Chapter 65 65
Denzel’s POV
What Venessa revealed to me shattered something inside my chest.
King Fabian’s hostility toward me hadn’t come as a surprise I had always known he wanted me out of the way. But Tyrell? That betrayal struck deeper than I was prepared for.
Suddenly, everything aligned with brutal clarity.
Tyrell had been the one who poured the wine during that meeting. He had been the one who convinced us to pull over. And those wolves those scents that had lingered uneasily in my memory were unmistakable now. They belonged to Fabian’s Pack.
It explained why Tyrell hadn’t come to our aid when we were attacked. Why he hadn’t shown himself until Devon finally found us. And above all, it explained the impossibility of his recovery.
Foxglove poisoning was a death sentence without the antidote. No wolf survived it naturally.
Yet Tyrell had.
I had been blind. Blinded by trust. I had believed him without question so much so that when Venessa told me he didn’t need her help and was already recovering, I hadn’t even hesitated. I hadn’t questioned it. I hadn’t thought.
How could I have been so foolish?
I was a fool. And Tyrell along with Jalisa had taken full advantage of that stupidity.
Nigel completely lost control. He stood rigid, growling, rage rolling off him in violent waves. I saw Venessa stiffen in fear, and instinct took over. I grabbed Nigel and forced him back, asserting my dominance until he finally yielded.
“Rayon,” I growled through the mind link, my fury vibrating through every word, “arrest Tyrell and Jalisa. Lock them in silver cells for questioning.”
There was a pause.
“Why?” he asked carefully.
“Just do it,” I snapped.
“People will ask questions,” he replied evenly. “Jalisa is Luna and a princess. Tyrell is your Beta. Whatever your reasons, do you have proof?”
His logic only fueled my anger, but I couldn’t deny the truth in his words.
“Tyrell poisoned us,” I said harshly. “He tried to kill us.”
Silence.
That silence told me everything.
“You knew,” I said quietly.
“I suspected,” Rayon admitted through the link. “But I gave him the benefit of the doubt.”
The realization struck painfully—we had both been careless.
“How did you find out?” he asked.
“Venessa overheard a conversation between Jalisa and Fabian,” I replied.
“You can’t imprison them based on that alone,” Rayon said firmly. “You’d be putting Venessa in danger. Fabian outranks you. Only the Lycan King can check him. You need to tread carefully. Please don’t act from emotion.”
I clenched my jaw. I hated that he was right.
“Very well,” I said after a moment. “Go through the staff. The warriors. I want every traitor in my Pack identified.”
He closed the link.
I turned to Venessa. She stood frozen, fear etched into every line of her body. The sight of it made something twist painfully inside me I felt like a tyrant looming over her.
So I crossed the distance and pulled her into my arms.
“Tell me everything,” I murmured. “I will never doubt you. Never question you. You’ve earned my trust.”
She nodded, but there was pain in her eyes something deep and unspoken. I sensed it, knew she wasn’t ready to share it, and chose not to press.
We later sat by the lake, wrapped in the quiet serenity of nature. For the first time in days, I allowed myself to breathe. To believe.
She would be mine without interference.
Two Weeks Later
A summons arrived from the Council of Alphas, demanding my presence.
Fabian had learned of the divorce and was clearly maneuvering to secure Jalisa’s half. I was certain she hadn’t told him the truth about her betrayal.
I prepared to answer the summons.
With uncertainty looming, I entrusted Venessa’s safety to Devon my new Gamma. Rayon now served as my Beta. Though the promotions hadn’t been officially announced, the Pack already knew.
Venessa didn’t trust Devon. She had confessed that to me, admitting she believed he was the one who handed her over to the Lycans because of the call Beta Jahlil had received. Before she could fully relax, I explained the call and revealed the real culprit.
“Are you ready?” Rayon asked as I stepped out of the Pack house.
I nodded.
The car waited, surrounded by elite warriors Rayon had personally selected. Caution was no longer optional Fabian wanted me dead, and now I knew it.
Jalisa had gone ahead of us.
Tyrell remained behind.
After this meeting, I would be done with them both.
Tyrell was locked away in a silver cell. Jalisa was likely already with her father. I didn’t care about their affair but Tyrell had tried to kill me. That alone made him unforgivable.
No one had told him the real reason for his confinement. He believed it was punishment for allowing Lycans onto my land without permission. Somehow, the story had spread through the Pack twisted into a tale of bravery. Many pitied him, convinced he had acted to protect us.
None of it bothered me.
Neither the rumors, nor the whispers about Venessa being my fated mate.
The Pack was unsettled over Jalisa’s pregnancy. I decided I would address everything properly once I returned.
Devon promised to protect Venessa with his life.
I told him plainly that if anything happened to her, his life would be the price.
He laughed but he understood. And so did I.
The journey to Fabian’s kingdom felt endless. I wanted the divorce finalized. Finished. Buried.
When we arrived, the reception was cold but I didn’t care.
Rayon and I were escorted directly to the council chamber. Nearly all the Alphas were present, as expected. This was a divorce involving the second most powerful werewolf and a princess.
Jalisa was valuable prey. I could already sense the interest of unmated Alphas circling.
Fabian entered with Jalisa at his side.
She looked… uncertain. Fragile.
The council ordered her to stand beside me as the Alphas took their seats on the elevated dais. As she approached, her eyes pleaded silently.
“Please, Denzel,” she whispered through the link.
“I warned you not to contest the divorce,” I replied coldly. “You could have left quietly. You chose this.”
“I didn’t,” she said desperately. “I swear it was my father.”
I severed the link.
The proceedings had begun.