Chapter 62 62
Denzel’s POV
“I’m sorry, Denzel. I truly am,” Tyrell said, his voice breaking. “I feel like shit. I never meant for it to go this far. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, we couldn’t stop.”
He dropped to his knees in front of me.
“Please. Let me make it right.”
“How?” I asked flatly.
“I won’t touch her again,” he said desperately.
I laughed a sharp, humorless sound.
“That doesn’t erase the fact that you’ve been sleeping with her for over a year, Tyrell.” I leaned back in my chair. “I won’t disgrace either of you publicly, not because you deserve mercy, but because of what we used to be. However, you are suspended. Once the divorce is finalized, I expect you to leave with your woman.”
I paused deliberately.
“And I believe the baby is yours. Congratulations.”
He stared at me, stunned, his mouth opening but no words coming out.
“You’ll just… let her go?” he finally asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I will. I have a mate chosen for me by the goddess, and I intend to honor that bond. Perhaps the goddess saw what the two of you were doing behind my back and sent Venessa to me as consolation.”
I placed my pen down on the desk.
“Don’t misunderstand me, Tyrell. Even if Venessa didn’t exist, I would still divorce Jalisa and remove you. I can’t stay married to her, and I no longer trust you to protect me or this pack. You can’t remain my beta.”
My voice hardened.
“The only reason this is being handled quietly is because of the friendship we once shared. Otherwise, I would have exposed both of you, disgraced you publicly, and stripped you of every ounce of honor you thought you had.”
He said nothing.
“Before you go,” I added, “who did you sell Venessa to?”
He stiffened.
“If you go through with the divorce,” he warned, “King Fabian won’t spare you.”
“He has you,” I replied coolly. “He doesn’t need me.”
Tyrell shook his head. “The man wants your army.”
“I already know that,” I said. “Tell me something I don’t.”
“He’s been subtle because Jalisa is still your wife,” Tyrell continued. “Once the divorce is complete, he’ll be aggressive.”
I nodded once. “Noted. Now who did you sell my woman to?”
The words tasted right on my tongue.
Tyrell bowed his head, disbelief written across his face. I sensed dishonesty, but chose for once to give him the benefit of doubt.
“They didn’t tell me,” he said quietly. “They were just henchmen. They didn’t say who wanted the healer. I didn’t ask. I should have but I only wanted her gone to avoid the Lycans’ wrath.”
He tried to frame it as sacrifice. As duty.
“Very well,” I said coldly. “You may leave my office.”
He rose slowly.
“And Tyrell,” I added, “control yourself until the divorce is finalized. We don’t need rumors about you and Jalisa spreading.”
He nodded and left without another word.
It hurt realizing what Tyrell had done to me. But to my surprise, I realized I was already past it. Venessa was back. She was unharmed. And soon, she would be permanently part of my life as she should have been from the start.
I completed the paperwork an hour later and sent for Devon to help dispatch it. The divorce would take two weeks. After that, Jalisa and Tyrell would be behind me.
Until then, I would need restraint especially around Venessa.
Devon took the documents, and I waited, restless, for her to arrive with my tea. I wanted to see her more than I cared to admit.
When Venessa finally entered, she set the cup gently on my desk. The scent reached me immediately hibiscus with cinnamon.
I stood instantly and pulled her into my arms.
I had been craving this since I woke.
I pressed her against my chest, inhaling her scent, grounding myself in the reality that she was here alive.
“Thank the goddess,” I murmured, holding her tightly.
“You left me alone on the couch,” I added softly. She said nothing.
“When you went missing, I lost my mind,” I confessed. “Did they hurt you?”
I pulled back to look at her. She shook her head.
I drew her close again.
“Don’t wander near the borders anymore,” I said quietly. “No more gathering herbs there. Not until we know who’s after you and why.”
She sniffed, tears spilling.
“Promise me you won’t put yourself in danger again.”
“I was scared, Alpha,” she whispered. “I thought I was going to die.”
I kissed the top of her head. “No one will ever hurt you again. I’ll make sure of it.”
I guided her to sit and returned to my desk, lifting the cup of tea.
“I know everything,” I said calmly. “And I’m fixing it.”
Before the cup reached my lips, Venessa lunged forward and knocked it from my hand.
The tea splashed across the floor. The cup shattered.
I stared at her, stunned.
Her eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming freely. Her body trembled violently as though she’d seen something unspeakable.
My heart clenched.
What had the Lycans done to her?