Chapter Sixteen: A Deadly Alliance
NICOLE
I couldn’t breathe.
Gerald was supposed to be dead. I had mourned him. I had stood over his grave, letting my tears fall into the earth that covered his coffin. He had been my anchor, my guide, my second–in–command.
And now, here he was, alive, standing next to Nadia with a smug, cruel smirk twisting his familiar face.
“How? Why?” My voice cracked, the words barely audible. I felt like I was drowning, my chest tight with disbelief. The shackles biting into my wrists and the cold ground beneath me reminded me where I was far from Nathan‘ s territory, far from any hope of immediate rescue.
I could shift. I could fight because Daniel’s name burned in my mind like a
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Chapter Sixteen: A Deadly Alliance
brand. I didn’t know where he was or
what they had done to him. I couldn’t risk
- it.
My thoughts spiraled as memories of Gerald flickered. I saw him at my side, steadfast through every trial. I heard his voice, promising loyalty.
And all of it had been a lie.
Gerald’s grin widened as if my torment was a source of joy for him. “How am I alive? Why am I doing this?” he echoed mockingly. “You know what? We still have a little time.”
He turned to Nadia, who was leaning
against the doorway with a smile as sharp as the silver blade strapped to her thigh.
“You make sure everything‘ s set?”
“Of course,” she replied, her tone dripping with satisfaction. “Go on. I want
to see the disbelief on her face. It’s not a good look on her.”
Her words stung, but I blinked past the
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rage and focused on Gerald. How long had they been working together?
As if reading my mind, he answered,
I “Nadia reached out to me a year ago. Her goals aligned with mine because, well, was already planning to take over my pack.”
“Your pack?” The words tumbled out, disbelieving.
Gerald’s face twisted with resentment, his voice snapping like a whip. “Yes, my pack! I was the one who held it together while your good–for–nothing father rotted away on his deathbed. After he was gone, it was finally my time to claim what was mine. Then you came back, sweeping in like it was your birthright.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. Was he serious? “It was my birthright,” I said, anger rising in my chest. “I was the heir. And it was my sacrifice–marrying Nathan -that kept the pack alive!
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Chapter Sixteen: A Deadly Alliance
He threw his head back, laughing hollowly.
“Your sacrifice?” he mocked. “You sacrificed nothing, Nicole. You should have stayed where you were, out of my way. Instead, you came back, forcing me to answer to you while I held the pack together and you paraded as its leader. So, when Nadia approached me, I told her about Daniel, and we set the plan in motion. The killings? They were just the start–a perfect distraction to kidnap him, force you back to Nathan, and wipe both of you out in one move. Then, finally, I‘ 11 claim what should‘ ve been mine all
along.”
I could barely hear him over the roar in my head. He had been planning this from the start. He had wanted me gone. And yet another thought clawed its way forward, cold and unrelenting. “That’s why you asked if I was going to merge. There were no whispers. Because if I‘ d, it would‘ ve disrupted your plans with her.”
Gerald’s smile faltered for a second
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Chapter Sixteen: A Deadly Alliance
before Nadia’s laughter filled the room, sharp and biting. “Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, her voice dripping with contempt. “The only plan was eliminating you and Nathan. Nathan for what his family did to me, and you because, well… I just never liked you. Once this is over, I’ll take over the Kaldor faction, and he’ll take Hastings. Together, we’ll wipe out every alpha and every other faction until we’re the only ones left
with power.
Her words were madness, but the
conviction in her tone made my blood run cold. My wolf snarled in my mind, furious and restless, but I forced myself to stay
calm.
“I’ve cooperated,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I need reassurance that my son is fine.”
Nadia exchanged a look with Gerald, her smile widening into something almost feral. “Oh, he’s fine,” she said sweetly.
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Chapter Sixteen: A Deadly Alliance
“In fact, you‘ II see him soon.”
Relief flickered in my chest for a moment— until Gerald’s voice cut through it like a knife.
“But you are going to regret asking for him.,” he said, stepping closer, his eyes dark with malice.
Then he crouched down, his face inches from mine, “Because he is going to watch you die first.”
