*Noah*
My blood felt hot as I sat across from my father. It was as if every bone in my body was shaking. My jaw ached from how hard I was grinding my teeth together, but I hardly noticed, flashes of violent images of how I would murder Daven flew through my head at an alarming rate.
In the end, it didn’t really matter how I was going to do it. His blood needed to be spilled, and I was the one who was going to do it.
“Co in, Caleb,” my father said suddenly.
My head jerked up and I turned just as Caleb entered the room. Despite my rising anger, I was able to shoot my father a questioning look. I was under the impression that this was to be a private eting.
My father caught my look. “Due to the severity of the situation, I thought it best that we begin to talk strategy. Naturally, Caleb would need to be a part of that process.”
I accepted that logic, but it also caused yet another growl to build up in my throat. “There is hardly a need to talk strategy,” I ground out, knowing my eyes were probably glinting dangerously. “Daven is mine.”
It had been a short and simple statent, but it caused both Caleb and my father to glance at each other warily.
I hated that the look they shared was one that parents would share if their child was missing sothing. “What?” I barked, impatience lacing the harsh sound.
“Patience, Son,” my father urged, shooting a look that was sohow both stern and compassionate. His dark eyes softened. “Do not misunderstand. I know what you are feeling, which is why we must be cautious as well as steadfast.”
“Daven has been allowed to live for far too long,” I snapped, lowering my voice to an even more dangerous one. “Both the bastard and Serena must face justice... imdiately.”
I jumped up from my seat, whirling toward the door, my entire body feeling like it was on fire as I started to charge toward the door. I didn’t know where the bastard was, but I was going to find out and put an end to his sorry existence.
“No, Son!” my father snapped.
But I ignored him, continuing to stalk toward the door.
A firm hand gripped my shoulder, and I resisted the urge to shove Caleb off of but I couldn’t risk hurting him, not in the violent state I was currently in. I did shrug him off though, pulling away from him.
“Noah, listen to us,” Caleb urged, and his calmness sohow snapped out of my anger montarily. “We will help you put Alpha Daven and Serena in their place.”
I felt myself slowly relax at the man’s words. I saw the fire in his gaze as well, and I was comforted to see that he was almost just as eager for blood as I was.
Almost.
With a bit more urging, Caleb was able to convince to step away from the door and return to the seat across from my father. He stayed standing by my chair as if he expected to bolt again at any mont.
“We have already begun our attack, Noah,” my father announced, his tone still a bit more pacifying than I would have liked but I focused on his words. “We will work with the Royal Coalition to safely apprehend the fugitives. They won’t be able to hide behind their false identities with that kind of support behind us.”
I knew deep down that this was really the best course of action, but I also couldn’t help but feel as if waiting even longer by doing things this way could an soone else losing a loved one in that amount of ti.
“Once they’ve been detained, we will extradite them to the Light Realm courts so that they can stand trial,” my father continued decisively.
Caleb nodded in agreent and jotted sothing down on a small notepad.
“They hardly need to stand trial,” I found myself saying, resisting the urge to start shouting.
I was growing beyond frustrated with all the rules and steps that would need to be considered before any real punishnt could be dished out.
Father saw through the layers in my words easily. He pinned with yet another hard look. “Noah, I am well aware that this process could take so ti, but rest assured that it is the way that I find the most beneficial for our entire pack as well as its mbers.”
“What is so beneficial about taking the ti to do this the slowest way?” I spat, unable to help myself.
I knew that I shouldn’t speak to my father and Alpha in that manner, but it felt unlike my steadfast father to not take imdiate action toward sothing this serious.
My father’s calm deanor was irking as well. How could he be this emotionless during a ti like this? I was asking that in my mind, but I knew the answer.
He was the Alpha. He needed to be rational in tis of crisis. If he didn’t, he risked putting us all in danger by acting on his emotions and not considering the good of the many.
And one day, I would have to do the sa.
I sucked in a sharp breath and forced my body to relax, although I was definitely still stewing hotly inside. “Forgive , Father,” I said, my voice strained. “I did not an to question your authority as our Alpha. I will do everything in my power to see that Daven and Selena are brought to justice in the way that you have deed in the best interest of our pack.”
Father stared at for a mont before nodding once. It was a firm, sharp nod, but I did notice the glint of approval in his eyes. “I understand where you are coming from,” he said in a low voice. “But I am glad that you seem to now understand that vengeance must not spur rash action. Giving into it would only endanger Drogomor even further.”
I ground my teeth again but then nodded. “Yes, I understand.”
After discussing so minor details concerning the capture of Daven and Selena, we finally ended the eting and dispersed. My father and Caleb both sent looks that practically ordered not to do anything rash, as if they could sense the anger still burning inside of .
I understood their side and knew that they believed that they had made the right decision. I knew I would have to just accept it for now and hope that the criminals were captured sooner rather than later.
I wondered how I was going to fall asleep that night and hoped that Zara’s gentle and warm presence would soothe the way it normally did. I pushed the door open to our bedroom to find the lamp on the nightstand was on and Zara was sitting up against the headboard, her hands in her lap. She jolted and turned to look at .
I felt my eyebrows fly upward and I shut the door carefully behind before approaching the bed. “You are supposed to be resting,” I scolded lightly, although it was easy to guess why she was awake by the roundness of her eyes.
“I was really worried when you got pulled away like that,” she murmured, voicing what I had already known to be true. She stood from the bed and crossed the small space between us. She looked up at with large, shimring green eyes. “Is everything alright?”
I hesitated briefly, not wanting to worry Zara more than was necessary. Unfortunately, she had a right to know about what was happening since she was directly involved, no matter how much I wished she wasn’t.
“Let’s sit down, Zara,” I said gently, taking her hand and leading her back to the bed.
She looked reluctant to sit due to how tense she was, but I wanted her to relax sowhat before breaking the news to her.
I kept a firm hold on Zara’s petite hands as I relayed the entirety of the eting with my father, leaving out so of the more grueso details, like what exactly happened to my mother. I said only that she was killed.
Zara’s eyes had filled with tears, which made it difficult for to get through the rest of the specifics of the eting. I took a break to wrap my arms around her shoulders and comfort her, touched that she was crying for .
Once her tears had dried, I described the plan of capturing both Alpha Daven and Selena and was surprised by the slightest hint of relief that flittered across Zara’s face.
“This is all good though, right?” Zara asked once I had finished explaining everything to her. “Now that Daven’s lies and deception are exposed, he will finally face consequences.”
“Yes, that’s true,” I said after a mont. “It could take so ti for him to be captured though, more ti than I would certainly like.” I tried to control the anger in my voice, not wanting to frighten Zara.
She just looked at with sympathy in her eyes, and I once again marveled at how well she could read . She knew this was hard for . She knew more than anyone that I was not known for my patience.
I was relieved that Zara seed completely fine despite learning about the plan to capture her previous torntor. She seed content to just allow my father and his team to handle all things concerning the bastard.
But I only grew more restless as ti went on, unable to fully suppress the fury over the fact that my mother’s killer was able to evade justice for so long.
Between all my other duties as future Alpha, I checked in with my father daily about the Alpha Daven’s capture, hoping that there would be any kind of progress update. Several days went by with absolutely no progress, no new leads or anything. It just raised my restless desire for revenge.
Of course, when my restlessness was at its peak, we received an unexpected developnt.
Father and I were in his office once again, discussing so more mundane business matters when a guard burst in, announcing that Alpha Daven’s son, Gray Daven, was currently at one of our strongholds, frantically demanding to speak with Zara.
“Like hell he will,” I snarled, standing up quickly and causing the guard to shrink back slightly.
“Noah,” my father snapped firmly but he stood as well and turned to face the guard. “Did he ntion the reason for wanting to et with her?”
The guard nodded. “He was rather desperate,” he said. “Sothing about wanting Zara to help him find his mate, Lorelei.”
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