Chapter 82 82
Alpha Ryder, from the Dawn Light Pack—the one closest to Liberty University—had been the one tasked with capturing Aidan’s father once the identity of the vampire prowling their lands was revealed.
Alpha Thorne had been informed by Enzo that he already had the vampire, but the shock was immense when he discovered who it was.
He couldn’t believe it.
He was a normal kid. He was. A normal person, someone among the students, perhaps younger than his own sons. He didn’t know what to expect from whoever the vampire turned out to be, but it wasn’t this.
How had a young vampire been living among them without anyone noticing?
Alpha Thorne himself had visited that university a couple of times and had never sensed a thing.
In that dungeon, there was a tortured wolf, imprisoned, nearly dying, as they tried to extract information from him about the vampire he called his son—the one he had raised as a wolf, among wolves, as an equal.
But the blows, every torture, were useless in making him explain how that vampire had walked among them without the others realizing, how it was possible for him to blend in, to stand under the sun and never be discovered.
Just the scent alone… should have revealed his origin, but it hadn’t.
What complicated things further was the fact that the university grounds didn’t belong to any pack’s territory, so for some time now, the director answered to no Alpha—not even to his son.
Several alphas from the area had gathered to discuss the matter. Someone as respected as the director of the most prestigious university being involved in something like this was a scandal of enormous proportions. But he was. He was the supposed father of the vampire.
There were many questions hanging in the air, and one of them was the true identity of that vampire or the reason he was there, among them. How old was he really? What was his mission there? Where did he come from? What did he want? Was he a spy? Were there more of them in the place without their presence being detectable?
Behind closed doors, the man’s screams echoed throughout the place, sending chills down the spines of anyone who heard them. He only wanted to know if his son was alive, but all he received were questions. And every time he didn’t answer, he suffered the torture in his own flesh. Again and again, without stopping, trying to make him talk.
Alpha Ryder watched coldly. He had been the one tasked with bringing him here, but he hadn’t expected the magnitude of the impact this discovery would have.
It wasn’t just any vampire; it was the son of one of the most respected leaders among the wolves, entrusted with guiding the next generation and helping them grow, shaping them. A wolf who had betrayed his own nature, allowing a vampire to mix among them.
Alpha Thorne arrived at the dungeon, his presence filling the space with unyielding authority. His cold eyes swept over the broken figure of the director, and though he had known the man for years, he showed no compassion.
“What do you have to say in your defense?” Thorne asked, his voice as icy as the air around them.
The director, with what little strength he had left, lifted his gaze to Thorne. His eyes, filled with pain but also with a strange calm, met his directly.
“My son… he’s all that matters to me.” His voice was a whisper, but every word carried unbreakable conviction. “You wouldn’t understand what I did for him.”
Thorne frowned, crossing his arms.
“What you did doesn’t just endanger your son—it endangers all of us. How can you justify it?” he demanded, his voice hardening.
The director tried to straighten, though the pain made him tremble.
“I did it out of love… out of a love that goes beyond our limited understanding. Aidan is more than a vampire. He’s more than what you believe. You won’t understand because you can’t see beyond your own noses…” He coughed, his body wracked with agony.
Thorne stepped closer, his intimidating presence closing the space between them.
“I’m not here to understand. I’m here to protect my people. And what you’ve done is a betrayal I can’t forgive. You know what your fate is; at least act once for the good of your race and tell everything you know.”
The director closed his eyes, a single tear running down his cheek as he remembered Aidan—his little one, the child he had raised as a wolf, as one of his own.
He knew he’d had to be very hard on him, cruel far too many times, but it had always been for his survival, for his protection—to make sure he understood he wasn’t like the others, that he wasn’t a wolf and couldn’t wish to be one, because he was a vampire. It always tore him apart when his son sat at the door watching the little wolves run, the bond the packs shared, the warmth of every home—while he had none of that, only a strict father who feared that if his son mixed with them… he might be discovered.
“Just… tell me he’s alive.” His voice trembled, full of pleading. “Tell me my son is okay. Please… I beg you. Please!”
But Thorne didn’t answer. His silence was more painful than any torture the director had endured.
With one last look, Thorne turned and left the dungeon, leaving the man shattered—physically and emotionally.
Alpha Ryder followed without a word. He knew this was only the beginning of something much larger, something that could shake the foundations of everything they knew. A vampire among them… One of their own committing such a betrayal.
Inside the dungeon, the screams continued, but now mixed with a deeper, more desperate pain. The pain of a father who, in trying to protect his son, had lost everything.
“Aidan!” The walls seemed to tremble with his scream.