Chapter 244

Alaric’s POV

“If I tell you,” Noel said, “you must promise not to reveal the truth to Cara.”

I didn’t like keeping secrets from Cara and hesitated.

“If she learns the truth about me, she might not wish to remain friends with me,” he continued.

“I don’t see Cara doing that.”

“I’ve lost friends before,” he said. “People who are close to me… change… when they realize the truth. They stop seeing me as their friend, and instead see a threat. But I would never hurt Cara, or you, or anyone innocent.”

Anyone innocent…

This man definitely held darkness within him. Yet I held no fear, nor did I think he would hurt Cara or the kids. He’d already proven himself time and time again by repeatedly helping my family when even I could not.

“I don’t know what kind of friends you’ve had before,” I said. “But you know Cara. If she accepted you as her friend, that means for life. It doesn’t matter what you are to her. It doesn’t to me either. I only ask because I want to be damn sure you have the skills to pull this off.”

He turned more fully to me then. His expression was still guarded as he looked at me.

“You’ve helped us too many times to count, Noel. If you think Cara, the brothers, or I are going to leave you hang out to dry now, you should really learn better,” I said. “You might not be an official member of this strange mashup of packs, but you are one of us. So get used to it.”

His mask cracked somewhat, showing his surprise. “I didn’t expect this kind of talk from you.”

“A few years back, I probably would have been more of an asshole, sure,” I admitted. “But being with Cara… Having a family now… I don’t know. What can I say? It changed me.”

Noel looked at me for a long moment, and then he said, “Vampire. I’m half-vampire.”

The news didn’t totally shock me, though vampires were so rare they were often believed to be myths. What little was known about them led to fear. They drank blood, moved swiftly, near-invisibly in shadow.

No wonder Noel thought himself capable. He likely was, more so than any of the rest of them.

Noel stood there, staring at me like he expected something from me. Perhaps this was the part where he thought I might call him a monster and threaten him to stay away from my family.

Instead, all I did was smirk. “Glad you are on our side,” I said.

He blinked, seemingly startled by my reaction.

“You… don’t care?” he asked.

“Not really, no. And I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that Cara won’t either. You should tell her.”

He looked down. “Maybe.”

I wouldn’t press him on that, it was his secret to tell. But I did tell him, “Thank you, by the way, for being such a good friend to her.”

He lifted his head, surprised again.

“You were there for Cara when I couldn’t be,” I said. “And I will be permanently indebted to you for that.”

“I didn’t do it to incur a debt,” he said.

“I know,” I replied. “That’s why I need to be sure I pay it back. You are a good guy, Noel. Werewolf, vampire, whatever.”

We weren’t friends. Maybe we never would be. But I could still see Noel as a dear friend of Cara’s and as such, he deserved respect.

I might have won the battle for Cara’s romantic love, but her heart was big enough to feel friendly affection for Noel too. I would never try to stop that.

Noel nodded curtly, then turned away. I didn’t follow him anymore, just watched as he walked to the door and disappeared out of it.

When he was gone, I returned outside. Aidan and Ryan had returned to the sparring, but Colin stayed out of it. I stopped next to Colin, observing the show. The twins were falling all over themselves trying to impress the Claw sisters, who seemed somewhat bemused by their antics.

The clumsy flirtations were amusing, but I could tell there was something Colin wanted to talk about. So I waited for him to speak.

“Snooping won’t be enough to bring down Lilia,” Colin said. “It doesn’t matter what Noel finds. He could find a smoking gun in that room, but Lilia will still find a way to weasel herself out of the blame.”

I feared that scenario as well. After all, until this point, Lilia had been practically an expert at dodging blame. She attached herself to others, made herself seem weak and a victim. Then she manipulated them into doing her bidding.

The Auburn brothers knew, she’d manipulated them first, then me, then George, then the elders before they were disgraced, and now the head commissioner. She was a professional at avoiding consequence and accountability.

“There has to be some way to bring her down,” Colin said.

“There is,” Cara said, coming closer to us. Her wolf must be growing stronger if she was able to hear our conversation while standing so near the others.

“You know a way?” Colin asked.

“Of course,” she said with a shrug. She seemed so confident in this moment, so sure, that it was difficult not to believe her.

I loved her at all times, but it was moments like these, where she could be her true, confident self that sent my heart kicking into overdrive.

Cara was nothing like Lilia. She was honest and straightforward, her heart so full of love that it seemed to bust out of every pore. Even as she looked at me now, I could see her open affection there.

She smiled. “I’m going to beat her in the ring and win the competition.”

While I returned Cara’s smile, Colin frowned. “Will even that be enough?”

“She came here to win, didn’t she?” Cara replied. “I’m sure you all have some plan to cut the commissioner out of this right? So leave her to me. Without his help, she will struggle. She doesn’t have the strength to win many fights.”

While I appreciated Cara’s confidence and loved seeing her so bright, I felt it necessary to give a warning, “Be careful not to underestimate her. Even without the commissioner, she likely has backup plans. Don’t forget how meticulous she can be, and how vicious.”

Cara’s smile dimmed. “I haven’t forgotten all that she’s done. And I won’t underestimate her. I know she will try to cheat. But… because of the things she’s done, I’m ready to face her in the ring. I want to personally take her down. You guys can understand, right?”

Colin and I glanced at each other.

I could see some of my own worry in his face, but we both held back, wanting to support Cara.

“Why don’t we keep training some more,” I said. “I’ll show you a few more moves that will really throw her off-balance.”

“Great!” Cara said and followed me out to the grassy patch.

As we tussled on the grass, I could see just how fast Cara was learning, and how quickly Lucy was regaining her strength.

I was so proud of Cara. Maybe she would have a shot at the revenge she wanted after all.

And then, after that…

Well, once Lilia was dealt with and the contest was over…

Now that Cara’s life wasn’t in danger with the disease…

Maybe she’d consider being my mate again.