Chapter 17
Comrades
Gabriel
My legs move uncontrollably. The sound of my jittering feet echoes like my grandmother’s sewing machine, constant and fast. Time and time again, I have to unclench my fists to relax and think about what will happen to my future.
A year in isolation? No longer being an Alpha? Even Alexa has left me. Nothing remains except that treacherous bitch. How could she still cling to me like a mold latching onto a tree?
Someone knocks on my door. I’m not expecting any guests, so the sound of my servant’s voice instantly ignites my anger. I snap at the old servant. But when I see the man who barges into my room, I shut my damn mouth.
“Come on, you’re too harsh on him.”
I snort at Alpha Alastair’s comment. “What do you want? Didn’t you say you wanted to go back to Blood Moon?” I ask.
“I’ve been around the Silver Moon territory. I must say, I see a lot of potential here.” Alastair smirks, and I hate seeing his smile.
“Yeah, if you’re done, get out,” I snap at him.
“I just want to know what a rejection ritual feels like.” Alpha Alastair steps farther into my room. The soles of his shoes are covered in dirt, staining my Persian carpet.
I stand up with a stomp, impatient to face him. My body towers before him, my chest puffed out and jaw clenched. I shove his chest, but he moves faster. He grabs my wrist and twists it.
A groan of pain escapes me. The slam is inevitable. The next second, I’m pinned to the floor, my chest and chin hitting the carpet hard.
“Are you insane?” I roar.
“You’re the insane one. In front of everyone, you act as if you’ve changed into some soft-hearted man, but in reality, you’re still the same arrogant bastard.” Alpha Alastair growls with a cruel laugh.
“Let me go! Damn it!” I struggle on the floor, but Alpha Alastair refuses to release me.
“Listen, you’re no longer an Alpha. I can kill you anytime, and no one will care about you. So, what do you say? Should I end your suffering now?” he asks, his heavy knee pressing against my back.
“Damn you! You said that with the sacrifice ritual, I would become stronger. You lied to me.” I fight with all my might to rise.
The burly man only laughs. His tongue clicks, fueling my rage, but I’m powerless against his strength. He used a forbidden ritual, but I didn’t realize his power had increased this much.
“I already told you, didn’t I? The sacrifice ritual only works for those who have the guts. The quality of the sacrifice also matters. But you? You tried it with a useless weak rogue.” He scoffs.
I lie still on the floor, no longer resisting his words. He’s right. I don’t have the guts he has to use such a dangerous ritual. As tempting as that power is, I can’t take the lives of Silver Moon Pack members just to get a decent sacrifice.
“So, what now? You want to make me your next sacrifice?” I ask.
“That’s a good idea. Considering how useless you are, it’s a waste of air for you to keep breathing.” Sharp claws scratch the nape of my neck. “A weakling like you took Alexa’s virginity? That’s an insult to me.”
“Are you crazy? That happened years ago, and you’re still bringing it up? It wasn’t even that enjoyable back then!” I laugh, but Alpha Alastair cuts it short with a rough grip around my throat.
“Watch your filthy mouth. I have to go through all these troubles because of you. If only you hadn’t taken Alexa’s virginity. If only you hadn’t ordered Harlow to save her, I would’ve married her by now.” Alpha Alastair growls through gritted teeth.
Is this the end? Damn it. Am I this weak against Alpha Alastair?
I can smell death nearby. His warm breath terrorizes me from behind my neck as if I’m his prey.
“Excuse me, Master Gabriel.” The old servant’s voice comes again, followed by three heavy knocks against the door. “Mr. Darius is here to see you.”
The man behind me stands up and finally releases me. I scramble to my feet from the floor, gripping the collar of my shirt while my other hand wipes the dirt from my face. Damn that motherfucker.
With all my strength, I force myself to speak. Sweat drenches my forehead, and my throat still burns from his grip. Damn it. I swallow hard, trying to steady myself. “Let him in!”
“What a shame our little meeting got interrupted.” Alpha Alastair growls before the door opens. “Next time we meet, it’ll probably be at your funeral.”
The servant and Mr. Darius visibly tense when Alpha Alastair walks past them. Fear flashes across their faces as his heavy aura sweeps through the room. Only after he disappears down the hallway does the suffocating pressure finally ease.
Mr. Darius quickly rushes inside. “What the hell happened?” the bald, stocky man asks, panic creeping into his voice. “Why did Alpha Alastair look so pissed off?”
“Nothing.” I force out a dry scoff. “Just a petty argument between Alphas.”
I flash him a relaxed smile as if Alpha Alastair hadn’t nearly killed me seconds ago. Meanwhile, my hands stay busy fixing my wrinkled collar, straightening the fabric to hide how badly they’re shaking.
“Oh, really?” My uncle narrows his eyes at me, clearly unconvinced.
“Yeah. Seriously.” I nod once before turning toward my open wardrobe. “So, what can I help you with, Uncle?”
I let out a slow breath the moment my back faces him. My hands return to packing clothes into the large suitcase sitting open on the bed. I had stopped halfway through earlier when terrible thoughts took over my damn head.
“You’re packing already?” he asks sharply. “You’re really gonna accept this punishment?”
“What else am I supposed to do?” I shrug while shoving another shirt into the suitcase.
“At the very least, you could fight back.” His voice rises immediately.
“You should’ve dragged that damned Harlow down with you.
That bastard used to be a servant in this house!
I don’t care if he’s some Alpha heir now.
He used to polish my damn shoes. How am I supposed to hold my head up if he becomes Alpha? ”
“So what?” I point at myself with irritation building in my chest. “You were part of the elders’ meeting that decided my punishment. Not me.”
“I was outnumbered!” Mr. Darius snaps. “Pascoe went in there telling everyone some tragic little story about Harlow, and suddenly the whole room started siding with him.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.” I slam a folded pair of pants into the suitcase harder than necessary. “The punishment’s already announced. The DNA test is done. Harlow’s getting the title.” The words leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
“That damned omega is lucky as hell,” I mutter. “Doesn’t matter that he’s illegitimate. People still line up behind him.” My hands grip the sides of the suitcase tightly, trying to steady my breathing before my anger explodes again.
Mr. Darius suddenly falls quiet. His fingers rub slowly along his chin while he mutters under his breath, thinking. Then his eyes widen.
“Yes! Yeah, that’s it.” He snaps his fingers excitedly. “You’re right. The pack may support him now, but he’s still a bastard child. No matter what Romero says, that stain on his name will always make people hesitate.”
“But the pack’s desperate,” I say flatly. “We need an Alpha to lead the pack. And even if we hold the Alpha trial again, nobody here can beat Harlow.”
“That’s exactly why we use Alexa.”
I pause.
My uncle steps closer, his voice lowering into something sharp and calculating.
“You said Alpha Romero and Alpha Alastair are both her mates too, right? And Alexa’s supposed to become the Supreme Luna who unites the packs.
” His grin slowly stretches wider. “The man standing beside a woman like that can’t just be anybody.
He can’t be Harlow.” I stare at him while the idea takes shape.
“Harlow might be a Lycan,” he continues, “but that doesn’t mean he can defeat Romero or Alastair. So, what happens if those monsters turn on each other instead?”
The room goes quiet. And damn it… he has a point. Romero might admit him as his brother, but surely he won’t let Alexa go just like that. He’s obsessed with the true mate concept after all. If he has a chance to get Alexa, he won’t waste it.
Alpha Alastair is insane, but powerful. Strong enough to crush Harlow if things play out correctly. If I hand him the perfect opportunity, maybe he’ll spare me afterward. Maybe he’ll finally let me walk away alive.
Slowly, I close the suitcase with a loud thud. “Uncle,” I murmur, a grin finally pulling at my lips, “sometimes you really are a genius.”
He smirks back at me.
“Gather the elders,” I tell him. “Push them however you have to. I’ll contact Alpha Alastair and prepare him for a fight against Harlow.”
The fire inside my chest burns again. Hotter this time. Sharper. It isn’t over yet. Not even close. This war is still moving beneath the surface, and I refuse to end up as the loser while Harlow walks away with everything that should’ve been mine.
I will never let Alexa and Harlow destroy me.