Chapter 168 When Fire Demands a Choice

Chapter 168 When Fire Demands a Choice


Her words only fed the fire.

“Move!” Mr. Raphael roared.

Nicholas rushed in and pulled Elena away. At the same time, the cane slammed down on Dolphus's back. Pain ripped through him.

“Take Elena out,” Dolphus ordered.

“Please, sir… I know our bond brings shame,” she sobbed. “I know it hurts you. I swear I will find a way to fix this.”

“Get her out!” Mr. Raphael bellowed.

He turned to Nicholas. “Watch her.”

Nicholas agreed. When Dolphus was out of sight, he leaned close to Elena and spoke quietly. “Miss Elena, the chairman needs to release his anger. Protecting Dolphus now will only worsen his fury. He will speak to you later.”

Elena closed her eyes. Regret crushed her chest. The sound of the cane striking Dolphus replayed in her mind.

Dolphus returned to the living room. His back burned, yet his spine remained straight. He knelt again before Mr. Raphael.

“You would rather be beaten than let her go?” Mr. Raphael asked coldly.

“You raised me like a father,” Dolphus said. “I betrayed your trust. But in this life, I desired very little. Elena is the only thing I ever claimed for myself.”

Mr. Raphael's breath shook. “Do you truly love her? Or are you chasing the fire she once gave Drake Hamilton?”

“There is no difference,” Dolphus replied. His eyes remained steady. “I loved her before Drake ever touched her heart. What she felt for him only delayed our bond.”

“And the Farrington family?” Mr. Raphael demanded. “Does your desire outweigh duty?”

“I will disappear from this world—”

“Your face denies that lie!” Mr. Raphael slammed his cane against the floor. “And the Crawford family? You walk into vengeance and chaos. If you truly care for Elena and the cubs, how dare you drag them into danger?”

“I fear it,” Dolphus admitted. “But I fear losing them more. I will not abandon them to protect my pride. I have the strength to guard them. If I push Elena away, I will lose her forever.”

In his mind, he saw it clearly. Elena is obeying orders or meeting other chosen mates. The image tore at his soul.

“Elena loves her mother and you too deeply,” Dolphus said calmly. “If I do not keep her by my side before I leave, she will follow every plan you set. Elena is my mate. I will not release her.”

Raphael lowered himself back onto his knees.

“You have thrown away, honor,” Mr Raphael roared. “You have cast aside the pack. You have cast aside her and the safety of those two cubs.” His voice was shaking. “Have you now cast aside me too, the one who raised you?”

“Mr. Raphael, I owe you everything,” Dolphus said hoarsely. He barely finished before the words struck Raphael.

Mr. Raphael's eyes burned red. Tears trembled but did not fall. The cane struck again, fierce and merciless.

“Mr. Raphael?” Raphael laughed bitterly. “I raised a fine son indeed. One without shame. One who tramples pack laws.” His shaking hand pointed at Dolphus. “If you insist on keeping Elena, then leave. Leave the Farrington family forever.”

“We share no blood,” Dolphus said, lifting his head. His eyes were red and sharp, no longer calm. Something wild had risen inside him. “How is this against pack law? Why can we not stand together? You fear the family name. You fear whispers. If Dolphus disappears, all of this ends.”

Raphael felt it clearly. Even if blood truly bound them, Dolphus would not retreat.

“There is no path back,” Dolphus continued. “I will never let go.”

No one could measure how deep his need for Elena had grown. It was no longer a desire. It was possession rooted in bone and soul.

Raphael staggered again. Dolphus reached out on instinct, but the old wolf pulled away and sank heavily onto the coffee table. His grip crushed the cane. At that moment, age weighed him down. His eyes, rimmed with red, stared at Dolphus in disbelief and pain.

“Is it just about her,” Ra asked slowly, “or nothing at all?”

Dolphus answered without pause. “Elena and I already share two pups.”

Raphael closed his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was as hard as stone. “I will not allow it. I will never agree. This disgrace will not stain the Farrington family while I'm still alive.”

In the kitchen doorway, Elena stood frozen, her eyes swollen and red. Nicholas blocked her path.

“I need to speak with him,” she pleaded.

Nicholas hesitated, then stepped aside.

Elena entered the living room and saw Dolphus still kneeling. Her heart twisted painfully. She rushed after Raphael.

“Sir,” she called softly.

She followed him into the study. Raphael turned, his face stern and cold.

“Close the door.”

She did.

“Sir,” she whispered.

Her voice broke. Tears spilled freely. “I was wrong.”

Raphael looked at her without warmth. “Then choose. Leave Dolphus, or leave the Farrington family. It's left for you to decide.”

Before Elena could speak, Raphael continued.

“Even if Dolphus leaves, as long as you stay with him, the truth will surface. Everyone believes his care for you came from blood ties. When this breaks, how will they judge you? How will they judge this family? Are you ready to destroy a name built for a hundred years?”

He leaned forward. His gaze pierced her. “Or should we reveal who you truly are and throw Seraphina back into the fire? I brought you home because you loved her sincerely. I believed you would protect her when I am gone. Is this protection, drowning her in shame?”

“I never meant to hurt my mother,” Elena whispered.

“But you already have,” Raphael snapped. “Dolphus is your mother’s brother. As long as you stand beside him, tongues will wag. When they point at our family, they point at Seraphina and me.”

The cane struck the floor loudly.

The picture formed clearly in his mind.

An old patriarch turning his back on blood. Two outsiders raised as family, now bound as mates. The thought crushed his chest.

Pain seized him. He pressed a hand there, sweat forming on his brow.

“Sir, Raphael,” Elena cried, rubbing his chest. “I will call the doctor.”

He grabbed her hand tightly.

“For your mother,” he said. “End this bond. Dolphus is not right for you. You have cubs now. Marriage does not matter. Raise them well. Guard the family's company. Is it not better for the family to remain whole?”

Raphael knew the truth of Dolphus's past. He knew Dolphus walked a path soaked in blood and vengeance. The Crescent Moon pack held power and reach, but Dolphus's enemy was not a common wolf. Zane was ruthless, dangerous, and hunted across nations.

Raphael's health failed him daily. Time pressed closer. If Dolphus's war touched Elena, what would happen to Seraphina? What would become of the children?

“Do you know why Dolphus left,” Raphael asked quietly. “He seeks revenge for his true parents. His enemy still rules shadows across lands far away. Dolphus wants to leave to shield us, yet he will not release you. Elena, think carefully. Is this good for you and the cubs? He is pulling you toward darkness.”

Elena's lips pressed together. Her silence answered more than words.

Raphael continued. “Even if you no longer care for this family’s name, you are not alone. You have a mother. You have two cubs. I fear nothing now, but do you plan to risk them too?”

Elena’s throat tightened painfully.

Seraphina and the children were her weak points. Marcel knew this well.

“To stand with Dolphus,” Raphael pressed, “would you abandon your mother and cubs? Or do you believe you can stop him from chasing revenge?”

Raphael knew the answer already. Dolphus would never abandon his path.

Revenge had driven him for years. It shaped every step.

Raphael admitted the truth to himself. He spoke of stopping Dolphus on purpose. Love bound those two too tightly. Force alone would not break them.