Chapter 182

Chapter 182
{Ronan’s POV}

‘That's going to be tough.’ I pondered, sitting in my study with the curtains drawn, the fire low in the hearth.

The silence should have been calming, it should have made deciding easy… but it didn’t.

I could not stop seeing Damon’s face. That look when I had stripped him of his title. Hurt, yes, but worse was the acceptance in his eyes, as if he believed he deserved it.

The memory gnawed at me. I pushed back from the desk and stood, restless. My hands curled on the edge of the table, then I swept everything to the ground in one violent motion. Papers scattered, glass shattered, ink bled across the carpet. None of it lightened the heaviness in my chest.

I had loved Damon like a brother. He had stood at my side through battles, guarded my back time and time again, and yet he had betrayed me in the worst way. He had let Lucien strike me, had watched while I was one upped time and time again. No matter his reasoning, I could not forgive that.

And still, he had been the one to expose Lucien. He had pulled me back from ruin in the end.

That contradiction was something I couldn’t stop thinking about.

My teeth ground together, and I dragged both hands down my face, muttering curses under my breath. I did not know whether I was angrier at him or myself.

‘Damn, why does it have to be so damn har—’

A sound caught my ears. It was… sobbing?

I froze, listening. It was faint at first, muffled through the walls, but as I pushed my hearing. It became clear and it was unmistakable. “Lisa.”

I was moving before my mind caught up, striding from the study and down the hall to our room. When I pushed the door open I found her seated at the edge of the bed, her shoulders hunched, her face hidden in her hands.

“Lisa.” I was at her side in an instant. “What is it? What happened?”

She lifted her head, eyes swollen with tears, strands of hair clinging damp to her cheeks. The sight tore at me worse than any wound. At least wounds would heal…

She whispered. “I found out about my parents.”

‘That I was expecting…’ But this reaction was far stronger than I imagined. There was more to it than I knew.

Lisa finally caught herself, despite the sobbing. “They didn’t die the way I thought. Ronan. Someone took them from me. Someone hunted them down.”

“Lisa—”

“They were murdered” she repeated, clutching my shirt like she needed the fabric to keep her upright. “I need to know who did it. I need them to pay for what they stole from me.”

It knew this pain too well, this was what I felt when I found out about King Charles’s death.

I cupped her face in my hands, forcing her to meet my gaze. “I will find out. I promise you. Whoever took them will answer for it.”

Her lips quivered, then she sagged into my chest. I held her there, rocking her slightly as though she were a child.

It took time, but finally her sobs quieted. Her eyes fluttered shut against me, exhaustion pulling her down. I lowered her gently onto the bed, brushed her hair back from her forehead, and pressed a kiss there.

“Rest up. Let me carry this for you now.”

When her breathing evened into sleep, I slipped out my phone and called Sean. “I need you to run an investigation. I want everything on the deaths of the Alpha and Luna of Saint Crest… I know I asked for Lisa’s parents initially. Well, turns out they are the same… Regardless, I need it faster.”

“Consider it done.” Sean replied without hesitation.

The door creaked then, and two small figures darted inside. Heri and Anya, wide-eyed and worried.

“Is Lisa all right?” Heri asked, rushing to the bedside.

I wanted to send them off. But a brilliant idea came to mind. 

“She is resting,” I replied, holding a finger to my lips. “Keep your voices soft. She needs you to watch over her while I take care of some things.”

They both nodded quickly, climbing onto the bed and nestling close to Lisa. The sight softened me, but Anya’s next words pierced straight through a second later.

“Is Uncle going with you?” she asked innocently. “He came back, didn’t he?”

My throat tightened. I forced a small smile and smoothed her hair. “Yes. He— Damon is back.”

Her eyes lit up, satisfied with that answer. I turned away quickly before the guilt on my face betrayed me.

As I left the room, my phone buzzed again. ‘That was fast.’

Sean’s voice came through.  “The tip you gave sped things up. And yes, we found records. The Saint Crest Alpha and Luna were slain by rogue wolves. Same rogues tied to Lucien’s dealings. They were seen in his company years ago, even before his own rise… it tracks back to his dad.”

My grip on the phone hardened. “Hold your position. I will handle this myself.”

‘Well, time for a field trip.’

▪︎▪︎▪︎

The prison was cold and stank of damp stone. Guards opened the iron doors without a word as I strode through.

Lucien sat within the bars, a shadow of the Alpha he once postured as. His hair was unkempt, his clothes wrinkled, but his eyes lit up with desperate hope when he saw me.

“Brother,” he said quickly, clutching the bars. “Finally, you came. You know I should not be here. Free me, and we can still—”

“Tell me about Saint Crest,” I cut in without wasting time on his pleasantries.

He faltered. “What?”

“Lisa’s parents," I snarled. “You may or may not have gotten the news. But she is a werewolf. That's unimportant here, what's important is that the Alpha and Luna of her pack were slaughtered by rogues, rogues you commanded. So, do you know who was behind it?”

Lucien shook his head frantically. “No, no, I swear it. That was before my time. They must've been enemies of my father, not me. I only inherited what he built and took what failed to greater heights. The rogues, their loyalty, it came with his mantle. I had nothing to do with their deaths.”

I studied him, searching for deceit.

“Please,” Lucien begged. “You must believe me. I did not order it. I had no reason.”

“Free me, and I can prove my worth to you. I can still be useful.”

“Useful,” I repeated.

He nodded eagerly. “Yes. You cannot rule alone. You need me.”

I leaned closer. “You inherited the rogues from your father. Then you will inherit his sins too. And the punishment.”

His face paled. “Ronan—”

I turned away before he could finish, signaling the guards.

‘I guess it isn't meant to be…’