Chapter 160

Alaric’s POV

“Of course not,” Melinda said, denying everything. “As if someone of my status would ever lower herself to such cruel and malicious devilry. How could you even begin to insult me by connecting me to that?”

“You supported Lilia’s return to the pack,” I reminded her. “You pushed the elders so hard that they gave her temporary stay behind my back.”

“What they did was not my fault,” she countered.

“But you don’t deny advocating for Lilia,” I said.

“She was my friend,” Melinda said. “I had no idea she had such a mental break. I only discovered her true nature at the same time you did.”

Her words were pretty. She was saying all the right things. She even appeared to be convincing the rest of the gymnasium about her innocence.

But I knew she was lying. Maybe it was my Alpha intuition, or perhaps it was because I had been the one to see when she came to BloodyMoon pack in an effort to seduce me away from Cara and my family, all at Lilia’s direction.

Melinda was not innocent in this. All of this had been a coordinated plan between the lot of them.

And I was done allowing vipers in my house.

I straightened myself up to my full intimidating height.

“Tell the truth, Melinda,” I said in my normal tone of voice. For now.

She lifted her chin, defiant. “I am telling the truth.”

Of course she would need to prove difficult. This entire situation was a testament to how difficult she could be.

Pushing my Alpha tone into my voice, I said again. “Tell the truth.”

My Alpha tone would compel her to obey. Only those with great willpower would be able to fight against it, yet even then, the struggle would be obvious. Just as it was now, for Melinda.

She closed her eyes, her face scrunched up as if she was in pain.

“I didn’t…” she tried to say but couldn’t. “I… didn’t…”

“The truth,” I pushed further. “Now.”

With a huff of relief, she finally admitted, “I knew what Lilia was planning from the start. But it didn’t have anything to do with kidnapping at first. Instead she wanted George to kill Cara.”

Several gasps sounded from her crowd of supporters, and then they all fell silent.

Her brother turned toward her, trying to stop her from speaking, but with a nod from me, my soldiers moved in and pulled him back.

“You knew they were trying to kill Cara,” I said.

“Yes,” she replied.

“Were you hoping they would succeed?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied. Hate flashed coldly in her eyes.

“When you learned their plans had changed, why didn’t you come forward?” I asked.

“Cara’s children are worthless,” Melinda said. “They could be easily sacrificed to ensure Cara’s end as well.”

A growl rumbled out from the back of my throat. “Why do you hate Cara so much?”

“You were supposed to marry Lilia,” Melinda said. “She had promised to do so many things for me when she became Luna. Instead, you were too doe-eyed for Cara Auburn. With her out of the way, you could once again focus on our own pack, and I could finally have what I want.”

“And what do you want?”

“Money,” she said simply. “And power.”

That was enough for me. I was done listening to this. Looking away, I dropped my Alpha authority.

Immediately, she raised her hands to her throat. “You can’t believe anything I just said! Please! None of that was true!”

It was absolutely true. That was how the Alpha authority worked. I wouldn’t have been able to compel her to lie.

Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me. The hatred was still there, but it had softened under a web of deception. “Please, Alaric. Don’t you know how much I love you?” She started toward me, practically throwing herself at me.

I stood very still, with my arms down unmoving at my sides and stared back at her.

Since when had she ever been in love with me? And even if she had, it did not matter to me at all. This woman had helped Lilia conspire against me, the woman I loved, and our family. I would not be moved by any tears or anything else, true or otherwise.

She must have been able to feel how frigid I stood there, because she soon pulled back to look up at me.

“Alaric?”

“Melinda Bedford,” I said. “You and your family are hereby exiled from the DuskWood pack.”

Her eyes went wide. “B-but…” Her voice trailed, and no one else spoke up for her, not even her brother who hung his head in shame.

“I will give you a few hours to collect your things and sort your affairs,” I said, a curtesy that not everyone was gifted. “My soldiers will accompany you.”

As Melinda and her brother were taken away, a small measure of relief filled me. With this over, perhaps Cara and our family could finally find some peace.

Cara’s POV

I checked Mia’s temperature every hour as the Healer had suggested. The first couple went alright. Mia just slept, her temperature cooling. But when I went to check on her for the third time and saw her red face with sweat on her brow, I knew something was terribly wrong.

“Ryan, Aidan, Colin! Quickly!” I called from the doorway.

Even my shouting didn’t wake Mia up.

Hurrying to her bedside, I quickly checked her temperature. It had gone up three degrees.

Aidan was at the doorway first. “We have to get Mia to the hospital.”

“Fever’s up?” he asked, already coming closer.

“Yes.”

Aidan scooped Mia into his arms.

“What’s happening, Mom?” Ethan asked from the doorway.

I tried not to let too much of my worry show, not wanting Ethan to be overly upset, but it was hard to hold back.

Mia had only just been cleared from the hospital, and now she had to go back? It was too much to bear.

Colin and Ryan arrived quickly then. Colin placed his hands on Ethan’s shoulders and pulled him back out of the way as Aidan carried Mia through the door.

Ryan, after seeing what was happening, rushed ahead, “I’ll get the car started.”

Colin and Ethan hurried after him and Aidan and Mia.

I brought up the rear. Near the top of the stairs, I suddenly became very dizzy and grabbed the banister for dear life, worried I might fall.

Colin stopped as the others went ahead and glanced back at me.

“You okay?” he asked. The worry in his eyes was likely for Mia, not me. I didn’t want any of it. Mia, poor fragile Mia, should ever be our first concern.

“I’m fine,” I said, even though I wasn’t.

Colin looked back warily a few times as he hustled down the stairs.

I moved quicker than I had, but gripping the banister with both hands just in case I started to feel dizzy again.

At the base of the stairs, Colin tried to talk to me. “Cara, I don’t know if –”

“There’s no time,” I said. “Mia needs a Healer.”

That silenced him, and together we ran to the car.