Semua Bab Alpha's Regret: Return of the Rejected Mate: Bab 291 - Bab 296

Nick’s POVThe underground chamber felt different tonight. Colder somehow, despite the torches burning in their iron brackets. I descended the stone steps, trying to catch the voices drifting up from below.The Rogue King sat at his usual place at the head of the scarred wooden table, his lieutenants arranged around him like pieces on a chess board. Their faces turned toward me as I entered, expressions ranging from respectful to curious.“Nicholas,” the Rogue King said, gesturing to the empty chair at his right hand. “Perfect timing. We were just discussing next week’s operations.”I settled into my seat, pulling out the folded papers I’d taken from Dominic’s office that morning. Intelligence gathered during coffee and casual conversation, information shared because he trusted me completely.“Darkwood Pack is restructuring their eastern border patrols,” I began, spreading the documents across the table. “Everything you need to plan around their defenses.”A soldier leaned forward, stu

Dominic’s POVThe sound of Debbie’s laughter drifted down the hallway as I climbed the stairs toward the nursery. She’d been spending more time here lately, eager for these afternoon visits with Alexander and Kelsey.Too eager, maybe.Kelsey’s voice, soft and understanding. Debbie’s voice, younger and more emotional than usual.“…and sometimes I wonder if she even remembers I exist,” Debbie was saying.I stopped outside the door. Through the crack, I could see Debbie sitting in the small chair beside Kelsey, carefully holding Alexander’s bottle while he fed.“That must feel awful, sweetie.” Kelsey’s voice held just the right amount of sympathy. “When parents get so caught up in their work that they forget about the people who need them most.”“It does feel awful. Like I’m not important enough for her to notice.”My hands clenched into fists. What the hell was Kelsey doing?“You are important, Debbie. You’re the most important thing in the world. Any real mother would know that.” Kelsey

The Rogue King’s POVThe stench of blood filled my underground chamber like rotting meat. Bodies of my fighters had been returned under cover of darkness—seventeen corpses. Another perfect operation turned into a massacre by that phantom bastard.“Tell me again,” I snarled at Larry, the only survivor from the eastern settlement raid. His left arm hung in a makeshift sling, blood seeping through dirty bandages. “Every detail about what you saw.”“He came from nowhere, sir.” Larry’s voice shook. “One second the civilians were running like we planned, the next second Riley and Davis were down with their throats cut.”“How did he move?”“Fast. Faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. Like he knew exactly where we’d be before we got there.”I slammed my fist into the concrete wall, feeling skin split against rough stone. Blood dripped down my knuckles, but the pain felt good. Real. Unlike the ghost that was making me look like a fool.“Three operations!” I roared at the assembled lieutenants who