Chapter 65

~Grace~

“It’s my fault,” Alex said, sitting on the bed, his back to me. The moon highlighted his outline, and his shoulders slouched forward.

I’d never seen him look so defeated.

Usually, he was full of life, full of spark and determination. Nothing bested the Lycan King, but now here he was, giving up.

“How do you know the Elder Lycan is even right?” I asked, crossing my arms. I saw Alex stiffen at that.

“I understand you’re not from this clan, but you do not ever disrespect the Elder Lycan,” Alex said, his voice firm. “He is the oldest and most respected member of this clan, even above me.”

My heart sank.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you or your clan…”

Alex shook his head.

“I know. I’m just… I just don’t feel… in control right now,” he sighed.

I sat down on the bed next to him and took his hand.

His eyes were fixed on the floor, his dark lashes brushing against his cheek.

Bathed in the moonlight, even though he looked so sad, he was beautiful.

“You can talk to me,” I urged him, giving his hand a squeeze.

Alex took a deep breath. He took a long time before responding.

“When my father died… I took up the throne. I was just a boy, inexperienced with a lot of pressure on my shoulders. Only the Elder Lycan was there to help guide me.”

I nodded.

“It was my job as the heir to the throne to restore the honor the werewolves took from my clan. It was a massive blow to be betrayed by a werewolf we took in, and a lot of good people died that day.”

“It was not something that could just be left unchecked. Revenge was called for, but as a child, I was unprepared for this course of action.”

“But I grew up with this intention in mind. I grew to become a fearsome ruler, and all wolves respected and feared me. I thought I had become the leader this clan needed, but I didn’t want to launch an attack against an innocent pack in the name of vengeance.”

“The pack Liam’s mother was from no longer existed, and the closest thing to it would be the Nightshade pack, but I didn’t feel comfortable attacking them. Not only were they not the ones responsible for the fall of the Black Lycan clan, there were many other complications as well.”

I felt strange and uncomfortable as Alex talked about considering attacking the Nightshade pack. I thought of a world in which he chose to attack my pack, and how different things could have been.

Would he have killed me?

“Being on the council, and being a part of the werewolf world, and confided to laws, an attack would mean war against the rest of the werewolf packs in alliance with the Nightshade pack, and I knew my clan didn’t have the numbers.”

“I would have to find my revenge another way.”

He sighed, running his hands through his hair.

“Honestly? I thought it was enough to humiliate Liam and get his authority revoked, but the Elder Lycan… he-”

Alex sighed again, leaning forward, and resting his head in his hands. I could tell he was upset.

“He told me I haven’t done anything for the clan, yet. That I’ve done nothing to restore its honor. I still need to take revenge against Liam.”

I rubbed his back, my brows lowered. What did he mean by “take revenge” exactly? Did he mean to kill him?

Fear struck my chest.

No, he couldn’t! Even though I didn’t have any affection for Liam, I didn’t want to have him killed!

Besides, it was still against council policy, and an unprovoked killing against another Alpha would get Alex immediately kicked off of the council, his title revoked, and he would be banished from these lands.

I grabbed his hand.

“Alex, you can’t-”

“I need to talk to him,” he said, sitting up.

I pressed my lips together, anxious. If he just wanted to talk to him, then I wouldn’t stop him.

But with how vulnerable Alex seemed right now…

I didn’t know what his intentions were.

“I’m coming with you,” I told him quickly.

Alex looked at me and gave me a soft smile, his golden eyes lighting up.

“Thank you for supporting me.”

He wrapped me into a warm hug, and I returned it, but I felt cold inside. I just had a nagging feeling that things wouldn’t go well.

“Get some rest, and we’ll go first thing tomorrow morning, okay?” I said, actually trying to convince him.

Alex had a dark look behind his eyes that scared me. I knew he was putting on a determined front for me, but I knew this situation bothered him a lot more than he let on.

I couldn’t say anything about it, afraid that I couldn’t convince him not to, but I had a feeling he wanted to do more than just talk to Liam.

His entire clan was on death’s door, and if the only way to stop it was to kill Liam, then that’s what he’d do.

I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to stop him.

Alex gave me a curious look, and I quickly flashed him a smile.

My worried thoughts must have been showing on my face.

“Get some rest. You’ll need it for your big day tomorrow,” I said, trying to sound bright.

Alex gave me a slow nod, and he crawled under the covers. I lay down beside him, my back pressed against his.

I couldn’t close my eyes, even in this darkness. Worry kept me awake.

What would I do if Alex skipped talking and went straight to attacking? Would I risk my life for Liam’s?

Should I ask Enzo to come with me? Would I ask him to risk his life for Liam’s?

I didn’t have a plan prepared. Usually, I was the one leading the confrontations against Liam, and Alex was there to back me up, but now…

I just don’t know. I feel out of my depth, and I don’t feel like there’s anyone I can turn to for advice.

Enzo came to mind, but I worried about telling him too much about Alex’s vulnerabilities, as they weren’t mine to share.

Ugh… What was I going to do?!

I lay still for a long moment, just listening to Alex breathe. His breathing slowed, and I could tell he was asleep–I had slept beside him long enough to tell.

A sudden thought popped into my head, and my heart leaped with excitement.

What if I talked to Liam before Alex did? I could uncover the truth about the situation without a ticking time bomb waiting to go off at a moment’s notice.

Yes, that was it!

I would leave tonight, while Alex was asleep, and talk to Liam before morning arose. And maybe all of this was just a misunderstanding and something else was entirely at play.

I was confident in my current standing with Liam that he would talk to me openly and honestly.

And Alex wouldn’t have to kill Liam after all.