Chapter 259: Cut Clara Into Pieces, Scatter Them Around Rachel's House Like Little Gifts

Chapter 259: Cut Clara Into Pieces, Scatter Them Around Rachel's House Like Little Gifts
Avery

I'd heard enough.

Standing in this goddamn dungeon, listening to Orion describe Clara's gruesome death in sickening detail, watching Julian's heart shatter before my eyes—I couldn't take another fucking second of it.

This monster had taken an innocent, pure soul and destroyed her for no other reason than his own twisted pleasure.

He was enjoying every second of our pain. He wanted to drive a wedge between Julian and Damian, wanted Rachel to reject Damian, wanted Damian to leave our pack in agony.

But we all knew this wasn't Damian's fault.

The casual cruelty in Orion's voice as he described Clara's final moments, the way he deliberately used the most hurtful details to target Julian—it reminded me of every bully who'd ever hurt someone weaker than themselves. I'd been on the weak side before.

Well, I wasn't weaker than him. Not anymore.

"There's one more thing I haven't told you. Do you want to know what happened after I killed your precious little mate?" Orion continued, seemingly oblivious to the dangerous shift in the room's atmosphere.

"I was going to eat her. Right there in the dungeon. But then I realized I could do better."

His yellow eyes found Damian in the crowd, his smile growing brighter.

"I could use her corpse to hurt my dear brother. Cut her into pieces, scatter them around his new girlfriend's house like little gifts. Let him know this was just the beginning."

Just the beginning.

"Fuck you!" Julian exploded. "You sick bastard!"

"You see," Orion continued, his tone taking on an almost lecturing quality, "I've been planning this for quite some time." He paused, his voice dropping to almost a whisper.

"Ever since dear brother Damian killed my pack, I've been thinking of ways to make him suffer. And what better way than to destroy the people he cares about, one by one?"

He looked directly at Rachel, his smile becoming more vicious.

"The doctor should be next. But she's got herself a protector, hasn't she? That makes things more complicated. But not impossible."

Rachel let out a pained whimper, and I saw Damian's hands clench into fists.

"After her, I planned to take out the entire pack," Orion said casually.

"Save the pregnant Alpha female for last, of course. Nothing would hurt my brother more than knowing he failed to protect the pack's precious leader and her unborn pup."

Dominic had been watching Orion with cold, steady composure, but when he mentioned me, Dominic couldn't hold back anymore. He almost growled under his breath: "Too bad you'll never get the chance. You should know damn well you're not walking out of this dungeon alive!"

That's it. I was done with this shit.

I stepped forward, immediately feeling every eye in the room turn to me. The Alpha authority I'd been suppressing began to radiate outward, filling the dungeon with massive pressure that made even Orion's chains rattle.

"You know what your problem is?" I said, my voice carrying that deadly calm that promised imminent violence.

"You think fear makes you strong. You think causing pain makes you powerful."

Orion felt the weight of my authority pressing down on him, and his smile faltered slightly.

"But you're wrong," I continued, moving closer to his chained figure. "Fear is what weak creatures use when they can't win through strength. And you? You're the weakest creature I've ever seen."

"I killed your pack member!" he roared, clearly stung by my assessment. "I tore her apart while she was screaming for help! How the hell is that weak?"

"Because," I said, lowering my voice, "you picked on someone smaller than you. Someone who couldn't fight back properly. Someone who was trying to help you."

Now I was close enough to see the scars covering his broad chest—marks that Clara had left during their fight. Looking at those scars, I felt a surge of pride for this girl I'd barely known.

She'd hurt him. She'd made him bleed. Good girl, Clara.

"Want to know what real power looks like?"

I asked, beginning a partial shift. My hands elongated, claws extending from my fingertips, my royal Lycan bloodline on full display.

Orion watched my transformation with wide eyes. Unlike his crude, monstrous form, my shift was controlled, elegant, deadly. This was what a true predator looked like.

"Real power," I said, my voice carrying both human and Lycan tones, "is protecting those who can't protect themselves. Real power is choosing mercy when you have the ability to destroy. Real power is creating, not just destroying."

I reached out with one clawed hand, tracing the scratches Clara had left on his chest. The touch wasn't enough to cause serious injury, but it was enough to make him bleed.

"You're nothing," I continued. "Just a rabid animal that needs to be put down."

For the first time since we'd captured him, Orion showed real fear.

The dungeon fell silent.