Chapter 201

LUCAS POV

The revelation hung in the air, a horrible truth that bound Shana's destiny with the desires of a power-hungry father.

The Alpha King—the highest authority in the werewolf hierarchy—now knew of Shana's existence, a secret that had been carefully guarded until my father's calculated interference.

"The Alpha King?" I blurted out, my mind racing to comprehend how this was even possible.

It was incredibly difficult for alphas to get in touch with the Alpha King, and here my father claimed to have made contact with him. There was no way he was actually telling the truth.

"Yes, the Alpha King," my father repeated with an eye roll. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"How did you manage to get ahold of the Alpha King? Isn't he impossible to—"

"Lucas, don't ask me stupid questions." My father leaned back in his seat, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "I have my ways, and when I want something done, I get it done."

I did an internal eye roll. It was annoying that he was telling the truth. My father could probably get anything he ever wanted.

However, my annoyance quickly morphed into frustration at what he had done.

Shana's true identity was exposed, and now, more problems were thrust at her. I had no idea what the Alpha King would do with this kind of information.

It wasn't something that normally happened. Would he want to see her? Study her like some kind of experiment? Was she in danger? Was her life about to drastically change?

Whatever the consequences would be, I knew that an unwanted spotlight had just been lit upon her. There was no way to reverse the damage that had been done.

This was the last thing she needed in the midst of coping with her father's death.

"Why would you do that?" I demanded, my voice laced with frustration. "We're handling this privately. We don't need interference. This is going to complicate things for her."

Kendrick leaned back, an air of smug satisfaction surrounding him. "You need the support of the Alpha King, Lucas. With his approval, our plans will move forward smoothly. He understands the significance of the White Wolf."

I clenched my fists, frustration boiling over into anger. "It wasn't your business to tell!"

"Don't you understand? We need the Alpha King on our side. It's better he finds this out now, before the rest of the world does. This will favor us in the near future." My father didn't look the least bit concerned. "We need the King's trust."

"Stop saying 'we' as if you're a part of anything involving me and Shana."

"Oh, but I am a part of you and Shana." My father's lips formed into a straight line. "Your business, is my business. Now that I've uncovered Shana's secret, I'm involved. Whether you like it or not."

"I won't let you manipulate Shana and drag her into your schemes. This is our lives, not yours to control."

My father's calculating gaze lingered on me, an unsettling certainty in his eyes. "As I said... when I want something, I get it. You can't do anything to prevent me from that."

The SUV hit a bump in the road and I lurched forward before straightening myself. It reflected the tumultuous road ahead that awaited.

"Why, Dad?" I erupted, frustration seeping into my voice. "Why would you do this? Shana doesn't need this right now."

Kendrick reclined in his seat, his expression cool and collected. "It's for your own good, Lucas. I'm thinking about your future. Now that you're with Shana, there's a lot she can offer you."

The audacity of his suggestion left me incredulous. "Offer me? Are you serious? You can't just use Shana like that."

My father's gaze flickered with impatience. "How am I using her? I simply want you to marry her. Make your relationship official."

"I'm not going to marry her just for your own benefit."

"Are you planning on breaking up with her?" he questioned.

"What?" My eyebrows shot up. "Of course not."

"Well then, what does it matter. You'll probably want to marry her someday. Better to get it over with now, Lucas. Just do it. It's for the best."

The absurdity of the situation struck me like a punchline, and despite the gravity of the circumstances, I found myself laughing—a disbelieving, bitter laughter that echoed through the confines of the SUV.

"You can't be serious," I scoffed. "I won't marry Shana just to use her. If I marry her, it's because I love her."

Kendrick rolled his eyes dismissively. "Love, schmove. It doesn't matter. Just get married, and we can move forward with our plans."

"Stop including me in your plans! This isn't a 'we' or 'our' situation. I don't want any part of this, and neither does Shana."

"There's not much you can do now that the Alpha King knows," my father argued. "You need my resources, and I'm not going to give them to you unless you accept that I'm involved now."

"You put us in this situation!" I shouted, feeling my blood boil. "You need to fix this now."

"Is that you accepting my involvement?" he asked, a small quirk to the corner of his mouth.

I opened my mouth to argue further, to assert my disapproval against his relentless control, when the SUV jolted to a sudden stop, propelling me forward.

"What the hell?" I muttered, my confusion mounting as I put a hand against the door to stop from hitting the seat in front of me.

Why did we stop, and where were we?

The door swung open abruptly. A body was flung into the car, and as the dust settled, the familiar features of Shana emerged.

Her eyes, wide with shock and uncertainty, met mine.

She looked just as confused as me, probably freaking out about what the hell was going on.

I felt a surge of protectiveness surge within me as I looked to my father.

"Tell your security to handle her gently, and not to throw her around like she's a ragdoll!" I shouted, clenching my fists tightly. "They're going to hurt her!"

"Yes, yes." My father waved me off like he was bored with me already. Shana had seemed to capture his full attention. "I'll let them know."

My father's decisions had not only thrust Shana into a perilous spotlight but had now physically ensnared her in his manipulative games.

Worry gnawed at me as I realized that Shana was about to find out the truth. I tried to communicate my sympathy through our gaze, but she was too frantic to pay attention.

Her eyes wandered around the SUV, no doubt trying to figure out what I was doing in this vehicle with my father. She probably wondered why she was now involved.

Actually, I had the same question... What was my father going to do with Shana?

The ominous weight of the situation pressed down on us.

"What did you do?" I snapped at my father, my anger reigniting. "Why is she here?"

My father merely smirked, reveling in the chaos he had created. "Isn't it obvious, Lucas? Now that you're both here, we can talk about the future."