Chapter 6

Ace

Revenge was the only reason I decided to return to the Blackthorn Pack.

As we rode toward the territory, my mind kept reeling, dragging me back into the shadows of the past. I couldn't help but clench my fists tight against the leather horse reins, my knuckles turning white as the old fury burned a familiar hole in my chest.

“I didn't do it!” I had cried back then, my small figure had stood trembling in the center of the pack’s judging hall. Mocking, cursing eyes glared down at me from every corner. Nobody was willing to believe me. My small frame couldn't help but shake under the weight of their hatred.

“I saw him. He did it,” Draven had accused, stepping forward with a cool, calculated calm. “He never liked her, and that's why he did it.”

I had clenched my fists in pure rage. He was older than me, stronger, and favored. Why is he doing this? I thought, the unfairness suffocating me.

“Dad, I'm your son! Can't you just believe me?” I begged, tears blurring my vision, hoping for a shred of parental mercy.

His answer shattered every piece of hope I had left.

“You are my son, and that's exactly why I should kill you,” my father barked, his voice echoing off the stone walls. “Instead, you will be sent into exile.”

“But Alpha, he is too young,” the Beta defended, stepping forward to protest.

“I don't care. He deserves worse, and I'm being generous by letting him breathe,” my father commanded coldly. He leveled a harsh glare at the Beta. “Since you care so much about him, you will go into exile with him.”

My father turned and stormed out of the hall, leaving his decree behind. I could never forget that exact moment, or the look on Draven’s face afterward. That cold smirk, those mocking eyes….. they were burned into my memory.

Revenge had been the only thought in my head for the past ten years. I structured my plans day by day, waiting for my father's death to finally clear my path back to the pack. But who would have thought the old man would die so early?

When we finally arrived at the Blackthorn Pack, I halted in front of the massive pack gates. Memories flashed through my mind in a chaotic blur, both the good and the bitter.

As we walked our horses through the gates, every eye from every corner of the plaza locked onto us. On me, mostly.

“The cursed son is back,” I heard them whisper, the hushed words rippling through the crowd.

“He was exiled, and now that the Alpha is dead, he’s back to steal the throne.”

“I heard he killed his blood brother, his stepmother, and his own mother.”

I remembered when I was a boy leaving this pack for exile; those exact whispers had felt like silver knives stabbing through my heart.

But now? Now, I didn't care. Let them whisper.

“Alpha Ace, are you okay?” Ronan asked, his voice low and laced with worry as he rode beside me.

“Yes, I'm okay,” I replied, keeping my eyes locked straight ahead.

It didn't take long before we reached the steps of the packhouse. The fortress was exactly the same, showing little difference from when I was a child. But as I hopped down from my horse, a sudden, sharp scent cut through the mountain air, invading my senses. I stiffened instantly, every hair on my arms standing on end.

Mate. My wolf roared in my head, pacing the cage of my mind.

What? Internal panic flared through me.

A mate was not part of the plan. I never wanted one, and I had always promised myself that if I ever found her, I would reject her instantly.

But has my eyes locked onto her face, the cold walls of my resolve began to fracture.

She looked ethereal, almost unreal. Her silver-white hair cascaded like silk around her shoulders, contrasting sharply against the pale skin that seemed to glow under the courtyard lights and when her small hand accidentally brushed against the jagged scar on my skin, a violent spark of electricity surged straight through my body.

She scrambled back from me like a startled doe, and despite my cold heart, I found the panicked movement captivating.

“Ace, and you...” I murmured, stepping closer and lifting her chin with my fingers. She was breathtaking, I couldn't deny it, but revenge was still the ultimate goal.

“She's mute, Ace. And she's Draven's wife.”

The all-too-familiar, vicious voice of Selena cut through the air, shattering the moment.

Draven's wife?! The words tasted like poison.

Draven, again, Why was he always taking what belonged to me?

A dark, dangerous promise formed in my chest. I wouldn't just take my revenge anymore, I would take my mate, too.

“Are you okay, My Lady Lyra? Let's go,” a petite maid whispered, quickly walking up to her. She gently guided Lyra away, but my eyes trailed after her small figure, tracking her until she disappeared completely behind the heavy wooden doors.

“Long time no see,” Selena said, stepping into my line of sight to force my attention back to her.

“True,” I replied, my voice dropping to a dangerous, flat tone.

“Just so you know, that thing you were just touching is Draven's wife,” Selena scoffed, crossing her arms. “She's completely mute and wolfless. If I were you, I'd stay far away from her.”

A dark realization washed over me. Oh, now I see, A display wife…. That was exactly what my mate was to him.

Draven was using her rare, unreal beauty as a trophy to show off his power to the rest of the world. I had heard rumors of a silent, silver-haired beauty in the pack, but I had always dismissed them as an exaggeration but guess I was wrong.

I stepped toward Selena, closing the distance so aggressively that she stumbled back a step. Bending down to her level, I pressed my mouth close to her ear.

“I can smell your fear, Sister Selena,” I whispered, letting the dark purr of my wolf bleed into my words. “Are you scared the mute girl is going to take your place?”

Selena scoffed, though her chest heaved up and down in a sudden fit of anger. “As if she could! Draven won't even look at her. She is for politics, and that's all.” She slammed her heel down, turning sharply to walk away.

Ronan stared after her, still completely baffled by the encounter. “Alpha... the rumors about the lady were real?”

“Yes, they are,” I said, a slow, dark smile spreading across my face. “Guess the rumors weren't lying. And honestly? I'm glad she's my mate.”

“Mate?” Ronan panicked, his eyes widening as he lowered his voice. “Alpha, but she's Alpha Draven's wife!”

“I know,” I replied coldly, turning toward the packhouse steps. “He’s just a husband for display. Nothing more. In this pack, a forced marriage means absolutely nothing to me.”

“Alpha Ace, but…..” Ronan called out, scrambling to catch up as I swept past the doors.

I needed to see my stepbrother. After all, he was the one who had called me back to this hellhole.