Chapter 33: Power of postcognition

Caroline stepped out of the car and stared up at her home, preserved exactly as she had left it. A violent shudder ran through her as the memories of that night flooded back.

"Your Highness! Luna!" Jeremy offered a polite bow to Andrew, his gaze shifting to Caroline as her eyes squeezed shut against the sudden wave of grief.

Andrew reached out, his fingers weaving firmly through hers. When her eyes opened, he offered a gentle nod. "Shall we go inside?"

"Hmm."

They crossed the threshold together, Miller and Jeremy trailing closely behind to secure the perimeter.

Andrew’s sharp eyes caught the overturned pottery shattered near the entryway, signs of a desperate struggle, before he looked up to see Caroline slip her hand from his grip. She walked numbly into the center of the grand living room, her eyes locked onto the floor beneath her feet.

"When I got home that night... I found my father lying right here in a pool of his blood," she whispered, her voice trembling violently as she gestured across the room. "He was already gone. And my mother was lying over there."

Andrew’s eyes gleamed as the past bled into his vision. He saw Caroline on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably beside her dying mother, whose weak hand reached up to cup her cheek, asking her to run.

The Kensington Alpha Family lineage was an ancient bloodline blessed with rare magical gifts, though in this generation, Andrew was the only one who possessed the rare power of postcognition—the ability to witness past events imprinted upon a place.

"Prince Andrew, I heard you entered the Crystal Moon Pack," Victor’s voice echoed from the hallway ahead.

Everyone turned toward him as he stepped into view.

"Caroline, you look better," Victor said, his eyes scanning her.

"How dare you step foot into my house?" Caroline snapped, taking a sharp step forward as her hands tightened into fists.

"I think you are mistaken, Caroline. This place is no longer yours," Victor replied. "The debt collectors seized the property. Given the recent violent deaths here, no buyers have been willing to move in yet, which is the only reason the doors were left unlocked." He paused, his expression shifting into something dark. "Well, I was planning to hunt you down anyway for the slander you spread against me. It saves me the trouble that you came back. Now, Prince Andrew will finally see just how much you have been lying to him and everyone else."

Andrew vanished from his place and appeared right in front of Victor, holding his throat tightly. The next second, Victor was in air, his eyes almost popping.

"You can speak a lie to anyone but not me. Do you know? Because I’ve the ability to see what others can’t. I saw what happened in this house," Andrew pronounced, letting go of his hand from Victor’s hand who fell with a loud thud.

Levi rushed into the room, halting in his tracks as he gasped at the sight of Victor lying on the floor.

"Prince Andrew, Nina will never forgive you if you hurt me," Victor spat.

Andrew drove his boot heavier into Victor’s chest and trapping him against the floor. "Worry about yourself right now. You had better confess, because I have already seen what you did, Victor."

Levi froze. Face-to-face with the Alpha Prince, he didn’t dare intervene or utter a word.

"There is no one here to save you. Your own pack will not protect you now," Andrew said. "Look at your Beta, standing there silently. Speak, Victor. Use that mouth of yours to tell the truth, or I will tear it out of you."

"Caroline is lying," Victor hissed.

Caroline stepped up beside Andrew and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Let him go."

She knew how the law worked; if the Alpha King learned Andrew had taken matters into his own hands without a formal trial, the repercussions would be severe. They needed solid evidence to prove his guilt, evidence Victor had gone to great lengths to hide.

Understanding her unspoken concern, Andrew pulled his boot back and let his foot rest firmly on the floor.

Victor scrambled to his feet, hurriedly brushing the dust off his shirt to regain his composure.

"You won’t find a single piece of evidence against me, Caroline, because I’m telling the truth," Victor sneered. "In the end, you’ll be the one kneeling before the Alpha—"

He cut off mid-sentence as Miller stepped forward, sliding a blade from his belt and pressing the gleaming tip of a dagger directly against Victor’s throat.

"Speak to our Luna with respect," Miller warned. "She is no longer subject to your pack."

"She is my wife, Victor," Andrew added. "Why do you keep forgetting the title she holds? You will show her the exact same respect you show me. When I lose my temper, bad things happen. If you think hiding behind Nina will save you, you are severely mistaken." He chuckled at the utter foolishness of the thought.

Stepping directly between Victor and Caroline, Andrew leaned in closer. "I fear nothing in this world. The only reason my claws haven’t ripped the heart from your chest right now is because Caroline wants to expose your crimes to the entire country with a real evidence. That is the only thing keeping you alive."

Victor’s heart hammered against his ribs as a cold sweat broke out across his skin. Without another word, he spun on his heel and rushed toward the exit.

"Count your days, Victor," Caroline called out after him, her voice echoing off the grand walls. "You once told me I could never bring you status or power. I will make sure Princess Nina can’t give you the power you’ve been dreaming of, either. Be ready to pay for everything you did."

Victor’s jaw tightened, and he dashed away.

"How did he find out we were here?" asked Andrew.

"That doesn’t matter. What matters is that Victor is terrified," Caroline replied.