Semua Bab The Rejected Omega's Redemption : Bab 401 - Bab 410

The explosion still echoed in Desmond’s skull long after the smoke had faded into the wind. An Alpha king’s estate was supposed to be impenetrable and untouchable but now, one entire section of the outer wall had been blown apart.Desmond’s nostrils flared as he paced the marble floor of his private chamber, the smell of dust still clinging to him. Ava and Seraphina stood by the doorway, both pale, their expressions revealing equal hints of shock and fear.“Who would dare do this?” Seraphina asked, her voice trembling. “They struck directly at you.”“The resistance,” Desmond growled. “Of course it’s the resistance. They’re getting bolder, recklessly bold.”He slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the crystal lamp. “Desmond—” Seraphina stepped toward him. “Let me come with you. I want to see the damage.”“No.” His voice was louder than intended and Seraphina froze. Desmond forced himself to exhale, but the rage still simmered beneath every breath. “You stay here, both of you.”A

Desmond moved slightly from where he was standing and took a step forward, his face emotionless.“You spend time with every class of worker in this estate,” Desmond said. “Sometimes more than I would prefer.”“You mean because I don’t act like I’m above them,” Jack shot back.Desmond’s eyes narrowed. “Because familiarity breeds assumptions. They might have believed you could be convinced to join them.”“That’s ridiculous,” Jack snapped. “You know where my loyalty lies.”Desmond leaned over the table, lowering his voice. “Do I? Truly?”Jack felt anger flare, but he pushed it down.“Desmond,” he said firmly, “I would never side with anyone trying to harm you. Never.”Desmond studied him in silence for a long moment, as though weighing the sincerity in his face then he exhaled and nodded once.“Good because I need you at my side tomorrow.”Jack tensed. “At the execution?”“Yes.”“Why?”Desmond reduced the soace between them and sat across from Jack. “Because strength must be visible.

Dinner sat heavily on the wooden table, warm and steaming, but the air around it felt thick and suffocating. Mira had tried, nervously at first, to make conversation, but now, the silence pressed down on her like a physical weight.Max sat rigid, his shoulders tight, staring at the plate in front of him as if the food had become some distant, unrecognizable object. “Um… Max,” she began, her voice quieter than she intended. “I, uh… I made a lot of this… I thought maybe—”Max’s eyes flicked toward her, icy and unyielding. “I don’t have an appetite,” he said flatly, his voice clipped. It wasn’t angry, yet, but there was a hard edge to it that made Mira flinch.Becca, sensing the awkwardness tried to lighten the mood. She leaned back in her chair, smiling faintly, her hands clasped on her lap. “Well, you have to admit, Mira did practically all the work. She’s basically a culinary genius. You’re lucky if you eat anything truly delicious, it’s thanks to her.”Mira’s stomach lurched. She

The sun bore down mercilessly on the sprawling arena. The shadows of the prisoners stretched long across the arena floor, twisting in the light of the unrelenting sun.Desmond raised a single hand, and the murmurs among the crowd died instantly. Silence fell like a heavy curtain, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.“My loyal subjects!” Desmond’s voice rang out, deep and commanding, carrying over the arena. “Do you understand why you are here? Do you know why these traitors kneel before you?”A few voices from the crowd responded, but Desmond ignored them, letting the weight of his gaze press upon the three prisoners.“These men,” he continued, “dared to defy me, they dared to question the order I have established, they dared to whisper the words of rebellion into the ears of the weak, the naive, the misguided and yet here they are, kneeling, forced to face the truth of their folly.”He stepped down, his movements slow and deliberate. He circled the prisoners, stopping before

Despite the late hour, the pack town was lively with vendors closing up stalls, groups of wolves heading toward the nighttime training grounds, children darting between adults with an energy Max wished he could steal.He kept his head down, keeping to the shadows as he moved through the crowd, but the moment he passed the old supply depot, something caught his eye.A large wooden board with fresh nails and bright ink.Max’s breath caught.Posted at the center were four sketches of Max, Mira, Becca and Eugene with a bold text underneath:WANTED FOR TREASON AGAINST THE CROWN.REWARD: 8,000 GOLD, DEAD OR CAPTURED.ISSUED BY ORDER OF ALPHA KING DESMOND.Max’s stomach twisted.He forced himself to look away, pushing down the surge of fury rising in his throat. If he stared too long, someone else might notice the tension in his stance or the way his fists curled into hard knots at his sides.He pulled his hood lower.Good thing he had taken Becca's scent-hiding potion earlier.Max slipped d