Chapter 205: Finally

"Magnus is just a smokescreen. The state from which our metropolis broke away is currently plunging into deep economic decline, and they are desperate to reclaim us. They need resources—vast amounts of them. And who controls those resources? The union. The mines, the deepwater ports, the major commercial hubs, the medical complexes... everything belongs to you. Everything except the central bank. If any of you received buy-out offers, the transactions would be processed through the state bank, meaning the funds—"

"—we’ll never see a single cent," Adonis finished darkly.

"That is precisely our assessment," Sayan chimed in from the shadows where he had stood silent until now. "This city earned its autonomous status because, under the previous alliance, the Alphas secured total control over these assets. We retain our independence only so long as we hold the capital and the power.

The former city governor was a human who siphoned immense wealth for himself, obscuring who actually funded the city’s prosperity and secured public welfare and employment. Once they seize total control, state law dictates that breeders revert to being property of their head of household, just as they are in the capital. It will crush the breeders, which in turn will destabilize the males, who rely heavily on their mates’ well-being. It will cripple everyone. Even unbonded Alphas will suffer, as I expect the assistance centers will be shut down, stripping away their last line of hope. And should you sell your assets, your capital will vanish forever."

"Fuck..." Keith muttered, a lethal smirk spreading across his face as his gaze locked onto me, the rest of the council following suit. "You dug deep into this. Though I’d expect nothing less from Magnus’s future mate. So... why are they hoarding Alpha Breeders? You know the answer—spill it."

"I’ll tell you," I replied, matching his smirk as I sat back with my arms crossed tightly over my chest, "the moment you pledge your full support in court."

"You are a sly piece of work, Luna Jane," Adonis let out a predatory snarl. "All those in favor of crushing their grand scheme, raise your hand."

Every single hand in the room went up. I let out a shaky, trembling breath, feeling a single cold bead of sweat trace its way down my spine. I had done it.

***

Standing in the freezing search room beneath the sharp, suspicious glare of the guard, I self-consciously crossed my arms over my bare chest to cover myself. The female officer conducting the inspection grimaced in disgust before peeling off her latex gloves.

"You’re far too heavy for a breeder," the female officer sneered. "I’ve heard so much about how the bodies of your specimens are supposed to be flawless, but I suppose those are just fairy tales."

With an arrogant huff, she tossed her dark hair over her shoulder. Every word was a calculated strike, engineered to degrade me—even addressing me like livestock. A specimen.

The woman herself was tall and voluptuous. Her nails were long and painted a bloody crimson, matching the lipstick smeared across her unnaturally plump lips. Every time she blinked, her dense fan of false eyelashes looked heavy enough to stir up a draft.

"I’ve been indulging in too many sweets lately," I whispered, forcing my voice to stay even. "Thank you for opening my eyes. I’ll be sure to start a diet immediately."

I hurriedly pulled my clothes back on, earning only a disdainful grunt from the inspector.

"You don’t belong with him."

The sudden remark struck me from behind, freezing my arm halfway through the sleeve of my hoodie.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, turning slightly.

"You don’t belong with a man like him! He is so... so..." The girl snarled, her voice a mix of bitter fury and desperate envy.

A wave of primal, scorching jealousy surged through me. A raw urge to tear out her throat seized my mind, so overwhelming that I had to grind my teeth together just to keep my composure. She had her eyes on my mate.

"Perhaps," I replied, my voice dripping with ice. "Yet he loves me."

Without throwing a second glance her way, I walked out of the room. I couldn’t afford to make a scene. I couldn’t tear her hair out—no matter how much my fingers throbbed with the desire to do so. I couldn’t risk ruining everything. But god, was I tempted. Perhaps Magnus’s prolonged absence was slowly turning me into a monster; I honestly couldn’t tell anymore.

Following the dour, uniformed guards down the endless corridors, I took solace in the truth: I wasn’t fat, I was pregnant. That humiliating search had actually worked in our favor. Blinded by her own venom and jealousy, the inspector hadn’t even considered the possibility of a pregnancy.

We halted before a massive steel door. It towered over the surrounding entrances, lacking a standard keyhole. Instead, its center featured a heavy, circular wheel—the kind I had only ever seen on bank vaults in movies.

Two guards seized the handles, grunting as they forced the mechanism to turn. As the door groaned open, revealing its staggering thickness, my heart sank at the pitch-black void inside the cell. How monstrous a threat did they consider my husband to keep him locked behind such steel?

"Rainn! You’ve got a visitor! Forty minutes, not a second more!" one of the guards barked, shoving me violently into the darkness.

Stumbling forward, I lost my footing and collided straight into a broad, burning chest.

Instantly, the world burst back into color.

His intoxicating, bitter scent exploded inside me, sending a wild current of bliss roaring through my veins. The absolute ecstasy of touching him, of feeling him real and solid beneath my hands, left me breathless.

"Jane... My foolish girl, what on earth are you doing?" the man’s voice rumbled against my cheek, his massive arms wrapping around me so tightly I could barely draw air into my lungs.

"I missed you, my Alpha..." I buried my face in his neck. "Finally... I can feel you again."