Chapter 111: Torn by Her Betrayal

Lottie's POV

I felt my mates' gazes flick toward me more than once, their silent assessments sending a faint heat through my chest. They wanted to press closer, to slip into my mind and share my burden, but I kept my mental walls firmly in place. I feared if I let them in, they'd sense my lingering reluctance over these executions--and mistake it for weakness. So instead, I focused on Sage, telling myself that holding them at arm's length was for the best, no matter how their gentle concern tugged at the bond between us.

"Are we truly going to let Alpha Leigh and Bash, Sage?" I asked my wolf as I paced the length of the corridor. My heart felt impossibly heavy, twisted up with conflicting loyalties.

"They've left us no choice," she replied, her voice firm yet tinged with sympathy. "Alpha Leigh and Sebastian both plotted against you. The others believe death is the only way to prevent further treachery--and I happen to agree."

I clenched my jaw, pressing a hand to my chest to steady the dull ache there.

"I know it has to be done, or at least I understand why they think it does. But Alpha Leigh… he was like a father to me for so long, more than my real father ever bothered to be."

A sudden flash of awareness prickled down my spine as my mates' scrutiny intensified. I refused to meet their eyes, determined to shield them from the storm of emotions I was fighting to control. They'd only try to comfort me--and I wasn't ready to confess how conflicted I truly felt.

"He betrayed you all the same," Sage reminded me gently. "No matter what role he played in your life, it doesn't change the fact that he tried to destroy you. Would you spare him the retribution he's earned?"

A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat. "It's not about sparing him. It's about the fact that part of me still can't believe he'd sink this low. He practically raised me, showed me how to be strong." My eyes burned at the memory of Alpha Leigh offering advice I'd once treasured.

"He chose his path when he turned on you," Sage uttered, unwavering. "You can't carry his guilt for him."

I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat and shifted my thoughts to Bash, my cousin.

"And then there's Bash," I expressed, exhaling shakily. "He hates me for something so stupid--a throne I never even wanted. If he had asked politely, I might have handed it over. But he let his jealousy fester, and now I'm…"

"…now you're facing another family member who wants you dead," Sage finished flatly. "His reasons don't matter if he's bent on erasing your existence."

I stopped pacing, leaning against the wall.

"This is my blood we're talking about, Sage. I spent so long wishing for a family--any family. And now, the ones I do have want me gone." Tears threatened to spill, and I blinked them away.

"They aren't the family you deserve," she said firmly. "They never were. You can't let them ruin the good you've built here."

For a split second, I caught Kane's concerned glance across the room, and the protective brush of Knox's aura pressed closer, testing the edges of my mental shields. I tensed instinctively, resolute in keeping them out. I knew they'd only feel my reluctance and worry, and I couldn't bear their pity or second-guessing.

Knox POV

I couldn’t shake the feeling of cold emptiness gnawing at my insides. My head still buzzed from being forcibly shut out of Lottie’s thoughts, the abrupt snap of her mental wall like a door slammed in my face. For a moment, I simply stood there, dumbfounded. We’d grown used to the idea that we didn’t really have a place in her mind anymore, yet some naïve part of me had believed we could at least check on her if we tried. Maybe even comfort her, if she’d let us. But apparently, she wouldn’t.

Instead, she’d shoved us both out. Hard.

I lifted my gaze to find Kane across the room, his stance rigid and arms folded as he tried to look more confident than I could sense he felt. Even from this distance, I could pick up on his tension—his eyes kept flicking to Lottie like he was itching to go over to her. He wouldn’t, though. Not unless she showed some sign she needed him.

“She sure as hell made it clear she doesn’t want us in her head,” I muttered down our twin-bond, my mental voice crackling with frustration.

The corner of Kane’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t speak aloud.

“She’s locked us out,” he agreed quietly, projecting back through the private brotherly link that we’d always had. “I tried again a second ago. Nothing.” A flutter of panic pulsed through me.

“What if it’s not just her choice?” I asked, my mind conjuring worst-case scenarios. “Could the Moon Goddess have severed our bond for meddling with that old demon deal, or for letting people believe we’d fully rejected Lottie? What if this is punishment—that we can’t speak to her telepathically anymore? That we’ll lose her for good?”

“Calm down,” Kane chided, though I could feel his own sliver of worry spike at my words. “We can still sense her emotions. Look—” He directed me, and I tuned into the faint swirl of Lottie’s presence in my chest. She felt distant, guarded, but not gone. So the bond was still there, as tenuous as a thread. “That means it’s her doing. She’s in control. Not Selene, or a demon, or anyone else.”

My breath shuddered out, half relief and half disappointment.

“But why—” I tried to reason it out. We never completely rejected her, not truly. Sure, we’d let the rumors stand and told people half-truths, but we never performed an official severance or used words that tore the bond. That had to count for something.

“She’s struggling,” Kane said, his mental tone gentler now. “We’ve done enough deciding things for her. This time, she needs space to handle it herself.” Then he added, more grimly, “Look at what happened last time we tried to protect her by making deals behind her back.”

I grimaced, because that was painfully true. The memory of Lottie’s devastation when she discovered our “rejection” was still fresh in my mind. A part of me wanted to retort, It was you, not me, but I bit my tongue. We’d done that dance one too many times, and it never helped. We were all to blame, in ways large and small. Our job now was to fix it, or at least not make it worse.

“You’re right,” I forced myself to say, letting the wave of bitterness recede. “We should let her do what she needs.” I paused, my gaze drifting to Lottie’s taut shoulders as she talked quietly with Adam about next steps.

“But I hate this,” I admitted. “She’s in so much pain, and I can’t… do anything.” My wolf, Havoc, stirred restlessly, wanting to do something—fight, argue, anything but stand here helpless.

“I know,” Kane replied, subdued. “Let’s just… trust her. For once.”

I swallowed hard, nodding, though it hurt to do so. We refocused on the meeting, turning our attention to Adam, Liam, and Chase as they laid out the strategy for dealing with Alpha Leigh.

Author note: No idea what has happened to the last two chapters being uploaded in the wrong order. Sorry.