William flinched and stared at the floor in shame.
“I didn’t have a choice,” he muttered, wincing as Nico tightened his grip on his arm. “He threatened to kill my family and expose me for what I did if I didn’t comply.”
A storm was brewing in the room, and it wouldn’t take long before someone snapped.
Ty cleared his throat, his eyes laser-focused on William. “Why didn’t you use the tape to blackmail our pack like you obviously intended? You could have demanded a lot of money for that footage,” he asked in a cold, demanding voice.
William glanced up, meeting Ty’s gaze for only a moment before looking back down. “Because I met my mate in your pack,” he explained, his voice barely audible. “When she got pregnant, I realized the kind of trouble it would cause if I released the tape. So, I buried it in my backyard.” He paused, swallowing hard. “I know now that I should’ve destroyed it, but something told me I might need it one day.”
His words left a bitter taste in my mouth. How could someone be so selfish. He’d put his own mate and child at risk, not to mention the entire Keller pack. I dug my nails into my palms, fighting off the urge to lash out at him.
If he truly didn’t want it to come to light, he would’ve destroyed it. There was no reason to keep hold of it, unless William had a feeling it might come in handy to fill his bank account someday.
Nico’s grip on William’s arm tightened, the veins in his forearm standing out. “Tell me, was the video Castro released tampered with in any way?”
William winced under Nico’s hold, but nodded. “There was never any audio on the video,” he admitted, his voice strained. “The mic was messed up. The original video only had static.”
I glanced at Ty, watching his teeth grind together.
“Are you telling us that Castro manipulated the footage to make it seem like my father was giving the orders?” Ty growled,his eyes narrowing into slits. I saw the predator in them, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
“Looks like it,” William mumbled, avoiding Ty’s glare.
I focused on my breathing, trying to keep the rising anger and fear at bay. A part of me wanted to leap out of my seat and tear William apart for putting us all in danger, but we needed answers and needed to know more about Castro’s plans.
Dominic covered his face with his hand. I held my breath. All eyes were on our alpha as we awaited his verdict on William’s fate.
“I’m going to show you leniency for your honesty, William.” Dominic’s voice was low and controlled, hiding the turmoil that surely raged within him. “But you will face a punishment. You have one week to gather your belongings and pack up your family. Traitors are not tolerated in this pack, and you are a traitor for your actions. Your wife and child may choose to remain as they are innocent. As much as the evidence points to the contrary, I do not punish innocents. If they remain, they will have no contact with you, but we will ensure their continued protection.”
It was hard to believe what was happening—the betrayal, the fear. It all felt surreal. As a private chef for the pack’s elite, I’d always felt out of place and uneasy among them, but now that sense of unease threatened to consume me. This was a side of our world I’d never expected to witness firsthand. I couldn’t look directly at William without my stomach flip-flopping.
William’s shoulders sagged with relief, but terror still shone in his eyes. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him. His life had just been spared, but at what cost? He would lose everything he had ever known, forced to leave behind his community, his friends, and his job, not to mention any ties his mate and child had within the pack if they chose to leave withhim. It seemed an almost cruel kindness, but he deserved all of it, if not more.
“Thank you.” His voice trembled, barely audible.
Dominic’s gaze remained unyielding. “This is your only warning.” His voice took on a dangerous edge. “If you talk to anyone, even so much as nod in another pack member’s direction, you will be executed on the spot. No questions asked.”
William nodded in understanding. He tensed as Nico jerked his arm violently and dragged him out the door.
Ty, Dominic, and I watched in silence until they disappeared from view.
Dominic turned to me, concern etched across his face. “Has Castro reached out to you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I turned my phone off after Ty texted me. I only switched it on earlier so I could call Sabrina back and let her know I’m okay. I didn’t look through my other texts or missed calls.”
My insides churned. I needed to tell Dominic and Ty about my current state of mind.
I cleared my throat, my emotions forming a boulder that pressed against my chest. “I have to be honest with you both, my sanity is hanging by a thread right now. My emotions are all over the place, and my wolf... well, she wants to have Ty’s babies.” The words tumbled out of my mouth like an avalanche, unstoppable and unrelenting. “I shut my phone off because I don’t think I can handle hearing Castro’s voice or dealing with people calling me with a million questions about the whole omega thing,” I muttered.
Dominic blinked rapidly, as if his brain was trying to catch up. “Your wolf wants what?” he stammered.
“Never mind that,” I waved him off, not wanting to dwell on that particular aspect of my situation. “What does it mean that the video was edited?”
“It means it can’t be used as proof of anything,” Dominic replied, a glimmer of hope shining from his eyes.
Ty chimed in, “It’s a small victory for us, but it doesn’t change the reality that everyone is aware there is an omega here. It’s not going to take much before the media know it’s you if they don’t already.”
As I mulled over their words, I couldn’t help but wonder why I was relieved that it was a victory. That video would have been the proof I needed to seek justice for my pack and my parents if I were so inclined.
