Chapter 82

Arthur

Arthur couldn't say that he was entirely surprised to learn he had a brother. After all, his father was a man of unpredictable loyalties, often putting his own interests above all else. It was an unsettling truth that Arthur had come to accept over the years.

However, what did shock him was the revelation that his newfound brother was none other than Almara's sleazy ex-boyfriend.

As the weight of this revelation settled on his shoulders, Arthur retreated to his office, seeking a moment of solitude amidst the chaos in his mind. He needed to process this information, to let it sink in before confronting the realities it presented.

Seated behind his desk, Arthur found himself gazing blankly at the assortment of papers scattered across its surface. His thoughts raced, a whirlwind of questions and emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. He knew he needed answers, clarity, and most importantly, a plan of action.

Questions that he couldn’t even fathom were true raced through his head. He trusted Almara. Completely. But years of being backstabbed in a bid for the alpha title had warped him. What if Almara and Robert had been in it together all along?

Arthur shook his head. That was ridiculous. Almara was his fated mate. And he knew that their bond was real. It felt nothing like his and Sofia’s. Almara would never do that to him. She loved him, heart and soul.

In the midst of his contemplation, the door to his office creaked open, and Dana slipped inside. Her presence was unexpected, and Arthur could tell by the look in her eyes that she had something urgent to share.

"Arthur, we need to talk," Dana said, her voice tinged with urgency. Arthur studied her closely. Her lips were pulled down in a grim frown and her heart was beating erratically. She looked like she was about to deliver bad news. But something was off. He just couldn’t tell what.

He motioned for her to take a seat, bracing himself for whatever revelation she was about to lay bare. The air in the room grew heavy with anticipation.

Dana took a deep breath before she began, her words measured and deliberate. "Alpha Arthur, I've been doing some digging, and I think there's something you need to know about Almara and Robert."

Arthur's heart skipped a beat. Why did this echo his previous thoughts? Arthur bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood. There was no way. There was no way in hell that Almara would ever betray him like that.

"What is it, Dana?" he asked, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. His fingers curled into fists beneath the desk. Caleb whined, swishing his tail back and forth. He was nervous, too.

Dana's eyes met his, and in that moment, Arthur saw the gravity of her words etched across her face. "I believe they were in it together, Alpha. Almara and Robert. They wanted to take over the pack. They wanted to overthrow you as alpha."

The room seemed to close in on Arthur as he processed Dana's words. His mind raced, connecting dots he hadn't even known existed. The pieces were falling into place, painting a picture of betrayal and deceit.

“And what gives you that idea?” Arthur asked, shocked at how cold he sounded. How like his father he sounded. Dana must have had the same thought because she flinched. Her eyes darted to the upper right. She was about to lie.

“We tested the food that you ate today. It was poisoned. Only three people have access to your food. The chef and I certainly didn’t poison it. It must be Almara. I’m so sorry, Alpha Arthur,” Dana answered and dropped her gaze to the floor, the picture of sympathy.

She was lying. Arthur couldn’t believe it. His beta was lying to him. To his face. This was treason.

“Almara tried to tell you,” Caleb told him softly and several memories that he had forgotten about flooded in. Almara telling him someone was harassing her, the way Dana spoke to her while they were at the spa, and Sofia claiming that Dana was in on the hit and run.

How could he have been so blind? How had he not believed her? Hell, even Noah Cunningham had believed her. Arthur realized how hard it must have been for Almara. To have to be around the woman who had tried to kill her and their baby.

Arthur saw red. He wasn’t fully aware of what he was doing. One minute he was sitting in his chair and the next, he had Dana by the throat, pinned up against a wall. Her fingers clawed uselessly at his hand. There would be no escape for her.

“Alpha, what -” Dana choked out and Arthur squeezed tired. She didn’t deserve to talk. She didn’t deserve to live after what she had done. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Dana had orchestrated the whole thing. He didn’t think Sofia would have done it without someone egging her on.

“Shut the fuck up,” Arthur growled, sounding more wolf than human. Caleb was right beneath the surface. All Arthur had to do was let go and he would shift, but he wanted to kill her as Almara’s mate and husband, not as Alpha.

Dana’s eyes bugged out of her skull as he applied even more pressure. She was struggling to breathe now. Just a few more minutes and she would be gone, dealt with. And Arthur would finally be able to breathe easier.

Except he might not get that chance because Almara chose that now would be a good time to come to his office. She was probably worried about him. He couldn’t blame her for that. Still, he didn’t want her to stop him from doing this. He needed to kill Dana.

Almara took in the scene before her with wide eyes, her hand automatically going to her huge belly. However, she didn’t say anything. After a few seconds, she just looked at Dana with a cold indifference. Arthur had never seen that look on her before and he hoped he never would again after tonight. It scared him.

“Do what you need to do, Arthur. I won’t stop you this time,” Almara told him and her voice didn’t sound like her normal one. It was also cold. Arthur paused long enough to send a questioning tug down the mate bond.

He got a reassuring tug in answer. When Almara finally turned her eyes on him, they changed back to their normal loving warmth. A wave of love mixed with anger and resignation flowed down the mate bond.

Arthur sighed in relief. His wife hadn’t suddenly turned into an emotionless robot. Still, she didn’t need to see this, She’d never be able to forget it.

“Almara, go back outside. You shouldn’t have to watch this,” Arthur said, but knew it was futile when she shook her head. She was going to stay and watch.

“I’m Luna now,” she whispered and Arthur grit his teeth. She was right. There would probably be many times in the future where she would have to witness an execution. She might as well start now.

Arthur turned back to Dana, her face almost purple now. He had wanted to make her suffer, but with Almara watching, a quick death would be better.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Arthur broke Dana’s neck. A resounding crack filled the silence of the office and Arthur saw Almara jump, but other than that she gave no other indication that the situation was affecting her. At least not yet.

Arthur dropped Dana’s body unceremoniously on the floor and walked to Almara, dragging her into his arms. She was shaking. He guessed she wasn’t as unaffected as she seemed.

“It’s okay,” Arthur murmured into her hair. “She can’t hurt you anymore.”