then to Donovan.
“And it is equally important that Fabian trusts you and believes in yours. There can be no room for doubt or suspicion between you. Neither of you is above the other. You serve different people, but your responsibilities are the same.”
I met Fabian’s gaze again.
“When you begin to see your positions for what they truly are, the rivalry will lose its grip.”
He looked away.
“No matter how embarrassing your confession may be,” I continued, “it concerns the threat we’re facing. Donovan must hear it firsthand so we can discuss it thoroughly.”
Fabian resisted, but only briefly. He had seen something greater than himself today something he could never attain and that realization had humbled him.
As we walked into the palace, a deep sadness settled in my chest.
This would end one day. Nyla and I would part ways. I would have to say goodbye to the people I loved. This life this power, this purpose was everything I never knew I needed after years of dullness, loneliness, and submission. I wished the threat wasn’t mine to face so I could simply be. But the cruel irony was that this version of me existed because of it.
Denzel’s hand closed around mine as we walked. I felt his fear. His longing. Like me, he was pressing forward, clinging to the greater good. What he’d told me in our bedroom at the packhouse the words that had shattered me had been his truth.
My husband was hurting, and there was nothing I could do to ease it.
I had already sent for Doctor Dwayne that morning. Hopefully, he would arrive soon to oversee the egg-freezing procedure. The Lycan Kingdom had the best facilities for it, and I was grateful for that access.
It was the one thing I could give Denzel a reminder of me. Proof that our love existed. If I couldn’t stay, then at least he wouldn’t be alone. Knowing he might never move on, I took comfort in the thought that something of me would remain.
I was hopeful. I was ready. The reproductive endocrinologists were already on standby for Doctor Dwayne and me.
We led the kings into one of my father’s unused lounges. I settled onto a two-seater, with Denzel beside me. I leaned into him as Donovan and Fabian took their seats.
“Would you like a drink?” I asked.
Fabian nodded immediately. I knew why. Shame clung to him. Fear too. Whatever he had done or was about to admit he was afraid I wouldn’t be lenient.
I linked a steward to bring him something to drink. Donovan asked for one as well, and I obliged.
Though Donovan had nothing to confess, worry weighed heavily on him. What I’d revealed earlier had shaken him deeply. In all our existence, we had never faced enemies immune to silver creatures so difficult to kill. Many of us had doubted the gods were real. Some believed them to be nothing more than legends.
Now they were among us.
Procreating. Possessing. Waging war.
Our world had been turned upside down, and I understood his unease.
The drinks arrived. Fabian emptied his glass in a single gulp. Donovan followed suit, mirroring him unconsciously.
I fixed my gaze on Fabian.
“You may speak now,” I said, my patience thinning.
He nodded.
“My ambition to become Lycan King is no secret,” he began.
I nodded once.
“I’ve done terrible things. Used people. Manipulated situations to get there. Not because I wanted to be wicked but because I didn’t want Rochelle or Ashani to inherit the throne. At the time, I genuinely believed I was the best candidate. I thought I would do what was right.”
He swallowed.
“I believed that… until today. This assembly opened my eyes. And for everything I’ve done in pursuit of that goal, I am sorry.”
I inclined my head slightly not in forgiveness, but acknowledgment.
It wasn’t okay. Not really. I knew Denzel still carried a deep grudge against him. But this wasn’t about personal wounds anymore. We were setting aside old divisions for the greater good.
That was the path forward now.