Zach’s POVThe next day, I headed to the prison to see Kayla’s father who was being beaten by a guard.“What are you doing?” I asked as the guard shrugged.“Your father said I should interrogate him.”“Don’t do that,” I sighed. “I’ll talk to him. He should say something to me without all of this torture.”I leaned in to look into the man’s eyes as he looked at me with a sneer. “Sir, I don’t want us to resort to methods that we would regret later. How about you tell me what I need to know and I’ll be out of your hair in a very short time.”That should do the trick but the man looked away from me. He didn’t seem to get the memo that no one cared about him and they could kill him just as they did his wife if this kept up.Suddenly my father entered with an angry step.“Has he talked yet?” He asked the guard who pointed to me. “Did you release him from his torture? Don’t undermine my authority in this pack. When I say something I expect you to obey it.”“Father!” I yelled in anger. “I’m
Zach’s POVMy tone filled with cruel satisfaction. I didn’t like where this was going but this was the only thing I could do which would get the truth out. "You have learned a valuable lesson today, Ulric."With a swift motion, I reached for a small dagger at my side. The blade glinted in the dim light as I pressed it against his throat. The traitor's eyes widened in terror and resignation, realizing that his fate had been sealed.My grip tightened on the dagger as I leaned closer, my voice dripping with malice. "Remember this moment, Ulric and think about it deeply. Is this how you want to go down? Your daughters are outside and they see you for what you are," I hissed. "Remember the price of your treachery. You should think really deeply before I swipe this through your throat.”The man thought about it and decided to talk.“I’ll say everything.”That got a smile on my lips. With a straight face, I straightened up and started for the door, motioning for the guards to get him to the
Zach’s POVThose words from him were something I didn’t know I would hear anytime soon.“Excuse me?” I asked as the man gulped.“Well, technically I’ve tried stealing it before but it didn’t work smuggling it out so there’s that.”“And when was this?”The man looked at Willow and Kayla before looking at me.“Don’t you remember the woman you beheaded?”“That was Kayla’s mother.”“I had stolen the pack secrets and when your father found out, he got mad and asked for the pack to be on lockdown. That made things difficult to navigate through. So I knew that there was only one thing to do as I was afraid that if the lockdown didn't end I would be caught. It was also during that time that your father sent guards who went from one house to the next, searching for the pack secrets, and that night they were sweeping through each house really fast. So I took it upon myself to save my head. The minute the guards came knocking, I gave them Susan since I was scared that they would take me away.”“
Zach’s POVFelix rose to his feet, his gaze meeting mine. It seemed like he wanted to say something but he was turned and the guards made him leave the throne room, his head held low with the weight of his shame. The room fell into a heavy silence, the echoes of his footsteps fading into the distance.I made my way to Kayla while the man was led out as she turned to me, her eyes filled with tears. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice trembling.I took her hand in mine, squeezing it gently. "We rebuild," I said, my voice filled with determination. "We learn from this betrayal, and we emerge stronger than ever. Together, we will guide our pack towards a brighter future."“No, you’re talking about you. You’ll rebuild. I’m broken right now. My father is a traitor. He’s a terrible man.”“Hey,” I held her steady. “You should not cry for him. He doesn’t deserve those tears. He’s a terrible man. You should focus on yourself. Focus on our child.”As everyone dispersed, leaving Kayla and
Zach’s POVWillow looked up, her tear-streaked face a mixture of pain and confusion. "I don't know who I am anymore," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Everything I believed was a lie."Kayla stepped forward, her heart breaking for the woman. "Willow, you are still the same person you've always been," she said, her voice filled with conviction. "Your bloodline does not define you. You are strong, compassionate, and resilient. And I will be here for you, no matter what. And no matter what, we are still sisters."Kayla looked at me, her eyes searching for peace. And in that moment, I knew that our love would be the foundation upon which we would rebuild.“Take him away,” I said to my guards who bowed and dragged the man away from us.He cried but it all fell on deaf ears. He was a monster. He didn’t deserve any pity from any of us.It was during this trying time that Adriana’s mother visited and while she stayed with Kayla, I focused on handling other pack business. Although sh
Kayla’s POVThe woman who was seated beside me saw the protruding bulge of my belly and smiled.“Very soon you will bring life into this world and I can’t wait for what you would call the child.”“What did you want to discus?” I was not about to have a conversation about my family with this woman. She was not person I would trust for that kind of conversation.“It’s about Adriana,” she said. I raised a brow.“What about her?” I scoffed. “Are you here to brag about how she’s having the best marriage and how it’s not on par with my relationship? If that is how it is going to be, please know that I’m not in the mood for it and I’m feeling very cranky today.”“It’s not about that… actually it’s the opposite.” Now she got my attention as I looked at her with narrowed eyes.“What do you mean?”I saw her sniff and try to control her emotions before she started talking.“Adriana is not happy in her relationship with Jackson. She is being abused by the Alina day and night and he doesn’t even c
Zach’s POV The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a dull glow over the outskirts of my pack as I made my way through the dense forest. I wouldn’t have gone but instead stayed in my cozy home but curiosity had driven me forward, unaware that I was walking into a trap that would test my will and my ability to survive.As I arrived at the designated spot, my senses heightened, detecting the presence of danger lurking in the shadows. “Hello?!” I called out. “I’m here now!”But no one answered back.Everything in me told me that this was exactly what I knew it was but I didn’t want believe it.“Jackson, if you don’t show up, I’ll have to know that you’re a child who’s chickening out of a lot and your name would be in the mud as the alpha who can’t keep to his promises!”But nothing was said back to me.Instead I saw a few shadows zipping around me in the forest which had me narrowing my eyes.It was then that I realized I had been set up. The alpha I had come to meet had betrayed
Zach’s POVThe next day, I travelled with the evidence I had with me to the council and while there, I made sure to present everything to the werewolf council who called for Jackson and Fiona to be present.They refused to show up and out of courtesy I was called to go to the pack to call him.On my way there, I had chosen my normal team, my father for his wisdom, Lucas for his strength and Mateo for added support.I was not going to waste my time with petty squabbles that weren’t important.I would get in there and talk to him. Get to know who he is to avoid showing up for the council meeting.That would have me talking to him with the level of rage I was having bottled up within.“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Asked my father who was wary of the whole situation. “It seems a little off to do this.”“It’s either I do this or I don’t at all.”“We don’t have to go to his house. We can easily avoid going there by sending people to go over there.”“No,” I said with a straight