Chapter 26
His Threats
Alexa
“You ignored me when the debt collectors dragged me away. You sent Harlow to save me by himself,” I say.
“Why?” The words tumble out in one sharp breath. “Were you scared a single hair on your precious head would get messed up because of me?”
“It wasn’t like that.” Gabriel’s voice stays low, measured.
“Alpha Alastair had that place locked down tight. Harlow was the only one skilled enough to find a hidden way into Blood Moon territory. If I’d gone in myself, the guards would’ve sounded the alarm the second they spotted me. It could’ve led to a war.”
“And yesterday?” I press on. “You spread a bounty across the entire land to hunt me down. Don’t deny it. I saw the announcement with my own eyes.” I lift my finger between us, stopping him just as he’s about to speak.
“Alexa, sweetheart,” he says, softer now, “I’ve been looking for you for all these years. The Moon Goddess told Mrs. Geeny I’d find you this week if I gave it everything I had.”
“Don’t call me sweetheart,” I snap.
“Alright. I’m sorry.” He lifts both hands slowly.
I expect him to dodge the truth, to lie, to beg, to drown me in hollow promises. Instead, he looks straight at me, no flinching.
“It’s all true,” he says calmly. “And I don’t have another excuse.”
“What?” I flinch, my brows pulling tight.
“Fine. I’ll say it.” He takes my trembling hand and holds it. “You know how Lorraine’s chased me since we were kids. One night we got drunk, and it led to what it led to. After that, things got complicated. I started caring about her. The same way I care about you.”
My mouth falls open. His confession cuts deeper than I expect, salt ground straight into an open wound. I try to pull away, but his grip tightens. Then he pulls me into his chest.
“I’m sorry, but I love you both. There’s no rule against an Alpha having a mistress. I figured you wouldn’t mind.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. Of course. An Alpha can take mistresses if he wants. One or two extra women, so long as his Luna stays quiet.
And the Luna can refuse, sure. But with Lorraine standing there, stronger, louder, more relentless, the ending is obvious. I would leave Silver Moon. I would always lose to her. Blood sister or not, I refuse to accept it.
“That’s why I rejected you.” I shove both hands against his chest.
“No,” he says firmly. “I won’t accept that. I want you as my Luna. I want you beside me on Silver Moon’s throne.” His arms tighten around me, crushing the air from my lungs.
“If all you want is a strong pureblood Alpha heiress, you could marry someone else from another pack,” I scoff. “Someone stronger than me.” My gaze sharpens. “Besides, weren’t you hunting me down to capture me? The elders don’t seem thrilled about me losing control of my wolf.”
Gabriel shakes his head. His hands slide to my arms, gripping tight. He lowers his head, breathing heavier now, eyes damp as they meet mine.
“No. The elders are afraid. Mrs. Gertrude keeps telling them you hurt Lorraine. But I never meant to capture you. I never meant to hurt you.” His voice falters.
“Then what?”
“My plan was to bring you in like they wanted,” he admits quietly. “Then I would protect you. I wanted to convince them you were meant to be our Luna.” He exhales slowly.
“You’re not serious,” I frown.
“I swear on the Moon Goddess,” he says, steady now. “I never had bad intentions toward you.”
For one dangerous second, I almost believe him. Almost. Then I remember how easily he hid Lorraine from me. How practiced his lies were.
“Alexa, I need you,” he says urgently. “The world’s slipping into chaos. The Dark Lord’s power is growing. Just yesterday I fought a monster and barely survived.”
My body stiffens. “A monster?”
“Yes. It even helped Alpha Romero during the fight. I’m sure dark magic was involved.” His words tightens something in my chest.
“That’s why I need you,” he continues. “You can’t just join another pack. It’s too risky. Even if you can’t control your wolf yet, I believe you can learn. I’ll train you.”
He looks desperate now. His hands clench around my arms. His voice shakes, proving to me that he’s a selfish man cornered by fear.
“Did I hear that right?” My jaw slackens. He still doesn’t realize the truth.
“Listen to me, Alexa.” He leans closer, eyes locked on mine. “Your bloodline will protect Silver Moon. Your wolf will match mine once you master it. This isn’t just love anymore. It’s duty. Responsibility. To our people. To the Moon Goddess.”
“So you want our marriage to be a deal,” I say quietly.
“No.” His hands rise to my face. “I care about you. I love you. I’ll protect you. Mrs. Geeny says you’re destined to be the Supreme Luna. Together, we’ll make Silver Moon stronger.”
His eyes burn with ambition now. Clear. Undeniable. I know exactly what he wants.
“No, Alpha Gabriel.” I shake my head. I grab his wrists, pull them away, and step back. “I won’t be your Luna. I don’t want that life anymore. I want to live free, without a pack, without chains.” I lift my chin, steady despite the ache in my chest.
“That’s all I want. So let me go. Let my friends go.”
He lets his hands drop from my arms. His gaze sharpens, his jaw tightening again. The sadness and bitterness in his eyes vanish, replaced by a cold, ruthless stare.
“You’ve changed,” he growls.
“So have you.” I meet his gaze, steady and unyielding.
“Then I won’t hold back either. If you refuse to be my Luna, I’ll kill Harlow, his friend, and whatever family you’ve got left.” His eyes flash as he says it.
“You won’t.” My brows knit together. “And who exactly are you calling my remaining family?”
“Mrs. Gertrude and Lorraine.”
I scoff. “Do whatever you want. I don’t give a damn about that evil stepmother or your mistress.”
“You still need their signatures for your inheritance. Mr. Pascoe made that clear.” A slow smile curves his lips, like he’s already won. “You really think you’ll be free once they’re gone? No. It works the other way around. If they die, you deal with the next heirs. And the next.”
My jaw tightens at the mention of my father’s lawyer. He knows why I’m here. He knows everything. Mrs. Geeny or Mr. Pascoe, one of them sold me out.
And damn it, he’s right. I can’t leave Silver Moon without every signature tied to my father’s estate.
The fastest path runs straight through Mrs. Gertrude and Lorraine.
I have to keep them alive. They wouldn’t dare refuse.
Mr. Pascoe will never give them a penny if they don’t cooperate with the transfer.
The last time I tried to transfer the assets, they trapped me in an auction. This time, I won’t fall for the same trap. And with the way Gabriel is watching over me like this, he’s unlikely to let the transfer fail.
“Then if I become your Luna, Alpha Alastair will demand a million dollars,” I say evenly. “You’ve got a week. Are you paying my ransom or not?”
“Yes.” His answer comes too easily. “I can pay your debt. Or I can step aside and let him come for you himself.”
He takes a step closer, his voice low. “You need their signatures. You need money. And you need protection. Without me, you have none of it.”
A faint smile curves his lips. “So tell me, Alexa… what exactly are your options?”
“You ambitious prick,” I snarl through clenched teeth.
“Your call, Alexa. Stay here with me. Be my Luna. I’ll give you everything you need.” His smile hardens. “Or don’t.”
I can’t believe I ever trusted that smile. Can’t believe I missed what he really was underneath it. Just another selfish bastard with power and no mercy.
My heart sinks as his threat settles in. My eyes widen, my breath catching as I picture the way he plans to erase the people who matter to me.
“How dare he,” Mythril growls inside my mind.
“You can’t do this to me, Gabriel,” I say, stressing his name.
I strip him of the title. No Alpha. Just Gabriel. It’s a small thing, but I cling to it, hoping it might pull him back into the boy who once stood beside me, not the killer hiding behind authority.
I narrow my eyes. He doesn’t flinch. His jaw is tight, his glare locked on mine.
“Yes, I can,” he says, stepping closer. “I’m the Alpha.”
I scoff. “If being Alpha turns you into this, you should’ve failed the Alpha test back then.”
That snaps what little patience he has left. In the next second, his hand is around my throat. He slams me back against the window, my head hitting the glass. His fingers dig into my skin, cutting off my air.
He leans in, his face inches from mine. “Your two new friends are already locked up. Harlow worked for me, and you know defiance gets you killed. I can have the guards end him whenever I feel like it.”
His breath is hot against my skin. The grinding of his teeth, the crushing grip on my throat tell me he’s dead serious. Air deserts my lungs. Tears burn at the corners of my eyes.
“We can fight him, Alexa. Move,” Mythril urges.
But I don’t. I’ve learned to hold it back. Instead of rage, a crushing sadness floods me. Why does it still hurt like this? Why am I still weak to the scent of ferns and bergamot, the one I used to love?
Tears slide down my cheeks. For the first time, betrayal cuts all the way through me. The boy who once protected me, the friend I trusted more than anyone, stands here ready to destroy everything I care about.
Where is the Gabriel Scott who grew up beside me? Where is the man I thought was meant to be my mate?
The weight of it drags me under. I bite my lower lip. My tears drip onto his rough fingers.
“Why are you crying?” His grip loosens, his brow creasing.
I cough as air rushes back into my lungs. My breathing comes out jagged, my chest pounding. He reaches up to wipe my tears, the same way he’s done since we were kids.
“Don’t touch me.” I slap his hand away.
His gaze turns ice cold. He’s changed. So have I. The innocent seventeen-year-old boy is gone, replaced by someone hard and unrecognizable. Maybe this is what growing up really means.
“You’ve gone too far,” I say through my sobs, my body shaking.
My knees nearly give out, but I force myself upright. I stand my ground, staring him down. Our eyes lock. Our breaths mix. The sound of my crying fills the space between us.
Our wolves hurting, torn apart by what should have been. A bond built since childhood, shattered by lust and ambition.
“I don’t care, Alexa,” he growls. “You’re mine. My mate. My Luna.”
“I refuse.” I lift my chin.
Something flickers in his hazel eyes. Rage tangled with sorrow.
“Fine,” he says coldly. “Then you’ll rot in a cell with your friends. Maybe you’ll rethink it when you watch them die one by one.”
The door opens moments later. Guards flood the room, surrounding me. He must’ve given the order through the mind link. Two of them grab my arms, wrenching them behind my back. Two more take position in front of me and behind me.
I could fight them, but I don’t. Harlow and Jack are still locked up. Gabriel could have them hurt at any second with his mind link. I won’t risk it. The guards drag me away, toward the prison waiting below Silver Moon.
The jingle of keys echoes at the prison entrance as they lead me down a dark corridor. The stench of damp stone, urine, and old blood blends into a suffocating mix that burns my nose. It drags me straight back to Alpha Alastair’s dungeon.
I wrinkle my nose at the filth and the shadows, but swallow every protest. The iron bars here are coated in wolfsbane. Even breathing it in weakens a werewolf, leaves them dizzy and drained. A few hours of exposure is enough to strip a prisoner of any real defense.
With dried tears stiff on my cheeks, the guards push me deeper into the prison. Then a familiar scent cuts through the rot. Mint and pine. Harlow. He jolts to his feet the moment he sees me.
“Alexa?” His eyes track me as I turn toward him, disbelief written all over his face.
“It’s okay. I’m fine,” I tell him through the mind link.
“Alexa? Damn it.” Jack’s voice bursts out from the cell beside mine. “The Alpha locked you up too? We’re screwed.”
The guards shove me into my cell. At least this time mercy is granted. I’m directly across from Harlow. A narrow corridor separates us, iron bars on both sides, but we can see each other.
The lock snaps shut with a heavy metallic click. The guards walk off, ignoring the muffled pleas rising from other cells. Once their footsteps fade, the prison settles back into its uneasy quiet. A few prisoners start snoring again. Harlow and I just stare at each other.
“Alexa, what happened?” he asks softly from across the corridor.
His voice echoes down the hall, and Jack cuts in right after, panic sharp in his tone. “Yeah, what happened? Is Gabriel really gonna kill us?”
“Shut it,” someone snarls from another cell. “Close your mouth before I shut it for you.”
“Go ahead,” Jack snaps back. “You’re locked up too, remember?”
“That’s enough,” another prisoner grumbles from somewhere in the dark. “We all want sleep. Tomorrow’s gonna be hell, and we’ll need our strength.”
I inhale slowly, letting the noise die down. Not wanting more trouble, I sit cross-legged on the cold floor, facing Harlow. He leans back against the wall, eyes never leaving me.
“We should stay quiet,” I tell him through the link.
“Yeah. At least I can see you.” His gaze sharpens. “Tell me what Gabriel said to you.”
I hesitate. His stare presses in, dark eyes intense, brows drawn tight. I don’t want to drag this out.
“He wants me to be his Luna. He believes Mrs. Geeny that I’m the Supreme Luna.” My teeth catch my lower lip as the words pass between us.
“Did he threaten you if you said no?”
I nod.
Harlow lets out a quiet scoff. “Typical. He never changes. What did he threaten?”
This time, I go still. My jaw tightens. I’m not sure I should say it. Harlow waits, patient but unyielding. “He said he’d kill you, Jack, Mrs. Gertrude, and Lorraine. What should I do?”
Harlow’s eyes widen. He closes them, his brows knitting as his head dips forward. He thinks in silence, weighing the paths left to us. I curl in on myself, arms wrapped tight, the cold seeping in.
Then his voice reaches me through the link, steady and certain.
“Accept him.”