Chapter 152

Alexander's POV

Halsen looked pathetic kneeling on the carpet. He was hunched into himself like a quail that had been frightened half to death. I knew he hadn't been ignorant of what Lucian had done—he had simply allowed it all to unfold naturally, permitting his son to become a dirty blade working in the shadows, handling unsavory business in exchange for the family's status and long-term stability.

"Halsen," I said, rising to my feet and approaching him slowly, looking down at him from above. "If everyone could justify their actions from their own perspective, what would be the point of law and order? Whether or not he personally drove the blade into Duke Sterling, he cannot escape punishment."

Halsen collapsed onto the floor, trembling violently. "Your Majesty, I never intended to absolve him of guilt, but... considering that we have never harbored any disloyalty toward the crown..."

"Your loyalty does not strike me as an admirable quality." I stared down at him, and even to my own ears, my voice sounded utterly cold. "In the law of the jungle that governs werewolf society, dependence and scheming have never been sustainable strategies. You simply lack the ability to bare your teeth at me, so you have no choice but to tuck your tail and submit."

"No, I would never dare think such a thing... Your Majesty." Halsen pressed his head even lower, nearly burying it in the dust.

I turned away from him, directing my gaze toward the pitch-black night beyond the window. "It's time for some changes. Fendia—she is an exceptional woman. Her intelligence, her mind, her unwavering resolve are in no way inferior to my Beta, Cyril. In some respects, she even surpasses him."

Turning back, I locked eyes with Halsen. "She is more than capable of becoming a leader in her own right, even the Alpha of your Purple Wolf Clan. What she does not need to become is a tool for your family—a Luna used for political marriages, for breeding, for consolidating power."

I sat back down in my chair, my tone brooking no argument. "She is fully capable of becoming the Alpha of your family, and I will support her."

"But..." Halsen stammered, his face contorting with difficulty. "But Your Majesty, for nearly a century, no clan has had a female Alpha. The Council of Elders... they will have opinions on this matter. Should we not wait a bit longer? Reconsider?"

I let out a cold laugh. "It is precisely because you have always worried about these meaningless distinctions that you lack the courage to trust those who are truly qualified. You told Fendia that because she is a woman, she has no opportunity to lead the Lefett family. You told Lucian that because he is not strong enough as a man, he also has no chance of becoming an heir. You are not only a terrible Alpha—you are a terrible father."

I slammed my hand down on the armrest of my chair, and a powerful wave of pressure swept through the entire council chamber. "Halsen, the one who truly needs to retire is you."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After Halsen left, the study fell back into deathly silence. I leaned against the back of my chair, feeling every bone in my body ache with a dull, persistent pain. That speech, though it had sounded commanding and powerful, had drained what little energy I had left. The backlash from the severed fated bond was like a dull knife, slowly carving away at my nerves every moment of every day.

"I know what you're doing." Darius's weak voice echoed in my mind. He hadn't surfaced in a long time. The once-majestic snow wolf now lay curled in my mental landscape, his coat dull and his eyes weary. "You're paving the way for her, clearing the path. You can't hide it from me." Darius licked a wound on his paw. "But you know as well as I do that this is nowhere near enough. Unless you address the source of the golden wolf blood in her veins, the fact remains—she is a golden wolf. That cannot be changed."

I closed my eyes, drew in a deep breath, and forced myself to stand. "Cyril."

"Here, Your Majesty." Cyril emerged from the shadows, holding a file in his hands.

I rubbed my throbbing temples. "Go discuss with them and finalize Lucian's charges. Halsen will issue a public statement himself, stepping down from his current position. It's the only way to preserve what's left of the Lefett family's honor."

Cyril nodded but did not immediately leave. He hesitated before asking, "About that marshal—the one who calls himself the Holy Mother. Lucian mentioned him in his confession. Do you think he could be the force behind Laboratory Zero?"

"The Holy Mother? He... or she..." I turned the bitterly ironic codename over in my mind. A lunatic who fancied himself a savior while creating monsters. "I need to have a conversation with my father first."

Leaving the council building, I made no stops on my way back to the estate. I was afraid. The moment I stopped moving, the moment my mind went blank for even a second, Fiona's image would slip out from the cracks in my memory like a ghost. I missed her. This longing was no longer the gut-wrenching agony of those first few days. It had transformed into a slow-acting poison, creeping through my veins and spreading to every limb.

I had to keep moving, had to turn myself into a spinning top that never stopped, because only then could I keep pace with her, only then could I clear away the damned obstacles before she stepped into that real world.

"Alexander! What are you doing back here?"

A clear but hesitant voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Diana sitting on the sofa in the living room. She was wearing a pale yellow dress, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her posture stiff as though she were anxious about something. When she saw me enter, she immediately stood, smoothing down her skirt with a nervous gesture.

"I have an appointment with Father. There are some things we need to discuss."

I gave a brief acknowledgment and turned toward the stairs.

"Father is... waiting for you in the study."

"I know." I tried to keep my expression neutral as I unbuttoned my cuffs, glancing at her. "Why are you sitting here? The weather's nice—why not take a walk in the garden?"

Diana didn't move. She remained where she was, her gaze locked onto my face as though studying my expression. My heart skipped a beat. Damn it. I couldn't control whether Diana would ask me about Fiona. I hadn't seen her face-to-face in days, but I knew she must have heard countless dramatic versions of what had happened at the ceremony.

Suppressing the grinding pain between my ribs, I gave her a slight nod. "Diana, there are some things you won't understand right now. When you come of age—"

And then, all at once, I realized something terrible.