Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Kian's POV

I slammed the Council petition down on my father's desk. "It's done. I've filed the claim."

My father looked up from his papers, his expression unreadable. "You're really going through with this?"

"She was coerced. Manipulated when she was vulnerable. The pack transfer wasn't legitimate." I crossed my arms. "The Council will see that."

"The Council will see a desperate man trying to reclaim what he threw away." My father stood, his Alpha presence filling the room. "You're making yourself look like a fool, Kian."

"I'm protecting what's mine."

"Yours?" He laughed bitterly. "You spent six years treating her like she was disposable. You let another woman live in the cabin meant for your mate. You caused injuries that cost her an arm. And now you want to claim she's yours?"

"She was my mate first. She belonged to my pack first." My hands clenched into fists. "Damian had no right to take her."

My father studied me for a long moment. "This isn't about wanting her back. This is about your pride."

"So what if it is?" I met his eyes. "She humiliated me. Left me standing there like some rejected pup while she ran to my brother. Everyone saw it. Everyone knows she chose him over me."

"Because you gave her every reason to leave."

"I don't care!" I roared. "She doesn't get to just walk away. She doesn't get to be happy with him while I'm here dealing with the aftermath of her betrayal."

"Her betrayal?" My father's voice was ice. "Listen to yourself."

"I'm filing the claim. The Council hearing is in three days." I moved toward the door. "And when I win, she's coming back here. Where she belongs."

"And then what?" My father asked. "You'll punish her? Make her suffer for daring to choose happiness over your scraps of attention?"

I didn't answer. I didn't need to.

"You're going to lose more than just this claim," my father said quietly. "You're going to lose whatever respect you had left."

I slammed the door on my way out.

Later that evening, my father summoned me to his private study. When I arrived, he was staring at an old photo on his desk. I recognized it immediately—him with his first mate, Damian's mother.

"Do you know why I rejected her?" he asked without looking up.

I shifted uncomfortably. We didn't talk about this. Ever.

"She wanted to leave the pack. Take Damian with her. Start fresh somewhere else." He set the photo down. "I couldn't allow it. So we did a mutual rejection. I kept part of the territory, gave her the rest for Damian. It was the only way."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because that woman ruined everything." His voice turned bitter. "I swore pack territory to Damian the day he was born. A promise I regret every single day. He got legitimate Alpha rights because of a moment of weakness."

My chest tightened. "Father…"

"I never wanted him. Never accepted him as my real heir." He finally looked at me. "You're my son. From my true mate. You're the one who should have everything."

I felt a surge of satisfaction hearing those words.

"But this?" He gestured at the Council petition. "This isn't about claiming what's yours. This is about destroying yourself over pride. Going after Violet like this won't fix what's broken in you."

"I don't care what it looks like. I'm getting her back."

"Why? So you can parade her around like a trophy you've reclaimed? So you can punish her for having the strength to leave?" He turned to face me. "Or is it because you can't stand that Damian has something you lost?"

"All of it," I admitted, my voice low. "All of the above."

My father's expression hardened. "Then you're more lost than I thought."

"I'm not lost. I'm taking back what's mine." I moved toward the door. "The Council will side with me. They'll see that Damian manipulated a vulnerable woman. And when she's back here, she'll remember exactly who she belongs to."

"And what will you do with her then?"

I smiled, cold and sharp. "Whatever I want. She won't leave again. I'll make sure of it."

"You've become a monster, Kian."

"No, Father. I've just stopped pretending to be anything else."

I was heading back to my car when Jesse caught up with me, breathing hard.

"Alpha Kian, we need to talk. Now."

"Not now, Jesse…"

"It's about the pack finances." His expression was grim. "You need to see this."

He handed me a tablet. I scrolled through the documents, frowning.

"What am I looking at?"

"Unauthorized withdrawals. Large ones" Jesse pointed to specific entries. "Someone's been taking money from the pack accounts using your authorization codes."

My blood ran cold. "How much?"

"Nearly half a million dollars."

I stared at the screen. "That's impossible. I would have noticed…"

"You've been distracted," Jesse said carefully. "And whoever did this was smart about it. Small amounts at first. Then larger as time went on. They've been covering their tracks, but I dug deeper after we started having budget problems."

Budget problems that started around the same time Violet left

"Who?" I demanded. "Who's been stealing from us?"

Jesse hesitated. "The authorization codes used were yours. But the withdrawals always happened on days when you were... occupied."

"Jesse, just tell me."

He pulled up another screen. Bank statements. Transfer records. All leading to one account.

Vivian's account.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. "No. That can't be right."

"I triple-checked everything." Jesse's voice was gentle. "I'm sorry, Alpha. But Vivian has been embezzling pack funds for years.”

I scrolled through the evidence with shaking hands. Withdrawals on my birthday when I was with her. On holidays. On the day of my failed mating ceremony.

She'd been stealing from the pack while I was distracted. While I was with her.

While I was choosing her over Violet.

The tablet slipped from my hands.

All this time. All these years.

"What do you want me to do?" Jesse asked.

I picked up the tablet, staring at Vivian's name on the screen. "Nothing. Yet."

"Kian…"

"I said nothing." I handed the tablet back. "Keep this between us. Don't tell anyone what you found."

Jesse frowned. "Why?"

"Just do as I say," I ordered.

Jesse nodded reluctantly and left.

I stood there in the parking lot, my mind racing.

Vivian had used me. Stolen from me. Destroyed Violet while I watched.

And I'd let her.

I'd chosen her over Violet ninety-nine times. I'd believed her lies. I'd defended her when Violet tried to tell me the truth.

But I couldn't take it back now. Couldn't undo the damage.

All I could do was get Violet back. Force her to return. Make her pay for leaving me.

Make her suffer the way I was suffering.

It didn't matter that it wasn't her fault. It didn't matter that I was the one who destroyed everything.

She'd left me. Made me look weak. Chose my brother over me.

And for that, she needed to be punished.

I got in my car and drove toward the pack house, my hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel.

The Council hearing was in two weeks. I'd face her then. I'd bring her back.

And this time, she wouldn't escape.

Vivian stood in the empty cabin, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Tell me you have good news," she said.

The voice on the other end was calm. Professional. "Plans are progressing. The ceremony preparations continue. No one suspects anything."

"And the letter?"

"Delivered as instructed. She's scared. Looking over her shoulder constantly."

Vivian smiled. "Perfect. And the other matter?"

"I've identified the best points of vulnerability. When you're ready to move forward, everything will be in place."

"Good." Vivian walked to the window, looking out at the territory that should have been hers by now. "Kian's filing his Council claim. That should distract Damian nicely. But I want insurance."

"What kind of insurance?"

"The kind that ensures Violet's ceremony day is the worst day of her life." Vivian's voice turned cold. "I want her broken. Completely broken. Can you do that?"

A pause. "For the agreed price? I can do anything."

"Then do it. And keep me updated on every detail. I want to know everything that happens in that pack."

"Understood."

Vivian hung up and stared at her reflection in the window. Soon, Violet would understand what it meant to cross her. Soon, everyone would see that Vivian always got what she wanted.

And what she wanted was Violet destroyed.

Her phone buzzed with a new message from her contact: "One more thing. There's someone else watching Violet. Someone close to her. Want me to investigate?"

Vivian's eyebrows rose. An unexpected complication. Or perhaps an opportunity.

She typed back: "Yes. Find out who. And find out if they can be useful."

The response came quickly: "Already on it."

Vivian smiled, her reflection showing nothing but cold calculation.

The game was getting more interesting by the day.