Chapter 53 53
Denzel’s POV
We returned to the Blood Moon Pack in the early evening, just before sundown. The moment we arrived, I headed straight for my room. To my irritation though I should have expected it Jalisa followed.
It was her room too. I knew that. But I didn’t want her anywhere near me.
My patience with her and Tyrell was wearing thin. I had already made my decision; all that remained was figuring out how to move carefully how to protect my people and, more importantly, Venessa, without tearing the pack apart.
I stepped into the room and drew in a slow breath, bracing myself for whatever Jalisa was about to throw at me.
“Really?” she asked.
I dropped onto the couch.
“Really what?”
She sat at the foot of the bed, eyes glistening.
“You would give me up if they demanded it? You would actually say something like that to my father?”
She swallowed hard.
“He meant what he said, Denzel. He meant it. He will place another Alpha above you to succeed him.”
I laughed.
“And you think I care about being the Werewolf King?” I asked.
She stared at me, stunned.
“I want peace, Jalisa,” I said calmly. “I know your father was behind the bear attack. He won’t succeed in forcing my hand. I would rather be disgraced or die than go to war for his ambition.”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“What he wants to do isn’t so bad,” she argued. “We deserve liberty.”
I laughed again, sharper this time.
“Do I look like a fool to you, Jalisa?”
I stood.
“The only person who benefits from this is your father. That’s why no one supports it.”
She shook her head.
“We benefit too. You’ll be king. You’ll be connected to the Lycan throne. With my father in power, you’ll be stronger. And when he’s gone, you’ll succeed him.”
I laughed outright.
“I don’t want to be king,” I told her flatly. “I’m content being an Alpha. I’m content leading a pack.”
“But I want to be queen,” she said.
I raised an eyebrow. How the hell did she plan to be queen while sleeping with my Beta? If that had truly been her ambition, she wouldn’t have been trying to leave me for Tyrell. Tyrell was a fool if he believed otherwise.
“I won’t do this for you, Jalisa,” I said. “If being queen is what you want so badly, then you chose the wrong Alpha.”
She sighed, wiping at her tears.
“It’s because of that girl,” she accused. “Ever since she came, you’ve been cold. You didn’t even celebrate the pregnancy. It’s like you want out.”
I nodded.
“Of course I want out,” I said. “Your father is the reason. His ambition is suffocating me. I’m treated like an enemy because I’m his son-in-law. People hate me because of him. So yes I want out.”
She stared at me, speechless.
“You used to be ambitious,” she said quietly. “You used to want greatness. What happened to you?”
I exhaled slowly.
“I grew up, Jalisa. Life started to matter. I stopped wanting people to die. Every day, someone in this pack finds their mate or welcomes a pup. They smile. They’re happy. Why can’t we let that be enough?”
I met her eyes.
“Why should I take fathers from their children? Tear mates apart? Strip happiness away just to satisfy ambition?”
She fell silent.
“You’re pregnant,” I continued. “How do you think it will feel if I go to war and don’t come back? Because that is exactly what will happen.”
I paced the room.
“Your father wants us to fight the Lycans and the bears. The Lycans are weakened their numbers are low, their king is sick. We might stand a chance, but lives will be lost. And the bears won’t sit back and watch your father claim the throne. They’ll fight. We don’t have the force to win that war. Either they destroy us, or we destroy each other.”
I stopped and faced her.
“And then there’s the Silver Forest Clan rogue shifters of every kind. Their numbers are growing. What do you think happens when they strike?”
I shook my head.
“This isn’t just about your father’s crown. It’s about survival. And that Forest Clan exists because your father failed to do his job. Lycan territory is free of Forest Clan bandits and rogues. Bear territory is too. Ours isn’t. His responsibility was to keep us safe yet he’s obsessed with taking the Lycan throne.”
I laughed bitterly.
“He can’t even rule the werewolves properly. How does he expect to rule our world? It’s a fantasy I refuse to share, and I won’t waste my life chasing it.”
I looked at her steadily.
“Let this be the last time you bring up your father’s ambitions.”
She said nothing.
I left her there and went to shower. As the water poured over me, I reached out through the link for Venessa.
Nothing.
The silence unsettled me immediately. Nigel stirred, uneasy.
If I had claimed her already, I would have been at peace but the absence of a pack member’s presence was enough to set my nerves on edge.
Something was wrong.