Chapter 43 Chapter 43

Chapter 43 Chapter 43


"Clearly not," Marcus said, his arm still supporting my weight. "And I'd suggest you leave before those Williams boys show up. They're not going to be happy about you threatening their mate."

As if summoned by his words, the roar of motorcycles filled the air outside. Through the coffee shop's windows, I could see Kyle, Caspian, and Asher pulling up, their faces dark with fury as they took in the scene through the glass.

Xavier struggled to his feet, swaying slightly. "You have no idea what you've unleashed," he said, but the threat in his voice was hollow now. "There are others. Darker things than me."

"Then they can get in line," I replied, surprised by my own boldness. "Because I'm done being afraid."

The Williams brothers burst through the door, their eyes immediately scanning for threats. Kyle's gaze locked onto Xavier, and I felt his rage spike through our bond so intensely it made me dizzy.

"You," Kyle snarled, moving toward Xavier with predatory grace.

"Don't," I said quickly, placing a hand on Kyle's chest as he passed. The contact sent warmth shooting up my arm, and I felt his wolf respond to my touch. "He's not worth it. Not anymore."

Kyle's amber eyes searched my face, taking in my exhaustion, the way Marcus was still supporting me. "What did he do to you?"

"He tried to intimidate me," I said, straightening as much as I could. "The Goddess had other ideas."

Xavier backed toward the door, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. "This isn't over," he said, but the words lacked any real conviction.

"Actually, it is," Caspian said coldly, stepping into Xavier's path. "You're no longer an Alpha. Your pack will scatter within days once word spreads. You have nothing left to threaten anyone with."

"My pack—"

"Is already breaking apart," Asher interrupted, pulling out his phone. "Dad's contacts in the Council have been monitoring your territory. The moment your Alpha status was stripped, your forced bonds started dissolving. Your 'elite guard' is probably remembering who they really are, however, wondering how they got to where they are since they were Alphas themselves once, and your forced mates that bound their fathers and other Alpha males of their bloodlines to you. And you intended to do the same to our mate, turn her into breeding stock.”

The words hit Xavier like physical blows. I watched as what little color remained in his face drained completely away. His hands shook as he processed what Asher had just revealed—that everything he'd built through blood magic and forced bonds was crumbling around him.

"No," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "They can't... the bonds were sealed in blood. They're permanent."

"Nothing sealed with stolen power can last forever," I said, finding strength I didn't know I still possessed. "The Goddess told me your bloodline was corrupted. Now I understand what she meant."

Through our bond, I felt Kyle's protective fury mixing with something that might have been pride. His hand found mine, squeezing gently, and I was surprised by how much comfort that simple touch provided.

Xavier's legs gave out completely, and he slumped against the doorframe. "Generations of work," he muttered, more to himself than to us. "Centuries of building power..."

"Built on the suffering of others," Marcus said, his voice hard with disgust. "Good riddance."

I stared down at the broken man who had terrorized me just minutes ago, and felt... nothing. No satisfaction, no revenge, just a bone-deep exhaustion and the desperate need to go somewhere safe and process everything that had just happened.

"I want to go home," I said quietly, then realized I didn't actually know where home was anymore. The little house I'd shared with Grandmother felt too exposed, too vulnerable. But the Williams pack house didn't feel like home either—not yet, maybe not ever.

"The pack house," Kyle said immediately, understanding my dilemma. "You're staying with us until we know it's safe."

I wanted to argue, to assert some independence, but the truth was I felt wrung out like a dishrag. The Goddess's power had left me hollow, and all I wanted was to curl up somewhere quiet and sleep for about a week.

"Marcus, thank you," I said, turning to my friend. "For staying with me. For not running when things got supernatural."

He smiled, though I could see the concern in his hazel eyes. "That's what friends do. Besides, someone had to witness the day Imogen Lancaster took down an Alpha with divine intervention."

Despite everything, I found myself almost smiling. "When you put it like that, it does sound pretty impressive."

"It was impressive," Caspian said, his voice carrying that familiar analytical tone. "And it's going to change everything. Again."

I sighed, suddenly feeling every one of my eighteen years plus about fifty more. "Can we deal with 'everything' tomorrow? I think I've had enough life-altering revelations for one day."

Kyle wrapped an arm around my waist, and this time I didn't pull away. I was too tired to fight the comfort he offered, too drained to maintain the walls I'd been trying to keep between us.

"Come on," he said gently. "Let's get you home; you need to rest.” Picking me up bridal style and planting a kiss on my forehead as my eyes fluttered closed.

The warmth of Kyle's arms around me was the last thing I registered before exhaustion pulled me under completely. I must have fallen asleep against his chest because the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the familiar guest room at the Williams pack house, sunlight streaming through the windows.

My body ached like I'd been hit by a truck, every muscle protesting as I tried to sit up. The memory of what had happened at the coffee shop came flooding back—Xavier's appearance, the Goddess speaking through me again, the way his power had simply... dissolved under her judgment.