CHAPTER 4: The Devil At Dinner

Everything happened too fast. One moment, we were a normal family enjoying dinner together; the next, we were prisoners of fear, sitting stiffly under the heavy presence of a man who could only be described as terrifying.

The silence in the room was suffocating, almost tangible. It pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I glanced around the table and saw the same strain on my family’s faces. My mother’s hands trembled as they rested on the table, my younger sister’s lips quivered, and even Ian, my brave older brother, looked as if he was bracing himself for a blow. 

Clearing his throat, my father finally summoned enough courage to speak.

“Welcome, Alpha Darius. How nice of you to join us this lovely evening” he said, though his voice cracked slightly, and his awkward smile betrayed the fear lurking beneath his words.

Nice? There was no way this man could ever be associated with that word. Everything about him—from the cold gleam in his dark eyes and the jagged scar that ran down his left cheek to the domineering air he carried—screamed danger. His mere presence made the word ‘nice’ seem laughable, almost insulting.

“You have a beautiful daughter, as they said, Jacob” Alpha Darius drawled, his eyes moving over me with a deliberate slowness that made my skin crawl.

Before I could process his words, Ian shifted in his seat and stood abruptly, stepping between me and the Alpha’s unsettling gaze. His broad shoulders blocked me from view, and I could feel the tension radiating off him like heat.

Darius chuckled, a dark, low sound that sent chills down my spine. “A protective brother, I see,” he said, amused.

My mother, who had been deathly silent until now, finally found her voice. It trembled slightly, but she spoke nonetheless. “May I know why you’ve graced us with your presence, Alpha?”

Darius leaned back in his chair, a smirk curling his lips. “What a surprise. Your husband hasn’t filled you in on our little arrangement?” His tone was biting, the mockery in it cutting through the already tense atmosphere like a blade.

His words left us all stunned. I felt the air shift in the room, sharp and electric, as every pair of eyes turned to my father. My heart began to pound. What arrangement?

“They want an explanation, Jacob” Alpha Darius muttered.

“Jacob?” my mother called, her voice trembling. I could see the storm of emotions rising in her eyes—confusion, fear, and something close to desperation.

My father’s shoulders sagged, his gaze fixed on the table as though he couldn’t bear to meet our eyes. The outspoken man I’d known my whole life suddenly looked like a shadow of himself, weak and pitiful.

“I… I…” he stammered, barely audible.

But Darius was done waiting. “He traded your daughter for a position in my pack” he announced.

“What?!” Ian and I exclaimed in unison, the shock reverberating through us like a physical blow.

“Tell me he’s lying” my mother swallowed. Her legs wobbled, and she clutched the edge of the table as if it was the only thing keeping her upright.

Darius’s expression darkened, and in an instant, his calm facade shattered. 

“Do not call me a liar!” he yelled.

Before any of us could react, he lunged forward, grabbing my mother by the neck with a speed that made my breath catch. He slammed her against the wall with a force that rattled the picture frames, her gasp of pain echoed. 

Ian lunged forward without hesitation, his fists clenched tightly, his protective instincts flaring to life.

“Let her go!” he roared, charging at Alpha Darius like a wild bull.

But Darius was quicker. With a cruel smirk, he sidestepped Ian’s attack effortlessly and flung him across the room with one powerful motion. Ian’s body collided with the dining table, shattering plates and glassware in an explosive crash. My heart seized as I saw my brother groan, struggling to push himself up amidst the wreckage.

“Stop it!” I screamed. 

Darius didn’t even glance at me. His grip tightened around my mother’s throat, his cold, vicious gaze locked on her as if daring her to defy him again.

“Alpha Darius, please!” My father finally spoke, but there was no power behind his plea. His shoulders sagged as guilt weighed heavily on him, making him look smaller and more defeated than I had ever seen.

The Alpha scoffed, finally releasing my mother, who crumpled to the floor in a heap, coughing and clutching her throat. He turned his predatory eyes toward me, an unholy grin spreading across his face.

“If I can’t have her” Darius announced, his voice chillingly calm, “then I’ll take the younger one. She will make a fine replacement.”

“No!” Ian shouted, dragging himself to his feet despite the blood trickling down his temple. “You’ll have to go through me first.”

Darius laughed, a deep, malevolent sound. “Brave, but stupid.” He turned his attention to my younger sister, who was trembling violently in the corner, her wide eyes brimming with tears. “Such innocence…” he mused darkly. “The best stage to have her, so I can groom her into an obedient bride.”

“She’s barely a teenager!” My father finally found his voice, stepping forward to shield Cherrel. There was no authority in his tone, only desperation.

Darius tilted his head, his grin widening. “That’s the point, Jacob. You of all people should know how the world works. Obedience is best taught young.”

Cherrel whimpered, clutching my father’s arm tightly. Seeing her frightened state sent a wave of anger and protectiveness surging through me. I couldn’t bear to watch her suffer. I couldn’t let this monster take her.

“I’ll go with you” I blurted, the words escaping before I could think.

The room froze. Every gaze snapped to me in disbelief, but I refused to back down. My little sister’s tear-streaked face, the way she clung to our father for safety, burned into my mind. I had to protect her. If sacrificing myself was the only way to do it, then so be it.

“Nevaeh, no!” Ian rasped, shaking his head vehemently. “Don’t do this.”

“No” my mother whispered weakly from the floor, her tear-filled eyes pleading with me. “Please, don’t…”

But it was already too late. Alpha Darius’s eyes lit up with cruel satisfaction as he stepped closer to me. 

“Now that’s a good girl” he purred, his grin stretching devilishly.

My heart pounded in my chest, but I stood firm, refusing to show him my fear. If this was the only way to keep my family safe, then I’d endure whatever awaited me.

KANE

The meeting was dragging on longer than I’d like. My pack elders were old-fashioned, traditional to the core, and they clung to old beliefs that made it hard to move forward. I glanced around the long wooden table, each of their faces etched with years of hard decisions, scars of the past. 

“We need a mate for the pack, Alpha Kane” Elder Sylverick spoke. “Without an heir, the pack will falter. You know this.”

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the fire crackling in the hearth. My hands clenched involuntarily. I had long ago accepted the truth that I could never have children—not the way I had hoped. But the pack's future depended on an heir, and I was caught in a curse that denied me that very thing. My frustration bubbled beneath the surface.

“I’m well aware” I muttered, my voice colder than I intended. 

They exchanged knowing glances, their graying faces wrinkling further in concern. Elder Sylverick sighed heavily, his grey eyes hardening as he looked at me.

“Then let's find someone. You need a mate, Alpha Kane. A powerful, strong female. We cannot afford to wait on fate.”

I set my jaw, unwilling to let them see how deeply their words dug into me. “I’ll find a solution, Sylverick. It’s not your decision.” My tone carried a finality that stilled their mumbling. 

The elders were wise, but they didn’t know everything. None of them knew about Nevaeh or the bond I shared with her—one that might destroy both of us if we weren’t careful.

The door suddenly flew open with a loud bang, and Lyall, my Beta, stormed in. He was breathless, his chest rising and falling with urgency. His icy blue eyes were wide with something unsettling, and his usual composure was gone.

“What the hell, Lyall?” I barked, irritation flaring. “Can’t you knock?”

He froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard by my tone, then straightened up quickly. 

“My apologies, Alpha” he said gruffly, catching his breath. “It’s urgent.”

I shot a look at the elders, they were equally perplexed by the intrusion. 

“Leave us” I said coldly, dismissing them with a sharp wave of my hand. They hesitated, but eventually filed out, leaving Lyall and me alone.

“Speak!” I ordered. 

Lyall hesitated, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he composed himself. 

“It’s Nevaeh” he muttered. “She’s been captured.”

My blood ran cold. Nevaeh. The name stung more than I cared to admit. A rogue, and now... a prisoner.

“And how does this concern me, Lyall?” I raised an eyebrow. 

I saw him pause, his eyes flickering with something dark before he spoke again, voice hardening. “Alpha Darius is her captor.”

My heart stopped. Darius—the pack leader of the Shadowfangs. My old rival. The one person I could never afford to underestimate, especially now. And if he had Nevaeh... my mate, my bond, my curse... it all felt like it was slipping through my fingers.

I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Are you telling me that Darius has taken my mate? The one person who could break this curse?” My voice was low, controlled, but it held a dangerous edge.

Lyall nodded. “Yes. It seems he knows more than we thought, Alpha. Maybe knows about the prophecy.”

I felt the rage simmer inside me. This was no longer about the future of my pack. This was personal. I knew I had to think, to act strategically. 

“Where is she?”

Lyall didn’t respond immediately, as if calculating how much to say. “Darius is taking her to his pack. He won’t let her go. Not with what she represents.”

I clenched my fists, my claws scraping against my palms as I fought the urge to shift. 

“Then I’ll make sure he regrets it. No one, not even Darius, holds what belongs to me.”

Lyall shifted uncomfortably. “You may want to be careful, Alpha. Darius has allies. We can’t go in blind. We need a plan.”

I shot him a hard look. “I’m the plan.”