Chapter 127: Chapter 127 Beautiful Irony
Julian’s POV
Agony ripped through my chest like molten fire, but the pain wasn’t mine. My wolf thrashed beneath my skin, violent and desperate.
Seraphina.
Every nerve in my body screamed her name. She was suffering, and that meant Dorian had her. That bastard was making her pay for sins that weren’t hers.
My claws carved deep grooves into the leather armrest as I battled the urge to let my wolf take control. Every instinct demanded I hunt him down and tear him apart piece by piece. But charging blindly would get Seraphina killed.
Roxanne was my only hope. She held the key to finding Dorian’s location, but she remained unconscious. The medical team kept giving me useless updates about her stable condition while my mate was being tortured.
I’d exhausted every connection, every favor, every threat in my arsenal. Dorian had vanished like smoke, and going to his territory without solid evidence would trigger an all-out war between our packs. Though at this point, war was inevitable. If I didn’t get a breakthrough today, I’d make the first strike myself.
My phone erupted with a shrill ring. Unknown caller.
I snatched it up, voice dripping venom. "Speak."
That familiar, twisted laugh crawled through the speaker. "Did you miss me, cousin?"
Dorian.
My body turned to stone. "Where is she?"
He ignored my demand. "Tell me something, Julian."
"What?" I bit out.
"Is it true?" Each syllable dripped with deliberate malice, designed to slice deep.
"I don’t have patience for your games!" I exploded. "Return her immediately."
My tone turned lethal. "You declared war on the wrong pack, Dorian. You want blood for your father’s death? Come for me. But dragging Seraphina into this crosses every line. She’s innocent!"
My wolf clawed at my control, painting my vision crimson. "ENOUGH!" I roared. "ANSWER ME! WHAT TRUTH ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
Dead silence stretched between us. Then—
"You and your father poisoned her against me, didn’t you? But you both knew the real story." Dorian’s voice carried something beyond hatred. Something raw and broken. "Is it true that she’s my—"
Perfect. He’d discovered the truth, which meant he’d have to live with what he’d done. Assuming he possessed any shred of conscience left.
I cut him off with a savage growl. "Beautiful irony, isn’t it? You spent six years stalking your own sister like a predator. Now you’ve kidnapped her. Tortured her. You’ve destroyed the only family you had left."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Dorian’s composure shattered completely.
"Everything happening is because of your father and you’ll die for this," he snarled, but death held no fear for me as long as my family survived.
"Your father probably felt invincible too before we put him in the ground. Don’t test me, Dorian. I pitied you once—a young man who lost his father tragically. But you touched my family, and I don’t show mercy for that." My voice turned arctic. I commanded twice his resources, with allies spanning continents who would answer my call without question.
"We’ll see about that."
"No," I snarled. "I won’t rest until my mate comes home. And when I find you—"
The line went dead.
I hurled the phone across the room, watching it explode against the wall in satisfying fragments.
Before I could storm out, my office door burst open.
Alpha Maxwell entered first, followed by my father.
Seeing them ignited the fury burning in my chest.
My father approached cautiously, guilt etched deep in every line of his face. "Son, we accept responsibility for this disaster. But we never intended for things to spiral this far."
"Really?" I laughed without humor. "What exactly did you expect, Father? You murdered his father! Did you think Dorian would send a thank-you card?" I slammed my fist down, making the desk groan. "The only difference is MY MATE—MY FAMILY—is suffering for YOUR choices!"
My father winced. "Tell me what you need me to do."
I raked both hands through my hair. "I don’t know. The simplest solution would be handing you over and letting Dorian have his revenge. You earned it. But if I do that, Dorian will execute you."
"Then I’ll go willingly," my father said without hesitation.
"NO!" The word exploded from my throat. "I refuse to trade your life for hers. I won’t lose you both."
"We stopped Victor together, and we can stop Dorian the same way," my father pressed, still not grasping that I wanted nothing to do with their assistance. They’d done enough damage already.
I turned away, chest heaving. "I’ll handle this alone."
I stalked out of the office because I couldn’t stand looking at them anymore. Especially Alpha Maxwell—every time I saw his pathetic face, I wanted to crush his skull against my desk for being such a failure as both a leader and father.
But I had children who needed me, so I forced myself to go home, even though I had no idea how to explain their mother’s absence.
The moment I crossed the threshold, two small forms slammed into me.
"Daddy!" Theo’s tiny fists clutched my shirt, eyes wide with terror. "Where’s Mommy? Why hasn’t she come home?"
My heart shattered into pieces.
I dropped to my knees, gathering him close. "She’s safe, little wolf. She’ll be here soon."
"NO!" Theo shoved against me, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I WANT HER RIGHT NOW!"
Penelope lingered nearby, arms wrapped around herself, face drained of color. "They can sense it, Alpha," she murmured. "The mate bond. They know she’s in danger."
I tightened my grip on my son, throat burning.
I would bring her home. No matter the cost.
Even if I had to incinerate everything in my path to do it.
