Chapter 156
“Wait… it’s all making sense now,” Sage said.
Her words fell into the chaos of the hall like a dropped blade.
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“It wasn’t Faye they wanted…” she said suddenly, her voice thin but trembling with realization. “It was me. They mistook her for me.”
Every conversation stilled. The other Alphas exchanged uncertain glances, the noise draining from the room.
Alexander froze where he stood. He was caught between disbelief and the cold calculation of someone trying to process something that was finally beginning to make sense. His jaw tightened, his chest heaving once, then again, as if the effort to breathe cost him.
Sage’s gaze darted to him briefly before she turned to Jason, panic breaking through her composure. “They weren’t after Faye,” she said again, firmer this time. “Draco’s men… they must’ve thought she was me. We’re identical, Jason. Same face, same build–it’s an easy mistake.”
The weight of her words settled heavily over the room.
Alexander ran a hand through his hair. “Great!”
“Alexander,” Alpha Patrick’s voice cut through the room, as he noticed Alexander looking like he was about to take off again. “You need to calm down.”
“Calm down?” Alexander asked, his voice hoarse from shouting.
Patrick sighed. “I know…it’s difficult,” he said. “But storming into Moon Claw territory without a plan will only make things worse and put her in danger.”
Alexander scoffed. “You expect me to sit here while she’s out there…alone with those…”
“Draco thinks she’s Jason’s mate. So right now, she’s leverage. He won’t hurt her,” Patrick cut him off, calmly.
“You’re asking me to trust Draco’s restraint?” Alexander said, his voice low. “The man’s a lunatic. Have you met him?”
Patrick took a slow step toward him, eyes steady. “Of course he’s a handful. But he’s not careless–he’s calculating. If you go charging in right now, you’ll give him exactly what he wants: a reason to hurt her. We need to be smarter than that.”
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Alexander just stood there. Deep down, he knew Patrick was right.
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Jason, on the other hand, looked like someone had just pulled the floor out from under him. His eyes darted from Sage to Alexander, then back again, his expression tight with frustration
and disbelief.
Without another word, Sage reached out and gripped Jason’s arm. “We need to talk,” she said urgently. Then, without waiting for his permission, she pulled him toward the hallway.
The moment the heavy doors shut behind them, the noise of the hall dulled to a faint echo. Jason turned on her almost immediately, his voice low. “What the hell are you talking about, Sage? You think this is my fault?”
“I know it is,” she shot back, her tone rising with emotion. “You’ve been warned about this, Jason! The elders told you to maintain the alliance with Moon Claw, to stop cutting off supplies, to stop provoking Draco. You ignored every single warning.”
Jason exhaled harshly, rubbing a hand over his face. “You’re saying this as if I didn’t have a reason, Sage. Draco’s been crossing lines for months! I wasn’t about to keep feeding his pack while he-”
She cut him off, her voice trembling with frustration. “You think this is about pride? About proving you’re not afraid of him? You abandoned your end of the alliance, Jason. You didn’t just weaken your defenses… you gave Draco a reason to retaliate. And now…” Her voice broke for a second, her throat tightening. “Now Faye is paying the price for your
recklessness.”
Jason’s eyes darkened. “That’s how you want to paint this…I see,” he muttered.
“It’s the truth,” she said flatly.
There was a moment of silence… thick, uncomfortable. The sound of their breaths echoed faintly off the walls.
Jason looked away first. His voice was quieter when he finally spoke. “You were one of the people who told me to cut ties, Sage. Don’t forget that. You agreed with me–the alliance was weakening us.”
Sage’s eyes flickered, guilt and anger warring in her expression. “I said that because I thought you’d handle it strategically, not by backing him into a corner.”
Jason scoffed. “Strategically? You wanted me to shake his hand and tell him I was no longer going to play by his rules?”
“I wanted you to be smart,” she snapped, then lowered her tone, her voice sharp. “Not
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impulsive. You think leadership is about proving strength, Jason, but it’s about knowing when to use it and when to hold it back.”
FAYE
When I opened my eyes, my head felt heavy… like someone had stuffed fog inside it. The air smelled strange. I wasn’t in a dungeon, that much was clear. The bed beneath me was too
soft, and someone had thrown a thick robe over me.
My wrists hurt. There were faint bruises there, though no chains. I tried sitting up, but a wave of dizziness hit me so hard I had to grip the edge of the mattress to steady myself. Something in my veins felt off… slow, heavy… drugged. My senses were dulled. My instincts screamed danger, but my body refused to obey.
The door creaked open.
A man stepped in. His presence filled the room. He looked at me with the kind of satisfaction that made my skin crawl.
“Well, well,” he said, his voice dripping amusement.
He chuckled to himself, stepping closer. “I almost can’t wait for him to come for you. Imagine the sight… Jason brought to his knees, begging to have you back. That’ll be something worth seeing.”
For a second, I was too stunned to speak. Jason? Of all people, why would he think Jason would be the one to come for me?
And then it clicked… the way they’d dragged me off the field before I lost consciousness. They thought…
They thought I was Sage.
I didn’t let it show. I kept my expression flat, though my pulse spiked hard. If they didn’t know who I really was, that was the only advantage I had left.
“What did you do to me?” I managed to ask, my voice low, raw from the dryness in my throat.
He smiled, almost proud of himself. “Just a little something to tame you. I heard you were a wild one.” His eyes swept over me, appraising, mocking. “My men said you gave them quite the fight. I must admit, I didn’t expect the Luna of Silver Hollow to fight like that.”
I murmured to myself, “She doesn’t. I do.”
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Draco paused, his brow furrowing. “What was that?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, forcing a weak, detached smile.
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He smirked, stepping closer until I could feel his breath near my ear. “You know, I’ve heard stories about your kind… beautiful, fierce, impossible to control. But I have a feeling I could change that.”
His hand reached for my face, then slid downward… slow, deliberate.
Something inside me snapped.
“Don’t,” I said sharply. My voice came out low but edged with warning. I met his gaze, and whatever he saw there made him hesitate.
I straightened slightly, gripping the sheets beneath me for balance. “I wouldn’t do that again if I were you.”
For a brief moment, silence filled the room. Then he laughed, short and incredulous. “You’ve got fire. Even drugged and helpless…this is going to be fun.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing fear… or defiance he could use against me. I just stared past him, my thoughts running wild beneath the stillness.
They had taken me because they thought I was her. Which meant Sage was safe…for now. But they’d notice my absence fast.
Alexander….. My chest tightened at the thought. He would have noticed by now. He must be furious…terrified. I could almost see the look in his eyes when he found out. My parents
too…
I took a slow breath, forcing myself to focus. Whatever they’d injected into me was starting to wear off, just enough for the dizziness to fade. I needed to stay sharp.
Whatever this place was, whatever game Draco was playing… I couldn’t stay here and wait for rescue.
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