Chapter 272

Chapter 272
 Liam's POV

I watched from my hidden position on the rooftop overlooking the courtyard, my finger resting on the trigger of my rifle. From here, I had a clear shot at the masked leader and several of his key lieutenants.

One bullet. That's all it would take to end him and throw this entire operation into chaos.

But I hesitated, my scope moving from the leader to where Mia knelt, surrounded by enemies. She looked defiant even in captivity, her chin raised, her eyes blazing with determination rather than fear.

God, she's magnificent.

Part of me - the selfish, possessive part that had kidnapped her weeks ago - wanted to let this play out a little longer. The brothers were finally getting what they deserved for how they'd treated her. If they died here, if I was the one who saved her at the last moment...

She might finally choose me.

But even as the thought formed, I knew it was wrong. Mia would never forgive me if I let Nathan, Sean, and Rolex die just to clear my path to her heart. She'd see right through any rescue attempt tainted by those motives.

Damn it. Why does loving her have to mean doing the right thing even when it hurts?

I signaled to my men positioned around the perimeter. We had over a hundred Shadowmoon warriors ready to strike, plus the forces Xavier had assembled. Together, we outnumbered the rogues, but barely.

And those hostages complicate everything. One wrong move and innocent people die.

The masked leader was monologuing now, explaining his plans to harvest Mia's heart like some kind of deranged supervillain. The medical equipment being wheeled out made my blood boil.

That's enough. Time to end this.

I stood up from my position, making myself visible on the rooftop's edge. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," I called out, my voice carrying across the courtyard.

Every head turned toward me, and I could see shock registering on multiple faces.

The masked leader recovered quickly. "Liam! Finally, you arrive. I was beginning to think you'd abandoned our plan."

Our plan? What the hell is he talking about?

"What plan?" I asked, genuinely confused as I climbed down to ground level. My warriors emerged from their hiding spots, surrounding the courtyard but not yet attacking.

"Don't play coy," the leader said, his distorted voice carrying amusement. "Everything I've done has been under your orders. Building this organization, framing other packs for our crimes, gathering the Supreme Luna - all of it was for you."

Ice flooded my veins. "I never ordered any of this."

"Liar!" Xavier shouted from where the guards held him. "This was your plan all along! You used us, manipulated Mia, pretended to be the victim!"

"I swear on my pack's honor, I have no idea what he's talking about," I insisted, but I could see doubt and fury in everyone's eyes.

The masked leader reached up slowly and removed his mask and voice modulator.

When I saw his face, my world tilted on its axis.

"Marcus," I breathed, staring at my beta - my most trusted advisor, my right hand for the past fifteen years. "What have you done?"

Marcus smiled, and it was like looking at a stranger. "I did what you were too weak to do yourself, Alpha. I built the empire you always talked about."

"I never wanted an empire built on innocent blood!"

"Didn't you?" Marcus challenged. "All those nights when we were being hunted, when our pack members were dying because no one would trade with us or help us - what did you say? You said the world would pay. You said we'd rise to the top and make them all regret treating us like monsters."

Oh God. He twisted my words, my pain, into this nightmare.

"I was angry," I said desperately. "I was hurting. But I never meant-"

"You meant every word," Marcus interrupted. "You just didn't have the strength to follow through. So I did it for you."

The brothers were looking at me with pure hatred now, clearly believing this was all my doing.

"This is insane," I said, raising my weapon. "Stand down, Marcus. Release the hostages and surrender."

"Or what? You'll kill your own beta? Your brother in all but blood?" Marcus laughed. "We both know you won't do that."

He was right, and he knew it. Despite everything, despite the atrocities he'd committed, the thought of killing Marcus made me feel sick.

"Then I will," Xavier snarled, somehow breaking free from his guards and lunging at Marcus.

That's when all hell broke loose.

The courtyard erupted into violence. My warriors clashed with Marcus's rogues, the brothers broke free and joined the fight, and somewhere in the chaos, I lost sight of Mia.

No. Where is she?

I fought my way through the melee, taking down rogues left and right, searching desperately for any sign of her. Bodies fell around me, the air filled with the sounds of combat - snarls, gunfire, the clash of weapons.

Finally, I spotted Marcus. He was heading toward the medical equipment where several rogues were trying to drag a struggling Mia.

Not her. You're not touching her.

I intercepted him, and we crashed together with brutal force. Years of training together meant we knew each other's fighting styles perfectly, making every exchange potentially lethal.

"Why?" I demanded as we grappled. "Why would you do this? These innocent people, Mia, everything - why?"

"Because the world destroyed you!" Marcus shouted back, his eyes wild with zealous conviction. "They took everything from us - our reputation, our allies, our future. And you just accepted it. You rolled over and let them win."

"So you decided to become the monster they accused us of being?"

"I decided to give you the weapon you needed to make them pay!" He broke away, gesturing toward Mia. "Her blood, her heart - with that, we could create an army of enhanced wolves. No one would ever dare attack the Shadowmoon Pack again. We'd be unstoppable!"

"You're insane," I said, horror washing over me. "I never wanted this. I never wanted innocent people to suffer for our pain."

"You're weak," Marcus spat. "You always have been. Too soft, too moral, too willing to see the good in people who would destroy us without hesitation."

We clashed again, and this time I could feel his genuine intent to kill. This wasn't just about ideology anymore - he saw me as an obstacle to his vision.

"I heard you," Marcus continued as we fought. "That first night we met the Supreme Luna, you said you wanted to conquer the world with her by your side. You said she was the key to everything."

I did say that. In a moment of weakness, when I was drunk and angry and dreaming of impossible things.

"I was venting," I said desperately. "I didn't mean it literally!"

"But I did," Marcus replied. "I took your dreams and made them reality. I spent years building this organization, years framing other packs so we could operate in the shadows. I killed their fathers to give you leverage over the brothers. I did everything for you!"

The revelation hit everyone in earshot like a bomb. The brothers froze mid-fight, staring at Marcus with expressions of absolute devastation.

"You killed our father?" Nathan's voice was hollow with shock.

"Of course I did," Marcus said proudly. "He was investigating too closely, getting too near to discovering our operations. Plus, his death served multiple purposes - it kept you three busy hunting shadows while we built our power base, and it positioned Liam to eventually claim Mia when you all inevitably failed her."

I looked at Mia, seeing the shock and hurt in her eyes as she processed what she was hearing.

He did all of this. Using my name, my pain, my momentary weakness. And now everyone thinks I'm behind it.

"Marcus, please," I said, lowering my weapon. "It's not too late. We can end this peacefully. Just let the hostages go, surrender, and we'll figure out-"

"Figure out what? How to go back to being hunted outcasts?" He laughed bitterly. "No. Either we win here today and take our rightful place at the top, or we all die trying. There is no going back."

Looking into his eyes, I realized he truly believed every word he was saying. In his twisted logic, he'd done everything out of loyalty and love for me and our pack.

And that made him the most dangerous kind of enemy - one who thought he was the hero of his own story.