Chapter 57

ALPHA TRISTAN

I was still struggling to come to terms with the magnitude of Yvonne’s lies when Paige entered the room and dropped a metaphorical bomb. I pretended I hadn't heard her at first, desperate for a few more seconds to adequately process Yvonne’s betrayal and her manipulative claims of "debasing herself" for the good of the pack. It was a calculated move on her part; she had more or less succeeded in making me feel guilty for even nursing a single romantic thought for Sara.

The room grew so silent that the sound of a pin dropping would have echoed like a gunshot against the marble floor. "Khalid, are you telling me that whatever happened between you and Yvonne was consensual?" I repeated, my voice low and dangerous, as if I hadn't quite grasped his words the first time.

"Yes!" he stressed, his eyes darting around the room, trying to gauge the reactions of everyone present. "Did she say otherwise? Is that why you hit me?" He turned his gaze toward Yvonne, his voice dropping into a low, predatory growl. "You know better than to lie about me, Yvonne. Not when you were moaning in pleasure like a bitch in heat, urging me to go even faster every single time."

Yvonne’s face suddenly turned a dark, bruised shade of crimson.

"Oops. TMI," Sara muttered under her breath. Yvonne flared her nostrils, glaring at Sara with pure venom before suddenly finding a very interesting spot on the floor to inspect.

"Again, I don't know what's going on here," Harlan spoke up, his expression a mask of utter confusion. "But does Khalid’s history of sleeping with Yvonne have anything to do with the fact that this 'Carmen' woman is currently standing on our front porch?"

"If you have nothing serious to contribute, Harlan, shut the fuck up and stay in your corner," Yvonne snapped, suddenly regaining her voice. She turned back to me, her eyes pleading. "I may have… misrepresented the facts of the encounter, but the reality is that he took advantage of me."

She argued her point with a desperate fervor. I merely nodded, slowly folding my arms across my massive chest, feeling the tension in my biceps. "Did he now?"

"What else would you call a man who shows up out of nowhere, claims he has time-sensitive information that could save your life, but then demands you kiss him before he says a word?" Yvonne defended herself, her voice rising in pitch. "You don't have to take my word for it. You can ask Sara."

All eyes shifted toward Sara. She looked caught off guard, her lips parting as she struggled to find the right words.

"I don't know about the rest of it, but that's just gross," Paige spoke up. I turned and glared at her for speaking out of turn; this was neither the time nor the place for the domestic staff to weigh in on pack politics. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but I'm a woman, and I'd feel violated if I were forced into doing anything I didn't want to do with a stranger—no matter how handsome he might look."

"Thank you, Paige, for the support," Yvonne muttered. I watched Sara swallow hard, and I was tempted to infer that she felt terrible for not immediately jumping to Yvonne's defense, regardless of the bitter differences between them.

"A man might be open to doing things with a woman he’s only just met—he could kiss her, have sex with her, and it wouldn't change his world. But for women, we often crave an emotional connection before we can truly open up and feel comfortable. Paige is right; I was there for that part," Sara finally spoke up in Yvonne’s defense. I could see the flicker of surprise in Yvonne’s eyes; she clearly hadn't expected an ally in the woman she had been trying to replace.

While I understood the gendered argument the ladies were making, a darker thought took root in my mind. Based on Khalid's statement, Yvonne hadn't just endured it; she had enjoyed it. It wasn't a one-time lapse in judgment, either. It was three separate occasions, which suggested a level of willingness that turned my stomach. However, the possibility remained that Khalid had used blackmail to coerce her.

Realizing the depth of their physical history, I suddenly felt a wave of inexplicable regret for not acting on my own lust when Yvonne had offered herself to me in the past. It wasn't love—it was a primal, territorial instinct. I was filled with a bitter irritation that someone like Khalid had laid hands on her while I had practiced restraint.

"Alpha Tristan, what should I tell the lady waiting out in the cold?" Paige asked, her voice snapping me back to the harsh reality of the moment.

"Silence!" I roared. The sound vibrated through the penthouse. "I need to think."

Everyone held their tongue. I needed to concentrate on the chess board before me. The walls of the penthouse, once symbols of my absolute power and sanctuary, now felt as though they were closing in. The news of Carmen’s arrival at the gate was a death knell. If she saw Sara—if she even caught a whiff of her unique scent in this wing—the fragile peace I’d built on a foundation of lies would crumble into ash.

"Harlan," I said, my voice tight and commanding, leaving no room for error. "Take Sara to the sub-basement. Get her into the vault room. Now."

Harlan stepped forward to comply, but Sara didn't move an inch. She stood her ground, her arms crossed over that translucent kimono, her blue eyes blazing with a defiance that made my blood boil and my heart race simultaneously.

"No," she said. Her voice was a perfect match for the fire in her eyes.

"This isn't a debate, Sara," I snarled, stepping deep into her personal space until I could smell the faint scent of her skin. I could feel the Alpha heat radiating off me in waves. "You are going into that basement even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and lock the door myself."

"Then do it," she challenged, her voice low and steady. "I’m tired of being moved like a piece of furniture every time you get scared of a ghost. I'm tired of being treated like a caged animal. Perhaps it's a good thing for this 'Carmen' to find me. Let's end the charade."

I gripped her upper arms, my fingers digging into her soft skin. "You think you’re so strong, don’t you? You think you can stand against the Crescent Moon's vanguard? You don't even know why she's here. Did Alpha Rune send her? Or is she his mistress, bitter that you’ve suddenly arisen from the dead and are poised to steal his attention back?" My voice dropped to a desperate whisper, a tone of vulnerability I hated myself for showing. "Please... you aren't that strong yet, Sara. Don't push me. Not today. If Carmen sees you, I cannot protect you."

For a split second, her defiance flickered, caught by the genuine panic reflected in my eyes.

"Alpha Tristan is right. The last time Alpha Rune heard you were here, he came himself. Why would he send her all alone now that he’s more than certain of your presence from Khalid's confession?" Paige spoke up again, supporting my stance. "I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn again," she apologized quickly, but this time, I didn't glare. I needed all the help I could get to move Sara.

"Take me too!" Khalid piped up, his voice cracking with sheer whimpering terror. He was practically vibrating, his eyes darting toward the door as if Carmen were already standing behind it with a blade. "Please, Alpha... if she finds me... if she sees me here, she will come to the only logical conclusion: that I betrayed them and lied to Alpha Rune."

Yvonne let out a sharp, disgusted sound. "Look at you, cowering like a pup. You should be scared, you rat. If she finds you, she won’t just kill you; she’ll tag you as a traitor to our entire species. You’ll be flayed alive before your body even hits the floor."

"Who exactly is this 'Carmen'?" Harlan asked again, his expression still clouded. "I’ve heard the name whispered in the territories, but why is everyone acting like the Reaper is at the door?"

Yvonne turned to him, her eyes cold and clinical. "She is the version of me in Rune’s camp. His Right Hand. His shadow. She doesn’t negotiate, Harlan. She executes."

"She’s more than that," Khalid added, wiping beads of cold sweat from his brow. "She’s at par with Kayvon in their hierarchy. Fiercely loyal. Rune doesn't send her for routine inspections or neighborhood chats. He’s planning something grand—something final. He sent her because he knows that if we insult her or refuse her entry, he has his legal excuse to level this city to the ground."

The weight of Khalid's revelation was a physical pressure on my chest. Rune wasn't just checking in; he was baiting me, waiting for me to trip over my own secrets.

"Paige!" I barked.

The housekeeper jumped, looking nearly as terrified as Khalid.

"Take Sara and Khalid," I ordered, my mind racing through every possible exit strategy. "Use the service lift to the kitchen sub-levels. There’s a passage behind the cold storage that leads to the old tunnels. Take them out to the safe house a few blocks away. Move!"

Paige nodded frantically, grabbing Sara’s hand. Sara gave me one last, unreadable look—a mixture of hurt, anger, and something I couldn't quite identify—before she finally allowed herself to be led away. Khalid stumbled behind them like a man walking toward the gallows.

I watched the elevator doors close, feeling a piece of my soul leave the room with her. I turned back to Yvonne and Harlan, adjusting my cufflinks and smoothing the lapels of my jacket. My heart was a hammer against my ribs, but I forced my face to become a mask of stone.

"Let’s go," I said, my voice regaining its iron authority. "Let’s see what the Conqueror’s shadow has to say for herself."

We walked down to the Grand Hall. The atmosphere throughout the building was brittle, like glass ready to shatter. Every warrior we passed was on edge, their nostrils flaring as they sensed the shift in the wind. Standing in the center of the hall, flanked by two stone-faced Crescent Moon guards, was Carmen.

She was dressed in tactical black, her dark hair pulled back so tight it looked painful. She didn't look impressed by the imported marble, the vaulted ceilings, or the gold leaf accents of my home. She looked like a woman who was simply counting the seconds until she could start burning it all down.

"Alpha Tristan," she said, her voice smooth, melodic, and entirely devoid of any human warmth. "You certainly took your time. I was beginning to think you were busy hiding something you didn't want me to see."