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“One night,” I whisper.
“Promise, if you want to leave tomorrow, we will,” Eziah whispers.
ChapterTwenty-Six
Casen
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my heartbeat before I lose control. The moment I’ve been waiting for — this opportunity to dig deep and find out the truth has finally come. But I need to hold onto my patience, keep my emotions from getting the better of me.
Andrei is no longer my Alpha, yet I’ve always respected him. Tonight, though, I can’t ignore the strain in our relationship, which is only amplified by the tension between the pack and me. I am no longer one of them, that is obvious with the way they turned on me, then welcomed me back. Honestly, their reactions are giving me whiplash. It’s like they are torn between what Rose and Andrei want.
A welcoming aroma of roast meat and simmering spices envelops me as I step into Andrei's pack house. Closing the door, I move toward the kitchen, where Andrei disappeared into.
Andrei stands against the kitchen counter, towering over Sage as she speaks in a hushed tone, her golden curls tumbling down her shoulders.
“You're going to cause more drama,” Sage whispers.
“He's her mate, he has a right to know,” Andrei replies firmly when I clear my throat. Sage turns, clearly not impressed with Andrei's decision to tell me whatever it is. However, I have a feeling I won't like what is going on.
“Casen,” she nods, her lips pressing together as she gives me an awkward hug.
“I'm glad you are home, but–” her words trail off as she glances at her mate, my old Alpha. Andrei shakes his head and takes a seat at the table, and she sighs heavily. She nods toward the table, where Andrei pushes the chair out across from him with his foot.
“I don't like this,” Zyan tells me, My stomach drops, and my mind goes back to Casey on the swings, the sad look on her face that turned to fear the moment my brother called out for her to come home.
We eat in awkward silence, Sage casting nervous glances at Andrei, while I push my food around on the plate.
Halfway through the meal, the bomb drops, the words seeping like venom from Andrei's mouth, “Vince has been hurting Rose.” My fork stills, scraping the plate as I look up at him.
The room spins, tilting on its axis as his words replay in my head like a broken record. Vince, my own flesh and blood, abusing Rose. Our mate? I feel my wolf snarling inside me demanding to come forward, yet with minimal detail we can’t be irrational, not that I need much after those words. My blood is boiling in my veins, simmering beneath my skin as I fight the urge to let Zyan have the control he craves.
“Dammit, Andrei!” I slam my fists on the table, splintering the wood. Sage whimpers, and Andrei glares at me.
Andrei sighs, a look of frustration crossing his face. “It's not as simple as that, Casen. If I kick Vince out of the pack, Rose might leave too. I can't risk losing her.”
Sage intervenes, her voice soft but steady. “Vince still holds some power within the pack, expelling him could lead to a power struggle.”
“As her mate he has influence, they know if Rose challenges me, they'll have to answer to him.”
Sage's voice is soft, a soothing counterpoint to my growl. “Andrei is right, Casen, it’s not that simple…”
“Not that simple?” I scoff, rising from my chair, knocking it over in my rage.
“You're the Alpha, Andrei. You can exile him.”
He looks down, guilt shadowing his rugged features. “If I do, I risk losing Rose.”
“You're Alpha, are you not?” I demand. Andrei's growl is threatening as it slips from him, his wolf, Donnie, lurking beneath the surface, making his eyes flicker.
“So you've done nothing?” I ask.
I feel my blood boiling. “So you'll just let him continue to abuse her?”
Andrei's voice is tight with anger. “We're trying to stop it, Casen. We've spoken to him multiple times, but he denies everything. We can't just rip him out of Rose's life.”
“You've spoken to him? What about Rose?” I ask, only this time it's Sage that speaks up.
“We've tried, yet….” Sage's words cut off.
