Chapter 75: Two steps ahead

After the incident with Genevieve, the shattered mirror, and Alyssa’s quiet plea for mercy, Dorian refused to spend another second in Cole’s estate. His mood was completely ruined.

At the front steps, Cole and Penelope walked them out to the driveway, Cole apologizing profusely for the third time.

"I cannot apologize enough for what transpired, Alpha Dorian," he said, his tone laden with regret. "It was never my intention for things to end this way. Julian’s mate has always been theatrical, but we never expected her to lose her mind."

"Next time," Dorian replied, his voice dropping into an icy, dangerous register, "when you invite me and my Luna for a gathering, ensure you inform me if you intend to bring unvetted guests."

"I promise you, Alpha Dorian," Cole nodded hastily. "It will never happen again. I only hope this unfortunate incident doesn’t sour your time in Ashgard."

"My sole priority is my Luna’s happiness," Dorian said smoothly, placing a protective hand at the small of Alyssa’s back. "So long as she remains untroubled, we have no quarrel."

Cole forced a smile, extending a hand to shake Dorian’s. "That is good to hear." He turned to Alyssa, his eyes softening with genuine remorse. "Once again, my deepest apologies, Luna."

"It’s alright, Cole. I don’t hold it against you," Alyssa assured him, offering a gentle, reassuring smile. "I enjoyed your hospitality, and Ashgard has already become a second home to me."

Cole’s smile broadened as he took her hand, lightly placing a kiss on her knuckles. "You are far too gracious, Luna Alyssa. My wife and I will eagerly await your next visit."

Dorian waited by the passenger side while Alyssa embraced Penelope and exchanged a few quiet words. Once finished, she walked around the hood of the car to stand beside him.

"Are you still angry?" she asked softly, looking up at him.

Dorian was far beyond angry. He was seething. The fact that he hadn’t ripped Genevieve apart for laying hands on Alyssa burned like iron in his gut.

But he forced his fury down. His features softened, a faint smile touching his lips as he reached out to stroke her cheek with his thumb.

"For you, I am calm," he murmured. "But no more social gatherings. I am keeping you to myself for the remainder of the week."

Alyssa let out a soft, breathless laugh, a warm blush coloring her cheeks. Dorian helped her into the seat, holding his palm above her head so she wouldn’t bump against the frame.

Once she was settled, he closed the door, rounded the hood, and slid behind the wheel.

Cole and Penelope stood side by side, waving as Dorian backed down the wide gravel driveway and accelerated onto the main road. Alyssa kept her gaze on them through the rear window, waving back until the estate disappeared around the curve of the road.

Long after the roar of the Bentley’s engine faded into the distance, Penelope let out a shuddering sigh of relief, leaning heavily against her husband’s arm.

"I have heard tales of the oppressive aura that follows the Alpha King," she whispered, looking up at Cole with wide eyes. "How he carries the North wind and makes grown men tremble. I never truly believed it until today."

​"What you felt was merely his restraint, Penny," Cole said quietly, taking her hand to lead her back into the house. "If not for the Luna’s gentle intervention, our home would have been reduced to a bloodbath."

"So the rumors are true," Penelope mused. "She truly tames the beast inside him."

"She does," Cole agreed. "That aside, Julian still owes me a good explanation for his wife’s outrageous conduct."

When they re-entered the living room, they found Genevieve sitting on the couch, her voice shrill and unstable as she repeatedly tried to explain herself to Julian and the others.

Penelope marched over, her patience entirely exhausted. "Have you not brought enough shame upon this house, Genevieve? You assaulted the Luna Queen! I do not care what words were exchanged, you crossed a line that nearly cost us all our lives!"

"Fine!" Genevieve shrieked back, her face blotchy and stained with tears. "I admit it! What I did was wrong! But that is the least of our concerns right now!"

Julian frowned beside her, gently grabbing her shoulder. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn’t shove her into the mirror!" Genevieve confessed. "She lied to Alpha Dorian! I shoved her against the wall, and I swear on my life, I saw her eyes flash crimson right before the mirror exploded!"

"Fabricating outrageous lies will not save you from Dorian’s wrath..."

"I am not lying!" Genevieve snapped, turning her wide, terrified eyes onto Cole. "What happened in that bathroom was unnatural! She shattered the mirror with her mind! I know how crazy it sounds, but it’s the truth. That girl is not wolfless. She is something more dangerous, and it is only a matter of time before..."

"ENOUGH!" Cole roared, his Alpha command slamming through the room and cutting her off instantly. "You have done enough damage today. What you ought to be doing is seeking a way to beg the Luna’s forgiveness, rather than weaving insane accusations. Because if you think Alpha Dorian has forgotten this, you are sorely mistaken."

He turned on his heel and stormed down the hallway. Yet, beneath his harsh dismissal, a cold dread settled in his gut. He knew Genevieve wasn’t lying. He believed every word.

He had caught the guarded, hyper-vigilant look in Dorian’s eyes the moment they rushed into the bathroom and found the shattered mirror.

From the minute he laid eyes on Alyssa’s unique hair, deep suspicion had taken root.

Cole had fought alongside Dorian for years. They had stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the bloody war against the Onyx and the soulless rogues.

If Alyssa was truly connected to the extinct Onyx magic, her awakening wouldn’t bring peace to the realm. It would ignite another war, a more brutal one that would burn the world to ash.

...

Back in Wintercrest, inside the Lowell villa deep in the North, Joffrey sat behind the mahogany desk in his private study. His laptop sat open before him, the glowing screen displaying a high-resolution photo of Alyssa on her wedding day.

His trousers were undone, his breath coming in hot, ragged hitches as he stroked himself, his eyes locked onto her image.

"Yes... Alyssa..." he groaned, his hips jerking forward as he pushed himself toward the brink, mentally tearing the silk dress from her body.

Just as he reached his peak, the study door slammed open. Conri stepped into the room, leaning heavily on his cane.

He stopped dead at the threshold, his dark eyes fixing on his son with pure disgust. "Is this what you have been reduced to? Touching yourself like a dog to a picture of your cousin’s wife? Pathetic!"

Joffrey hastily shoved his hard length back into his trousers, zipping them up with a harsh tug as fury twisted his pale face. He slammed the laptop lid shut and stood up.

Conri limped further into the study, his posture rigid. As soon as he came within arm’s reach, he reared back and struck Joffrey across the face with a brutal, open-palmed slap.

The force sent Joffrey staggering backward into the desk, his hand flying to his jaw as blood welled from his split lower lip. For a second, his inner beast surged forward, his eyes bleeding into a fierce, predatory amber.

Conri towered over him despite his bad leg. "You are a prince of Wintercrest, Joffrey! Act like one! Slaving over your own lust makes you look weak and filthy. If you want the girl, take her! But to take her, you must first destroy the monster guarding her. You must destroy Dorian."

Conri reached out, knotting his fingers tightly into Joffrey’s hair and yanking his head back, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Do not reduce yourself to a pathetic worm over a woman. Keep your head up and act like my son! Do you understand me?"

Swallowing the bitter rage bubbling in his throat, Joffrey nodded sharply. "Yes, Father."

"Good." Conri released his grip, stepping back and straightening his coat. "The Rogue King has arrived. Come! We must keep his presence a secret before Dorian’s guards detect him."

"What about the Lord of the Shapeshifters?" Joffrey asked, wiping the blood from his lip.

A cold, arrogant smile spread across Conri’s face. "Pilate is already two steps ahead of us. The bastard has his own score to settle with Dorian."

Joffrey frowned, following his father toward the doorway. "What score? Where is he?"

"He is inside Dorian’s mansion as we speak, impersonating Reynold’s dead son."

Joffrey abruptly halted in the hallway. "When did this happen?"

"Do you recall when Reynold’s foolish daughter hired an assassin to execute the girl?" Conri mused smoothly. "It turns out that the assassin was Pilate’s younger brother. Dorian slaughtered him without mercy. Now Pilate has returned for blood. He sent word through our informants that he will remain within the mansion until Dorian returns. Once the Moon Ceremony begins, we strike."

A vicious smile spread across Joffrey’s face. "You have everything under control, Father. Dorian has no idea what is coming for him."

"He certainly doesn’t," Conri agreed darkly. "Reynold is unaware that his real son is dead, so refrain from mentioning it. That scorned Alpha is merely a tool. Once Dorian is destroyed, we will dispose of Reynold as well."

Joffrey’s eyes gleamed with dark, twisted intent. "I have only one request, Father. No one touches Alyssa. She is mine. I want Dorian to watch me claim her before he dies."

Conri offered a cold, ruthless grin. "Consider it done, son."