Chapter 69 069
DERRICK
I stood at the edge of the dark woods, my gaze piercing through the thick veil of shadows as I searched for any sign... any movement, any trace that could confirm the unease gnawing at my instincts. The wind whispered faintly through the trees, carrying with it an eerie stillness that only deepened my suspicion. My eyes narrowed, scanning every corner, every shift in the darkness, but after a long moment of tense observation, I exhaled sharply in frustration when I found nothing. The silence felt wrong... too perfect, too deliberate.
“What are we doing here, Alpha?” Scott’s voice broke through the stillness, cautious yet laced with confusion, and I closed my eyes briefly, irritation flickering beneath my skin at the question.
“Did you ever stop to think about why Morgan is back after all these years?” I asked, turning to face him slowly, my voice low but edged with something darker. His expression shifted instantly... confusion giving way to curiosity... but he shook his head, clearly unable to grasp where I was heading.
“She might be here because she missed you… maybe she wants to finally get married to you,” he said, almost hesitantly, as though testing the absurdity of his own words.
For a second, there was silence.
Then I laughed.
Not just a simple laugh, but a sharp, unrestrained burst of amusement that echoed through the woods like something unhinged. It wasn’t humor... it was disbelief, mockery, and something dangerously close to anger all wrapped into one.
“Morgan? Miss me?” I repeated, my laughter fading into a cold smirk as I looked at him. “Are you trying to entertain me, Scott? Since when does Morgan have emotions? Since when does she feel anything other than ambition and bloodlust?”
His lips parted, but no words came out, and I stepped closer, my voice dropping into something far more dangerous.
“Have you forgotten what she’s done?” I continued, my tone cutting through the air like a blade. “She killed her own brothers for power. Her own blood… wiped out like they meant nothing. And you’re standing here telling me she came back because she missed me?” I scoffed, shaking my head slowly. “Should I remind you what she did to me as well?”
Scott inhaled deeply, clearly unsettled now, but he still tried to hold his ground. “Then why are we here?” he asked again, his voice quieter this time, more cautious.
“We’re here,” I said, turning back toward the forest, my eyes darkening as I stared into the unknown, “to confirm whether she came alone… or if she brought an army with her.”
The words hung heavy in the air.
Because with Morgan, nothing was ever simple.
Was I overestimating her? No. If anything, underestimating her would be the real mistake. Morgan was chaos wrapped in elegance, danger hidden behind a composed smile. She never made a move without purpose, never stepped into a place without already calculating every possible outcome.
And the fact that I didn’t know her purpose this time…
It unsettled me.
“But even if she brought troops, they can’t do anything,” Scott said, trying to sound confident, though I could hear the uncertainty creeping into his voice. “Our pack is one of the most heavily guarded in the country.”
I let out a low chuckle, one that carried no amusement.
“The most guarded pack?” I repeated, glancing at him over my shoulder. “You really believe that’s enough?”
He frowned, clearly not liking the direction of my thoughts.
“The Soreen clan exists,” I continued, my voice dropping as the weight of that name alone seemed to darken the atmosphere around us. “And compared to them, our defenses are nothing.”
A faint breeze swept past us, but it did nothing to ease the tension tightening in my chest.
“They live in isolation, hidden from the world,” I went on, my gaze distant now, as if recalling something I wished I could forget. “People don’t know much about them, and that’s exactly what makes them dangerous. Power thrives in silence… and they’ve perfected it.”
I clenched my fists unconsciously.
“One of their poisons almost killed me,” I added quietly, the memory flashing through my mind like a scar that refused to fade.
Scott’s expression shifted completely now, the confidence draining out of him as realization began to settle in.
“You think she came here without knowing all this?” I asked, my tone sharp.
He didn’t answer.
Because he couldn’t.
“She’s here for a reason,” I said, my voice steady but laced with certainty. “And that reason… is me.”
“What?” Scott gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. “What do you mean she’s here to destroy you? Isn’t she your betrothed?”
I let out a bitter breath, the word betrothed tasting like poison in my mouth.
“Do you really think that means anything to her?” I asked quietly.
Silence answered me.
Because deep down, he already knew.
“Did you ever consider that she might have sensed something?” I continued, my thoughts unraveling rapidly now. “That maybe she knows more than we think?”
Scott hesitated before speaking. “Like… that incident?” he asked carefully. “The time you lost control… and she suddenly appeared?”
I shook my head immediately, though a flicker of doubt passed through me.
“No,” I said firmly. “That doesn’t add up. If she knew, she wouldn’t have acted so… amused.”
But even as I said it, the unease remained.
“You know we can’t let her find out about Lyka,” Scott added, his voice dropping into a whisper, as though even the trees might betray us.
“I know,” I replied, my jaw tightening. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll let her hurt the people I care about.”
The words came out harsher than I intended, weighed down by something far deeper than anger.
“She’s already done enough,” I muttered, my chest tightening painfully. “Her eyes… they still haunt me.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe properly.
“I’m stuck, Scott,” I admitted, my voice quieter now, almost strained. “If I accept Lyka as my mate, she becomes a target. And if I don’t…” I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Because either way…
Someone would suffer.
“The Soreen clan is powerful,” Scott said after a moment, trying to steady himself. “Even Morgan wouldn’t dare cross them lightly.”
I let out a slow breath, my expression hardening again.
“You’re right,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean she won’t try something else.”
A heavy silence fell between us, thick with unspoken fears and inevitable truths.
“We can’t face her head-on,” Scott added finally. “You know that better than anyone.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
He wasn’t wrong.
Morgan wasn’t just strong... she was calculated, ruthless, and terrifyingly patient. Facing her directly would be suicide.
And yet…
“We don’t have to fight her as we are now,” I said slowly.
Scott frowned. “What do you mean?”
A small, dangerous smile curled onto my lips as I turned away from him, the darkness in my eyes deepening.
“I think you’ve forgotten something,” I murmured.
“And what’s that?” he asked cautiously.
“The demon in me.”
The words fell like a quiet thunder.
Scott froze.
“No…” he whispered, panic creeping into his voice as he stepped forward. “Alpha, you can’t be serious. You can’t let him out. You know what happens when he takes control!”
I shook my head slowly, my smile widening just slightly.
“You’re mistaken,” I said calmly. “He’s not the one taking control this time.”
A chill seemed to sweep through the air.
“I am.”
Scott stopped walking completely now, staring at me as though he no longer recognized the person standing before him.
“Are you… trying to embrace the darkness?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
I paused mid-step.
Then, slowly, I turned my head just enough for him to see the glint in my eyes.
“Exactly.”
The word carried a finality that sent a shiver through the air itself.
“I’m going to become something greater,” I continued, my voice steady, almost eerily calm. “Something stronger.”
Something worse.
“But before that…” I added, my gaze drifting into the distance as anticipation coiled within me, dark and intoxicating.
“I need to have a conversation with someone.”
Scott didn’t ask who.
He didn’t need to.
“It’s been a long time since we last met,” I murmured, my lips curling into a dangerous smirk.
And deep within me…
Something stirred.
It was time to face him.
To embrace him.
Even if it meant losing a part of myself in the process.
Because power always came at a cost.
And I was finally ready to pay it.