Chapter 80 The Truth About Dante
LISA'S POV
I woke up to hear Dante speaking in low tones, it sounded fishy. He was on the phone in the main room, speaking in a language I did not recognize but that sounded harsh and guttural. Something Eastern European maybe, or something older that had no modern equivalent. He did not notice me standing in the bedroom doorway watching him through the crack I had opened silently.
He hung up after a few more sentences and made notes in a journal that was not the same one my mother had written. This one was newer with a black leather cover and pages that looked recently filled. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me and I knew I should go back to bed and pretend I had not seen anything. But curiosity and suspicion made me move closer on silent feet until I could read over his shoulder.
The page was covered in names, dates, and plans written in neat handwriting. I read the words and my blood turned to ice in my veins.
Phase 1: Establish trust through Adrian's connection and artifact collection.
Phase 2: Isolate from pack support using targeted information leaks.
Phase 3: Convince her to perform the ritual willingly. Phase 4: Sacrifice will weaken pack bonds permanently in Moonstone territory, leaving it vulnerable to takeover.
Dante turned suddenly like he had sensed me standing there and his expression changed from the gentle concern he had been showing me to something calculating and cold. The mask dropped completely and I saw the truth underneath. "How much did you read?"
"Enough." My voice came out steady even though my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. "You are not trying to help me escape. You are trying to destroy my pack and everyone I care about."
I started backing toward the door but Dante moved faster than any human should be able to move. He blocked my exit with his body and I realized with growing horror that something was very wrong with him. His speed was supernatural and his eyes had a gleam that reminded me of wolves when they were hunting.
"You are right about one thing. I am not entirely human anymore and I have not been for quite some time."
Dante smiled and it was nothing like the gentle expression he had been using since we met. "Viktor has been enhancing me for years. Silver wolf blood injections taken from rogues he captured. It gives me speed, strength, and longevity that normal humans do not have. Quite useful for long-term planning."
He stepped closer and I pressed myself against the wall because there was nowhere else to go. "I am his brother. Did you figure that out yet or were you too busy grieving and reading your mother's journal to connect the obvious dots?"
My heart raced and I felt my wolf rising to the surface ready to fight. "Viktor. The rogue leader who tried to kill my family is your brother?"
"My brilliant, ambitious brother who has been planning this revenge for twenty years since your mother humiliated him publicly." Dante's voice was almost proud.
"Your mother's death was not random pack violence. Daniel's exile was not just political maneuvering. Your father's slow poisoning was not a natural illness. Sophia's infiltration of the Southern Pack was not a coincidence. All of Viktor's designs and I helped him with every single piece. And now the final move: getting you to voluntarily perform a ritual that will kill Ryan, your fated mate, and permanently weaken the pack bonds in Moonstone territory so Viktor can take control."
I shifted partially and felt my claws extend and my eyes flash silver with power. "I will not let you use me to hurt them. I will die fighting before I let Viktor touch my baby or my pack."
"You already did everything we needed." Dante pulled out a vial from his pocket filled with dark red liquid that I recognized immediately. My blood. He must have taken it while I slept, probably drugged my food or water to keep me unconscious long enough. "I do not need you willing anymore. I have what Viktor needs for his version of the ritual. He modified your mother's instructions years ago when he first found them. He has been waiting for you to be vulnerable, pregnant, grieving, and isolated from support. Perfect timing really."
He whistled sharply and the sound cut through the cabin like a blade. The front door burst open and rogues poured in through the entrance. Ten, fifteen, maybe more. Too many to fight even if I were at full strength. I tried anyway because I would rather die fighting than surrender to whatever Viktor had planned.
I lunged at the nearest rogue with claws extended but I was exhausted from the pregnancy and days without proper rest. They overwhelmed me quickly and pinned me to the floor with their hands that smelled like unwashed fur. I struggled and snarled but there were too many and I could not break free.
Dante crouched beside me and his face was so close I could see the inhuman gleam in his eyes from the silver wolf blood running through his veins. "Viktor is on his way here as we speak. He wants to meet his nephew or niece personally. He wants to be there when you give birth to the child that will help him rule every pack and rogue territory in this country. The prophecy was always about power and you were foolish enough to think it was about freedom."
He pulled out a syringe filled with clear liquid and I thrashed harder but the rogues held me still. "Sleep now. When you wake up, you will be exactly where Viktor wants you. With him, helpless, and about to watch everyone you love die trying to rescue you. Ryan will come because the bond will not let him stay away. Daniel will come because you are his sister. Adrian will come because he is stupidly noble. And Viktor will kill them all while you watch and cannot do anything to stop it."
He injected the liquid into my arm and I felt it burn through my veins like fire. My vision blurred immediately and my wolf retreated as whatever drug he used suppressed my abilities. I tried to fight the darkness pulling me under but it was too strong and I was too weak.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was Dante standing up and pulling out his phone. He typed a message and the screen was visible for just a moment before unconsciousness took me. The words burned into my memory even as I fell into drug-induced sleep.
"Package secured. Bring the father. He will volunteer for the ritual once he sees her condition. D"