Chapter 121

[Third-Person’s POV]

Alexander stared at his wife in utter shock.

At first, he seriously thought he’d misheard Evelyn’s request. Then again, it wasn’t much of a request as it was a forward demand. Her stance remained unwavering as she waited for him to hand over the key to the one place in the house that he never wanted her to enter.

“No,” he said.

Evelyn’s eyes widened but her look of surprise was much briefer than his. Her features hardened into a stern scowl.

“Give me the key, Alexander.”

“I said no,” he told her. “I do not want you going down there ever. It’s not safe.”

Everyone could sense that her anger was growing from his firm refusal. She took a solid step back from him and narrowed her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a defensive glare.

Evelyn was in a very vulnerable and sensitive state—anyone with a working pair of eyes could see that. Of course, she would be upset about this unexpected discovery. Alexander felt as though, perhaps, he should have been better prepared for the situation in an event like this.

He slowly and calmly lifted his hands up in a sign of defense. “Look, you’re not thinking clearly—

“Do not treat me like I’m some kind of a mental patient!” she fired back bitterly. “I’m telling you right now, my thoughts have never been more clear. It’s because of him that my brother has been fighting for his life.”

“And it’s because of you that he’s still alive,” he clarified. He let out a long deflated breath. “Tell me exactly what’s going to happen if I hand over this key. Hm?”

Evelyn bit back a spiteful sneer at his backhanded assumption.

“I’m not planning on attacking Michael with one of the multitude of lethal instruments that are sitting down there, alright? What I intend to do is simply confront him about this whole matter,” she explained.

Alright. To be fair, Evelyn had briefly considered taking at least one of the weapons off the wall and chucking it at Michael out of sheer anger. The man deserved nothing less.

For months her brother had been fighting for his life and she had been trying to do everything in her power to help him get better. Despite all the trials, obstacles, and manipulative family members, she was determined to see the day when Edward would open his eyes and be back in her life.

She refused to let any more tears fall because of Michael. The amount of trauma and damage he’d inflicted on her life was too astounding to ignore.

“He deserves to know the damage that has come from his actions to the fullest extent!” she said. “He needs to be made aware that all actions have consequences and that what he’s done needs to be accounted for. No, Alexander, I don’t intend on bludgeoning him with something sharp. What I’m going to do is verbally rip him apart and make him wish that I had used one of those many knives that are hanging on the wall.”

It was physically impossible for Oliver’s eyes to get any larger. Whereas, Alexander, on the other hand, was far too aroused by his Luna’s hidden dark side. He knew she was fiercely protective when it came to the people and things she cared about—but he never would have thought she would resort to physical violence.

It made him seriously consider having her set up for training lessons with a few of his soldiers. She had the drive for it, there was no doubt of that. All the more, she had a point when she was speaking of Michael’s misdeeds.

“Okay,” he muttered. “I will hand you the key on two conditions.”

Evelyn hadn’t tried to argue and waited for him to state his stipulations.

“One. You are not to enter Michael’s cell,” he told her.

“I wasn't planning on it,” she said tightly.

This time, he narrowed his eyes at her sudden assertive tone. “Two. I plan on being present while this conversation happens.”

Evelyn raised a brow and gave a look that spurred on a new argument, but Alexander was quick to defuse the tension.

“I will keep out of sight, but I need to be there in case he tries to pull something.”

She gave a long, somber glare before nodding her head in agreement with his terms. Without another wasted moment, Alexander reached into his pocket and took out an aged-looking key. He placed it in Evelyn’s hand and watched her turn to leave his office.

“Sir, with all due respect to the two of you...Are you sure about this?” Oliver asked.

Alexander let out a sigh. “Honestly? Not really. I know that she’s deeply upset and angry. She had every right to be.”

“From what I’ve gathered since the moment I first met her, Evelyn has never been a confrontational person.”

The Alpha nodded in turn. “I know. Her family life has not been easy and she's so much as told me that she’s done nothing but only ever suppress her feelings.”

Oliver wore a worried look. “All those years of having to deal with Isabella for a Stepmother and Samantha for a Stepsister—I’m, quite frankly, amazed that the woman hasn’t snapped sooner.”

Alexander snorted. “Evelyn is fully capable of expressing herself in that sense. Don’t you recall that day at the market?”

Ah, yes. How could I forget?

Alexander grimaced at the thought and swiftly shook it off.

“Evelyn may have gone off back then, but we can all admit that it was an emotional sort of rage. And it was pretty much pertaining just to herself. This particular kind of rage is on the borderline of murderous. In other words, there is no telling how this altercation between her and Michael is going to turn out.”

He had a point. Even though Evelyn had, essentially, promised to not go anywhere near the lock of Michael’s cell, his Stepbrother possessed the ability to sneak his way under people’s skin.

He’d either try to smooth talk his way into making Evelyn think differently or worse, he’d end up pissing her off so much that she would open the lock and punch him out. Alexander didn't wait for his heart to drop into his stomach.

He took off after Evelyn, not wanting to let a potential disaster take place.

[Evelyn’s POV]

I hadn’t ever anticipated that I would find myself making my way down these same unsightly steps again. To smell the same musky, stale air that once made me queasy and agitated.

It was easy to recall all the unsettling emotions that I felt when I first came upon this place. Above all else, I was afraid.

Not anymore.

Every step and move I took was backed with vicious, biting anger that I had never fully experienced. By the time I reached the bottom landing, I knew to reach for the pack of matches I stumbled upon before.

Only this time, I began to light each torch that hung above me. As the dark shadows began to evaporate, I made my way down the long hallway.

I glanced to my right and left, searching each cell to find them all empty. I pushed aside the unnerving thought that this house had so many holding cells. Nor did I want to think of there ever being a time when they were all full...

Alexander must have placed Michael in the last one.

I was no more than a few feet away—to the point in which I could hear Michael breathing. I curled my hand into a tight fist and approached the thick bars of the cell.

I made sure that my voice was devoid of all emotion. “Hello, Michael.”