Chapter 62: Denial is a river in Egypt

Hours later, when the sky had fully brightened and the sun stood high, Alyssa walked down into the living room to wait for Dorian.

She wore plain skinny jeans, sneakers, and one of Dorian’s enormous hoodies to shield herself from the biting Northern wind. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail.

When she entered the room, she found Alec and Anthony already waiting. Looking closer at Alec, she realized how much he resembled Jake, though subtle differences set them apart.

Alec caught her gaze and raised his head, a wide smile splitting his face as he stood.

"Good morning, Luna Alyssa. Do you need something?"

Alyssa smiled back, shaking her head. "No, thank you. I didn’t mean to stare."

"It’s alright," Alec said, waving off the apology. "I am used to it."

"Like hell you are," Anthony interjected smoothly, turning a smug look toward Alyssa. "Do not listen to him, Alyssa. I don’t think a single she-wolf has smiled in his direction for the last century."

"You are an idiot, Anthony," Alec muttered.

Alyssa watched them, amused by their easy bickering. She recognized Alec from the day Samantha had tried to attack her.

"It was you," she said, stepping closer to him. "You protected me that day. I never truly had the opportunity to thank you."

Alec immediately understood the incident she was referring to. "It was my duty to ensure your safety, Luna. No thanks are necessary."

"Still, thank you," Alyssa beamed. "So, you and Jake are brothers?"

"Twins, actually. Fraternal."

​"Oh," Alyssa nodded. "And are you a beta as well?"

"Jake is the Beta," Alec explained. "I am the head of the gammas. There are about a hundred of us."

Alyssa’s gaze shifted to Anthony. "Are you a gamma too?"

"He holds no official rank," Alec laughed smugly. "He’s practically at the bottom of the pack hierarchy.

"Very funny, Alec," Anthony said, rolling his eyes. He turned a bright smile toward Alyssa. "It is true that I hold no official title, but I assure you, I am far more important to Dorian than Jake and Alec."

"Denial is a river in Egypt," Alec muttered, coughing into his fist to hide a laugh.

Alyssa laughed softly as Anthony playfully glared at his companion. "It’s the truth," he insisted. "You and Jake met Dorian during his academy years. I have known him since we were in matching cribs."

Alyssa’s eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Are your parents relatives?"

"No," Anthony said, his tone softening slightly. "Our mothers were best friends, so Dorian and I practically grew up as brothers."

"That is wonderful," Alyssa said gently. "Do your parents live nearby? Do you have any other siblings?"

The easy smile on Anthony’s face vanished instantly. He lowered his eyes, his posture stiffening as a sudden cloud of dark emotion swept over his features. Beside him, Alec went completely quiet, the humor draining from the room.

Alyssa noticed the immediate shift, a knot tightening in her stomach.

"I am sorry," she whispered, her voice faltering. "Was it something I said?"

Anthony lifted his chin, forcing a reassuring smile that failed to reach his eyes. "I lost my family in a war years ago. I had two younger sisters. I was the only one who survived."

Alyssa went pale, her hand flying to her lips. The pieces suddenly clicked into place; why Anthony resided permanently within Dorian, and why he never spoke of a home pack.

"I’m so sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn’t have asked."

"Don’t worry about it," Anthony replied, his usual cheerful demeanor returning with practiced ease. "It happened a long time ago. I have learned to live with the weight of it."

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Alec made a deliberate attempt to break the tension. "Yes, Anthony is a survivor, but he’s a total softie. He has a crush on Pandora."

Alyssa’s eyes widened, a spark of amusement returning. "What?"

A faint flush crept up Anthony’s neck. "I do not!" he snapped.

"Yes, you do," Alec countered smugly. "I see the way you look at her when she enters the room."

"Alec, I swear..."

"Honestly, Pandora would make an exceptional mate..."

"What about Pandora?"

Dorian’s deep voice sliced through the laughter. He descended the stairs, his golden eyes immediately locking onto Alyssa. Pandora and Jake followed closely behind him.

The amusement vanished from Alec and Anthony’s faces as they straightened up.

"Nothing. We were merely passing the time," Anthony said, keeping his voice casual. His gaze flicked to Pandora for a second before he looked away.

Losing interest in the gossip, Dorian reached out, taking Alyssa’s hand securely in his to lead her outside the mansion. A sleek, black limousine was waiting in the driveway, André already holding the rear door open.

While Alyssa and Pandora shared their farewells by the vehicle, Dorian turned to Jake, going over last minute instructions.

"You’re in charge until I return," he said. "If anything out of the ordinary happens, you contact me immediately. Is that understood?"

Jake nodded sharply. "Perfectly understood, Alpha."

Dorian turned toward the car. Alyssa and Pandora broke their warm embrace, and as Pandora stepped back, Dorian reached out, ruffling her hair in a brief gesture of old familial affection.

Pandora froze slightly, a sudden wave of emotion crossing her face. She couldn’t remember the last time he displayed such warmth.

"Stay out of trouble, Pandora. I mean it," he murmured.

She rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. "I will be on my best behavior, Alpha brother. See you in a week."

Dorian slipped into the limo beside Alyssa, and André shut the door

Pandora stepped back, watching as the limousine pulled out of the courtyard and sped past away.

Anthony stepped up beside her, lightly resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don’t be sad. Your little bestie will return soon."

She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. "I am not sad. I’m just happy to see Dorian finally stepping out of the fortress he built around his emotions."

"As am I," Anthony agreed quietly. "Soon, the past won’t haunt him anymore. I only hope his nightmares do not return while they are away. He did not take his medication."

"He will be fine," Pandora said confidently, turning back toward the house. "Nina said he doesn’t need the medications anymore."

She tilted her head up to look at him as they walked. "By the way, what exactly were you and Alec discussing before we came downstairs?"

Anthony averted his eyes, giving a casual shrug of his shoulders. "Alec said I had a crush on you."

Pandora stopped dead in her tracks, her heart giving a sudden, violent thud against her ribs. "Well? Do you?"

Anthony shrugged again, a slow smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Perhaps."

He quickened his steps, leaving Pandora standing on the gravel driveway in complete bewilderment.

...

Seth had just returned from running errands. He and a few of the other male servants had spent the morning delivering provisions to the grieving families of the campers who had perished at the hands of the soulless rogues.

Sweaty, exhausted, and bitter, he left the rest of the workers behind, taking the isolated path that cut behind the mansion into the forest.

He still found it impossible to accept that he had been stripped of his status and reduced to a mere house servant. The humiliation burned fiercely in his throat; this was a far cry from the power he had envisioned for himself.

Stopping under the shade of a tree, he dropped to the ground and pulled out a cigarette stick and a lighter from his pocket.

But before he could light it, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He started to whip his head around, feeling a presence behind him, but it was too late.

A flash of cold steel severed his throat. An excruciating, blinding pain flared for a second before his vision spun violently. His severed head rolled into the dirt, blood spraying wildly as his body collapsed forward.

A tall figure stepped out from the shadow of the tree, completely unbothered by the gore. Leaning down, he dragged Seth’s lifeless body toward the shallow pit he already dug.

He callously tossed the body inside, kicked the severed head after it, and quickly covered the grave with enough sand to mask it.

As he straightened, he began to morph and transform. His features melted away, his skin shifting, molding, and resetting into Seth’s exact form and appearance.

When the transformation was completed, a flawless replica of Seth stood in his place.

With a calm, dark expression, he turned away from the hidden grave and walked back toward the mansion.