Chapter 0091

Alexander

The bastard had slaughtered eight of my men.

Each one had a family.

Some were older, with children waiting at home.

Some were young, fresh from training, eager to prove their worth as warriors.

It should have been a simple mission: protect my mate.

None of us saw it coming.

That’s the danger of shifting under a full moon.

We are at our peak strength, yet consumed by the hunt.

Everything else fades—everything but the prey.

I watch her now.

She turns her hand over slowly.

Her wide blue eyes trace the faint marks, puzzling over where the claws emerged and vanished.

I feel a surge of frustration.

Yes, she defended herself.

That’s what I wanted from the start.

But this nagging feeling won’t leave me.

And she… she doesn’t seem disturbed.

Isabella confirmed the men had been dead for hours.

Athena’s blue-tinged toes showed she’d been out in the cold too long.

Maybe she’s made peace with it.

Maybe Nyx guided her through it.

But her calm is unusual for a first kill.

'The bodies are handled,' Theodore links me. 'Sebastian checked on all the children and elders. No one was harmed. Only the guards at the house were targeted.’

'My office. Both of you. Ten minutes,’ I command.

Athena rubs her feet with the blanket, seeking warmth.

“What triggered Nyx’s emergence?” I ask.

“My period,” she answers instantly, without a hint of hesitation. “She said it was necessary. She should have appeared when I turned thirteen, but my body was too weak. I never fully matured.”

She pushes tangled hair from her face.

I grab her brush from the cabinet and hand it to her.

She works through the knots, smoothing her dark hair.

She sighs, dropping the brush beside her.

She adjusts the blanket, wrapping it tightly around herself.

“I know you’re angry, Alpha Alexander.”

“Not at you.”

“I know,” she murmurs.

She opens her mouth to speak again, but hesitates and closes it.

'She’s talking to Nyx,’ Titan murmurs. 'Look at her eyes.’

'I noticed,’ I reply.

But as I focus, I see something new—a dark ring circling the blue of her irises.

“Athena?”

Her eyes snap up to mine.

The ring vanishes.

“Come with me.”

“Where? Am I in trouble?”

“Just to the office. I’d leave you here, but I don’t want you alone right now.”

She follows me through the house, blanket clutched tightly.

She settles into her usual chair, pulling her knees to her chest, hiding beneath the fabric.

Theodore and Sebastian enter, mid-argument.

“We all fell for it,” Theodore snaps. “And from what I heard, you were meeting him nightly.”

They stop when they see Athena.

Sebastian crosses his arms.

Theodore studies her curiously.

“Enough,” I growl. “He fooled us all. Maintained this charade for months.”

“Then why help me kill Lycans if it was a setup?” Sebastian scowls.

“To maintain his cover. He had to make us believe he was loyal—that he was on Athena’s side. Otherwise, he would’ve been caught sooner.”

“He said he was calling Dominic,” Athena whispers. “That he needed to tell them I was ready for collection. The devoted brother… it was all lies.”

Her voice is flat, devoid of emotion.

“He deserved it,” she murmurs, not meeting our eyes.

That subtle darkness surfaces again.

“You killed him?” Theodore asks, surprised.

“I did. I tore pieces of his heart out. Then I pushed him over the edge,” she states, unapologetic.

“You?” Sebastian is stunned.

I understand why.

She seems small. Fragile.

You wouldn’t expect it from her.

But they don’t see the darkness simmering beneath the surface like I do.

“I don’t get it,” Theodore mutters. “He looked just like you. Same dark hair. Same blue eyes. Even your smiles were similar.”

That last comment strikes me as odd.

Is he interested in my mate?

“It was all a setup!” I snap, drawing their attention back. “And we fell for something this obvious.”

Like Athena said, I’m not angry with her.

I’m furious with myself.

I’ve seen every trick.

Heard every scheme.

Yet I still fell for it.

'You should’ve trusted my instincts,’ Titan grumbles.

He’s right.

I should have.

I messed up.

I lost good men tonight.

But she is still here.

She is still alive.

My fist slams onto the desk.

The men jump.

But Athena just watches me.

It’s the longest she’s held eye contact with anyone.

“I’m recalling Julian.”

Both men raise their eyebrows.

Neither speaks.

Athena’s gaze remains fixed on me.

“I know what you’re thinking. I exiled him. But you both know he’s a master strategist. He would’ve seen this coming. This is his expertise. And we need it.”

I have ultimate control.

My pack trusts me.

But we all have our strengths.

And right now, we need his.

I look at Athena. “He won’t come near you.”

I meant to be reassuring.

It came out as an order.

She nods.

“Nyx said she’ll kill him if he tries anything,” she says flatly.

Both men stare at her, eyebrows raised.

“Who the hell is Nyx?” Sebastian demands.

“Nyx,” I mutter, “is Athena’s Lycan.”

“No. Caleb said that wasn’t possible,” he sputters.

“Caleb also fed us a lot of lies. All that crap about Athena not remembering him—it makes sense now. There was nothing to remember. He didn’t exist!” I shout.

Whatever issue Sebastian had with that guy, he needs to let it go.

Caleb screwed us.

That’s the end of it.