Chapter 117: The difference between you and me

Dorian stood motionless beside the windows, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. He stared out into the horizon, watching the storm clouds gather in the distance.

The Winter Solstice was drawing close, so the storms were getting more frequent. But it couldn’t be compared to the storm brewing inside him now.

Behind him, Jake remained silent since he entered the study. The silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock in the corner.

After what felt like an eternity, Dorian finally turned around. His features were carved from stone, devoid of warmth. He studied his beta in silence before speaking.

"I am not going to pretend you didn’t hear every single word spoken down in the Conclave. I just want you to swear to me that what was revealed down there stays strictly between us."

Jake lifted his head, his eyes burning with a mix of conflicting emotions. "You know my loyalty lies with you, Alpha. And with the Luna, no matter what."

Dorian arched a brow and waited. When Jake remained silent, he prompted, "But?"

Jake let out a slow breath, carefully weighing his next words. "I don’t know if I can live with the fact that our Luna is a Hybrid. I will continue to serve and protect her, but I don’t know if I can ever look at her the same way again."

"She is the same girl I met in Iridian years ago," Dorian stated, his harsh tone softening into something far more fierce, far more emotional. "She hasn’t changed. The fact that she carries Hybrid blood changes nothing."

"It changes everything," Jake argued. "You know what the Hybrids did to our people during the last war. Alec and I lost both of our parents. Anthony lost his entire family. You lost your mother."

"You don’t need to remind me of the past!" Dorian snapped. "I know every blood-soaked detail of what happened."

"Do you?" Jake countered. "I don’t mean to cross a line, Alpha, but it seems to me like you are completely blinding yourself to everything we fought and bled for. We wiped out the Hybrids and the Onyx years ago to win that war. But we lost almost everything in the process. Half our kingdom is still broken from that loss."

"Alyssa wasn’t even alive when that war took place." Dorian snarled, taking a threatening step forward. "She knows nothing of the Hybrids or what they did. We cannot loathe her for sins committed decades before she was even born."

"I know that. And I don’t hate her!" Jake yelled back. "But what about Anthony? What about Alec? What about every single subject in Wintercrest who buried a child, a parent, or a mate because of what her kind did? How do you think they will react when they discover their Luna is a Hybrid?"

Dorian’s jaw worked furiously, a thick vein pulsing along his neck. His knuckles turned white, fists clenched hard. He itched to smash something, to release the rage and frustration building in his chest. Because deep down, he knew Jake was right.

Wintercrest wouldn’t care that Alyssa was innocent. Shifters were driven by fear, instinct, and trauma. The second the truth of her bloodline slipped out, the entire realm would turn against her.

"They won’t find out," he stated flatly. "I am prepared to take this secret to my grave if I have to."

Jake stared at him in disbelief, shaking his head slowly. "A secret like that cannot remain buried forever, Alpha. You saw what happened in Ashgard, how her powers are fighting to awaken. When it does..."

"When it does," Dorian cut in sharply. "I will be right there to protect her. I am willing to risk everything to keep her safe."

"And will you risk the kingdom too?" Jake challenged desperately. "Will you risk the lives of everyone, all for her?"

"I will," Dorian answered without hesitation.

Jake stepped back as if he had been struck. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me, Jake," Dorian said, stepping closer until he towered over his beta. "I will let this entire realm burn to ash if it means keeping Alyssa safe. If it means protecting her from the monsters who would come for her. Nothing in this world is more important than her. Nothing!"

​"What about..."

"Tell me something, Jake," Dorian coldly cut him off again. "If you had to make a choice between saving Henna or saving the rest of the world, who would you choose?"

"That is not a fair comparison."

"Life isn’t fucking fair!" Dorian barked. "Answer the question!"

"I... I don’t know," Jake groaned in frustration, running a hand over his face. "I don’t know who I would choose. Henna is my entire world, but is her life worth more than the survival of the entire realm?"

Dorian’s lips curled into a cold, almost terrifying smile. "So you would willingly sacrifice your own mate to save the kingdom?"

"Maybe I would!" Jake yelled, his eyes burning with raw pain. "Because in a life-or-death situation where the survival of millions outweighs the life of one person, her sacrifice would be worth more than her life."

Dorian slowly straightened, his features smoothing back over into a cold, unreadable mask.

"That’s the difference between you and me," he muttered. "You would sacrifice your mate to save the world. I will watch the entire world burn as long as Alyssa breathes."

The fierce devotion in his eyes terrified Jake. For a long time, he couldn’t form a single word. His mouth opened and closed helplessly, paralyzed by the realization of what his Alpha had become.

Slowly, he looked away. "You’re in love with her," he murmured. "You love her to the point of obsession, to the point that you will gladly sacrifice every living soul in this realm for her. And you don’t even see it."

Dorian abruptly turned away so Jake wouldn’t read the emotions flashing in his eyes.

For weeks, he had tried to convince himself that what he felt for Alyssa was merely an unwavering devotion, a fierce possessiveness. He had refused to label it as love, because he was scared. Scared of what that could mean.

"I need you to give me your word," he changed the subject, his voice cold and commanding once more. "Swear to me that you will guard the truth of Alyssa’s bloodline with your life. No one can know."

"I swear," Jake answered without hesitation. "On my blood and my life, I will not tell a soul. But hear me on this: the longer you force this lie into the shadows, the more catastrophic the fallout will be when the realm finally discovers the truth. Because eventually, they will."

The door to the study swung open suddenly, cutting Jake off mid-sentence. Dorian whirled around, only for his tense posture to melt the second his eyes landed on the doorway.

Alyssa stood on the threshold, taking in the tension saturating the room. Her eyes flickered between the two men.

"Am I interrupting something?" she asked softly.

"No," Dorian and Jake replied at the same time.

In an instant, Dorian’s ruthless expression faded, replaced by a soft look. He held out a hand toward her.

"Come here, little lamb," he murmured. "Jake was just about to leave."

Alyssa stepped into the study, offering a bright smile to Jake as she brushed past him.

"You are dismissed, Jake," Dorian muttered, wrapping one arm around her waist the second she reached him. "Don’t forget a single word of what we discussed."

Jake nodded stiffly. "Yes, Alpha.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked out.