Chapter 70 70
Venessa’s POV
As much as I wanted to trade sharp words with them, exhaustion weighed heavily on me and Nyla was already simmering with rage. Before I could open my mouth, she surged forward and took control, her voice cutting through the air with unmistakable Alpha authority.
“Get the fuck out of my sight.”
Fear flashed instantly in their eyes. They didn’t move at first frozen, locked in place by a command I hadn’t known I possessed. I’d never carried an Alpha tone before. So where had it come from?
Slowly, shakily, they managed to step aside, clearing my path. I didn’t look back as I headed straight for my room.
The moment I was inside, I shut the door and leaned against it.
“Nyla… what was that?” I asked.
Silence.
“Please,” I pressed softly. “How did you do that?”
She sighed deep within me.
“I feel like I’m being restored,” she said at last. “I don’t know how to explain it properly. Our death may have fractured me, and now fate is trying to piece me back together. It’s only a theory but that’s how it feels.”
I smiled despite everything.
For once, I was grateful for the weakness for how long it had lasted.
There was no chance Beta Jahlil of the Lycans would have let me go if he’d sensed even a trace of Alpha power in me. Fate had rigged the game in my favour, and for that, I was thankful.
I showered, letting the heat calm my nerves, then climbed into bed.
“Venessa.”
Denzel’s voice slipped into my mind, dragging me awake. I thought I was dreaming until he spoke again.
“Where are you?”
“In my room,” I answered groggily.
“Come to my room. Now.”
My stomach twisted into knots. His voice was flat. Distant. Something was wrong. Had Jalisa or Tyrell or someone working with them found a way to drag me into trouble?
I got out of bed and freshened up before heading out.
The room wasn’t the one he’d shared with Jalisa. It was new.
As I walked down the corridor, two maids passed me. Neither smiled. Neither greeted me. I offered a polite greeting anyway. They ignored me. One of them muttered slut under her breath just as I raised my hand to knock.
It stung but I shoved the feeling aside.
The thought of eternal damnation grounded me.
“It’s open,” Denzel said.
I stepped inside.
“Lock the door.”
He sat at the foot of the bed. I obeyed, then stood there, unsure where to place myself.
He looked freshly showered. I wondered when he’d returned from the divorce hearing. I wanted to ask how it went but one glance at his face told me now wasn’t the time.
“Venessa,” he said quietly, “I need you to be honest with me. Tell me everything you know.”
My heart began to race. The seriousness in his voice sent panic clawing up my throat.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He moved toward me slowly.
“Did you know Jalisa and Tyrell are mates?”
I gasped. That part I hadn’t known. But suddenly, everything made sense. I was still processing when he continued.
“How did you know the tea was poisoned?” he asked sharply. “Did you see someone put something in it? If you did, why did you serve it to me anyway only to knock it out of my hand? Were you going to let me drink it?”
My head snapped side to side.
“No.”
“You need to tell me the truth,” he said. “Because right now, you look suspicious.”
I froze.
“Venessa, please,” he continued, pain threading his voice. “The two people I trusted most betrayed me. Don’t add yourself to that list. You served me poisoned tea. You only knocked it away because you knew it would kill me. Why?”
Tears shimmered in his eyes.
“I—I didn’t know,” I lied, terrified.
“Bullshit,” he snapped, his voice rising. I flinched as tears spilled down my cheeks.
“Did you want me dead and hesitate at the last second?” he demanded. “I’ve just heard what the pain of a fated mate’s betrayal can do. Tyrell tried to kill me because being with Jalisa hurt him. Maybe you feel the same”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head desperately.
“Venessa…” His voice cracked. Fear filled his eyes not anger. Fear of what my answer might be.
“I didn’t know,” I confessed through sobs. “I swear I didn’t know until the very last moment.”
He frowned deeply.
“Do you hear how that sounds?”
I nodded.
“Then tell me how,” he said. “Explain how you knew just by sitting there and looking at me. And don’t tell me someone linked you I won’t accept that bullshit.”
I swallowed hard.
“If I tell you how I know things,” I said softly, “you’ll see me differently. I don’t want that. Please, Denzel let me keep this secret. If you can’t trust me because of it, I’ll leave quietly. You would know if I were lying. I would never want you dead. I would never help anyone hurt you.”
He stepped closer and lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“I know you’re hiding something,” he said gently. “I’ve known for a while. Please tell me. I won’t judge you. I need to know everything. You’re my mate. I could never turn my back on you.”
“Please, Venessa.”
The plea broke me.
Tears streamed freely as I pulled away, stepping back. My chest ached as sobs tore through me.
Because I knew the truth now.
I had to tell him.
Everything.
He deserved that much.