Chapter 106
Claire’s POV
13%審
65 Vouchers
We stood in the Hall again, Gideon standing up front, with me slightly behind him. Some more of his guard were scattered around the room. Justin and Daphne were nearer the door, ready to leave.
I couldn’t wait for them to be gone.
“I’m done waiting for you to make your decision,” Justin said to Cideon. “What will it be? Will you turn Darius over to me, or must I bring this matter to the Alpha King?”
Gideon stood tall and straight, proud and strong. “I don’t care what you threaten, Justin, I will not change my Darius stays here.”
The two Alphas stared at each other for a long moment, like they were each waiting for the other one to break.
decision.
Justin cracked first, frowning deeply. “Fine. If there can be no resolution here, then my Luna and I will leave. But when you are called to speak to the Alpha King Gideon, you will only have yourself to blame. You could have ended this so easily.”
“My guards will see you out,” Gideon said.
That should have been the end of it, but Daphne pushed forward. “You will regret this, Gideon. I swear on my life.”
My hand curled into a fist. She had to be serious, because there was no one in her life she valued more than herself. I couldn’t say a word in reply though, not without drawing unwanted attention to myself. It would only take a few words from her to ruin everything for me.
“I speak to you, Justin, Alpha to Alpha,” Gideon said. “I know Daphne is your mate, but be wary of your food and drink when Daphne is around.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Justin snapped.
“I happen to know that she has wolfsbane in her possession,” Gideon said. “I wouldn’t want you to be the one to fall victim to it.”
“More lies,” Justin said, his face scrunching up with disgust, his nose crinkling. “I don’t know why I ever thought an alliance with you was possible. Come, Daphne. Let us leave this foul place.”
Just for an instant, Daphne glanced at me. I held my breath, anticipating the worst. Instead, she turned fully around and accepting her mate’s arm, disappeared out the door. As promised, Gideon’s guards saw them out. I expected he likely ordered them to watch the couple all the way to the border to make sure they didn’t try anything.
When they were gone, I turned to Gideon.
“That could have gone better,” I said.
He gave me a witheringly look. “Don’t start with me, Raven. In fact, aren’t you needed elsewhere?” He glanced away then, so easily, so quickly, like I didn’t mean anything to him at all. Like I never did.
from me
For him to dismiss me like this meant that I wouldn’t be making any progress here. I wanted to help, per Leo’s request, but how could I, when Gideon wouldn’t even talk to me? There was no way he would open up enough to allow me to assist.
If I wanted to help him, I needed to find another way, one that didn’t involve him at all.
“I need to speak with you on one matter,” I said firmly, finishing my sentence even as Gideon looked at me sharply, like he wanted to cut me off. “I would like permission to return to my home pack for a few days. Peter will stay to guard Leo, and I will return soon.”
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Chapter 106
“I see.” The annoyance drained from Gideon’s face, replaced will an ice cold chill. “You must miss your lover terribly?
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I opened my mouth to counter that, but then decided against it. Let him think whatever he wanted. I doubted anything 1 could say would change his misconceptions anyway. Not even had believed me when I had told him I wasn’t dating
Ivan.
“Go,” he said. “You have my permission. I suppose I can appreciate you not hiding your true loyalties”
Again I thought to counter him, but again I held my tongue.
“Thank you, Alpha,” I said formally, and turned away from him wasn’t difficult, as he had already turned from me first.
I hugged Leo goodbye. “Nova and I will return soon. You will barely notice we are gone.”
“I already do,” Leo said, and my heart broke,
I held him tighter. Softly, I whispered to him, “I’m leaving because I have an idea to help your dad. I don’t know if it will work, but I want to try.”
There was less sadness in him as he pulled away. Now, determination shone in his eyes. “Okay”
Holding Nova’s hand, we walked outside and to the car that was waiting for us, to take us home.
My instincts twitched slightly. I had the distinct feeling I was being watched. I followed the feeling, looking back and up.
Gideon was watching me from one of the second–story windows of the pack house. Across the distance, our eyes met, and my heart leaped without my permission.
Gideon turned away first.
“Mom?” Nova asked. She was already in the backseat of the car and hadn’t seen Gideon.
That was for the best.
“Coming,” I said, and entered the car.
We had a driver taking us to the border where another car would be waiting, this one sent by Ivan. I hadn’t yet asked him about the Alpha King’s banquet. Usually he avoided it every year, but I was hopeful… maybe this year would be different. If we had a purpose, perhaps I could convince him.
“Are we helping Uncle Gideon?” Nova asked me.
“We’re going to try,” I said.
Nova tilted her head as she looked at me. “Do you like Uncle Gideon, Mom?”
I froze somewhat, but quickly waved that away. “Not like you are thinking, Nova. But I do believe he is a good Alpha, and he doesn’t deserve to lose control over his pack for doing what is right.”
Nova hummed. She didn’t say anything more but continued to look at me for a while.
When she looked out her window, I looked out mine.
Gideon’s POV
I wasn’t surprised really that Raven had abandoned me. Things my pack were going from bad to worse. Who would want to stay and have to deal with this fallout?
Still… I had hoped she would stay. She had once been someone I considered an ally. Now, it seemed, her only loyalty was to
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Tue, Jan ZU
Chapter 106
Ivan.
Whatever I was going to do to save myself, I would have to do alone.
55 Vouchers
Returning to my office, I found the invitation to the Alpha King’s banquet. Perhaps if I went, I could speak with the Alpha King before Justin and Daphne could. If I could present him with enough evidence, maybe he would take my side on this. Perhaps he would come to see that Justin and Daphne were rotten, through and through.
Hopefully he would even then dismiss Justin when he tried to approach the king.
At once, I summoned my Beta Xavier. When he entered the office, I told him the plan. “We need to gather as much evidence as we can, the more the better.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
Xavier immediately set out to work, as did I.
Yet, deep down, I knew. It didn’t really matter how much evidence we gathered, the odds weren’t in my favor.
