Chapter 108

[Third-Person’s POV]

Alexander truly felt, for the first time in many, many months, a free man. Nothing was holding him back.

To the people he cared about, he was no longer living under any sort of guise. He was his true self. Within the walls of his own home, he could finally walk and be seen without the mask.

He noticed the way Evelyn reacted to hearing the full story as to why he needed to keep himself hidden, her features were drawn. Her gaze had clouded over with severe puzzlement. Of course, she was saddened by the fact that he had waited so long to tell her the truth.

Although Evelyn seemed understanding enough, there was no mistaking the dismay in her expression.

Having experienced one of the best nights in his life, Alexander was quickly finding that he wanted more. More of the two of them together. More of her.

Once he’d gotten a taste of her arousal, there was no chance that he was willing to let that go. Seeing Evelyn in such a wanton state would forever be branded on the inside of his head like a sweet, tantalizing reminder of their first moment.

He refrained from reimagining the soft, keening sounds she’d made at the risk of giving himself a hard-on. This was hardly the time or the place.

After he and Evelyn finished breakfast, he’d told her was going to head to the office to finish up some work and that they would meet up later on. However, Alexander bypassed the office and continued to make his way down the furthest corridor of the manor.

It wasn’t a lie per se. He had every intention of finishing up a few documents later on. But at that moment, there was something that desperately needed his attention. Something Evelyn did not need to be a part of.

He came upon a steel door with a large padlock on it. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the key and opened the door. A long, winding staircase brought him down to the lower levels of the estate that not many knew existed.

Certainly not Evelyn.

It was dark, unseemly, and very very grizzling.

There were no windows so the only light the place ever saw was from the wooden torches that were occasionally lit wherever Alexander had to hold someone captive.

It truly wasn’t often that such a place was ever used. However, certain recent circumstances left Alexander with very little choice.

He made it to the last door at the end of the corridor and unlatched the massive metal lock. Inside, was a very disgruntled and badly beaten up Michael.

When Alexander stepped into the holding cell, his Stepbrother turned to glance over his shoulder. He snarled and spat.

“And here I thought I’d been hallucinating,” he bit out. “Of course, you’d found a way to get out of having to live in a wheelchair for the rest of your life.”

Alexander raised a brow. “I’ve got some breaking news for you, I was never paralyzed to begin with,” he said.

Michael gave him an incredulous look. “So, what? You chose to live like a sorry cripple for months?”

“Precisely. It was enough to fool everyone, especially the person behind the car crash.”

This time, he watched his Stepbrother physically go stiff.

Micael appeared greatly uncomfortable. “I hope you realize that the second I get out of here, I’m going straight to the King and have tried for wrongful imprisonment.”

Alexander practically broke out in a fit of laughter. Was he being serious? Did he really believe that in that psychotic mindset he had done no wrong?

He lowered himself down to his haunches and stared at Michael with a menacing glare.

“Oh, believe me, I have every intention of handing you over to the King,” he said.

Michael scoffed. “Oh, for what exactly? Because I became overwhelmed by the effects of an aphrodisiac that your wife consumed?”

Alexander sent the back of his hand flying through the air, snapping across the side of Michael’s face.

“No, asshole!” he shouted. “However, given what you tried to do to my wife, perhaps I ought to reconsider my plan and just keep you locked up here till I watch the life drain from your eyes.”

He stood up and slowly began pacing the small confines of the cell.

“I have to ask, when you were brought here, did you even begin to reflect on the various possibilities as to why you’re stuck here?” he asked.

Michael said nothing. He barely so much as even glanced at Alexander as a response.

“Ah, yes. I didn’t think so,” he muttered. “You see, Michael. You’re whole life—well, as long as the two of us have been acquainted, you’ve never owned up to your mistakes or your failures. You’ve always found excuses to use, never staying around long enough to see the damage that you’ve caused.”

A lot of the anger he was dealing with was for Evelyn. There was no telling how long it was going to take for her to accept and work past the trauma Michael had caused. Alexander would never forget or forgive the pain that was shown in her eyes this morning.

“What were you hoping to gain when you spoke to some of my soldiers?” he questioned. “Did you think that any of them would leave a pack that ensures them financial and livable stability for a fucking flight case like you?”

“We both know that the title of Alpha should be mine!” he snapped.

Alexander slowly shook his head. “You’ve never shown or given me a single reason as to why any of it should belong to you. And somehow I think deep down, you feel the same way. Being the Alpha of a family and a pack is not a gift. It’s a major responsibility, the weight alone is unbearable at times. It’s a position in which mistakes are not allowed to be made. It’s never just your own life that you’d be putting at risk but dozens, even hundreds of others.”

“Everything always came so easy to you,” Michael said angrily.

“No, it didn’t. You were just so wrapped up in your own misgivings that you never saw how hard I fought for everything I have!” he countered. “Honestly, I blame Caroline for a lot of your shit behavior. She’s done nothing but fill your head with these ridiculous thoughts for years. You’re just an extension of her.”

“That’s not true.”

“Oh, isn’t it?” he asked dubiously. “Tell me, whose idea was it to have the break lines cut out and all the inner communicators out of the car that day, huh?”

Michael’s eyes widened. His mouth parted in fearful shock. Alexander merely sneered.

“You wanna know what I think? I think it was Caroline who could have very well put you up to it all.”

“You have no proof! No one is going to believe anything you say,” he said.

A devilish smile curled his mouth. “That’s where you’re wrong, Michael. Not only do I have physical evidence of your apparent involvement in my murder attempt but I even have two witnesses that would be willing to attest to your actions as well.”

For the first time, probably in his life, Michael looked genuinely panicked about the consequences he was going to face.