Cha
Augustin’s POV
When we entered my office, I found only Adryx waiting with our guests. I glanced around, noting Bryloch’s absence.
‘Where’s Bryloch? I asked Adryx.
“He took Scarlett to the hospital. She has a fever,” Adryx explained. “Nothing serious, but he wanted to be careful.”
Juno giggled at this information, which I found confusing. I’d need to ask her about that later.
I settled into my chair, pulling Juno onto my lap. Her presence made the meeting seem less formal, which was exactly what I wanted. The Alphas shifted uncomfortably, uncertain how to proceed with my mate present.
“Alpha Ulysses,” I began, watching as he hung his head in shame. “I’m curious why you were the one to initiate that petition, yet you also asked for my help finding your mate.”
I leaned forward slightly. “Why not wait for your democratic government to find you a mate? Wasn’t that the whole point?”
Ulysses remained silent, his posture defeated.
“Do you think ruling is easy?” I asked, allowing hurt to creep into my voice. “I deal with ridiculous matters every day, sacrificing my personal peace to ensure everyone’s safety. There have been no wars under my rule. Do you think that’s easy to accomplish?”
I reminded him of similar situations in our history that had led to devastating consequences. “Why would you want to return to those times? Am I not lenient enough? Don’t I allow everyone to rule their packs as they see fit?”
Finally, Ulysses raised his head. Tears glistened in his eyes. “I was forced to support the petition,” he admitted. “I’m actually quite satisfied with your rule. You’ve been fair to my territory.”
“Forced?” I repeated, “By whom?”
“My eldest son, my only Alpha heir, was kidnapped while studying in Verdantia,” he explained, his voice breaking. “They made me initiate and support the petition. They said they’d kill him if I didn’t.”
I frowned. “Why did you send your son to study in Lakeside, considering its history? That region is still unstable.”
I reminded him that although Lakeside was now under my jurisdiction, everyone knew how my father had acquired it and eliminated their leadership. Despite the region’s apparent civility, it was common knowledge that wandering unprotected through Lakeside was unwise.
“What were you thinking?” I asked.
“It was against my better judgment,” Ulysses admitted. “My mate insisted. She believed the educational opportunities outweighed the risks. I should have been firmer.”
I considered who might have kidnapped his son and how they had contacted Ulysses. This was a bold move against an important figure in Clifflands. I needed to better understand the Alphas and their family members.
“How did the kidnappers contact you?” I asked.
Ulysses checked his phone before handing it to me. “They sent this video first.”
The screen showed a video of Fox Larson, the same man I had extradited from Lakeside and imprisoned in the manor’s dungeon. I could tell the chains binding him to the chair were silver because his wounds were bleeding.
‘Is this the only video they sent?” I asked. Ulysses nodded.
7
“What did they threaten to do?” I prompted.
Chapter 225
Ulysses showed me an email that read: ‘If you don’t propose and support that petition, we’ll not only kill him, but we’ll come for your Galily net. Don
us
Did they take your mate too?” I asked, but Ulysses shook his head.
Those were different people,” he explained. “They only wanted money. But these people… they wanted power.
I realized Ulysses had been forced to choose between his mate and his son.
What Ulysses didn’t know, was that the video of his son was fake. His son was actually a member of the organization. This group was more dangerous than I had imagined. Finding Qiana had become even more urgent, and I needed to interrogate Fox to learn how deep he was in the organization.
“So you had to choose between your mate and your son,” I stated. “Did you?”
Ulysses shook his head.
I had the money they wanted, he explained. “But after talking with you at the competition, I realized I was being a traitor. You don’t deserve such treatment, and my colleagues couldn’t afford the ransom.”
‘I decided to risk letting Fox go for the sake of peace. I realized I was being used as a puppet.”
I could feel the depth of his loyalty and determination. He must have thought long and hard before making this decision.
“Your son is a member of a criminal organization involved in the Verdantia uprising in Lakeside,” I told him. “He received a substantial sum of money a few weeks ago. This wasn’t a kidnapping, it was manipulation.”
I didn’t tell Ulysses that, I had detained his son. The shock on his and the other Alphas‘ faces was
“How can you be sure?” Ulysses asked in disbelief. “He’s just a boy. He wouldn’t…”
I showed him the email with Fox’s ID. Ulysses stared at it, dumbfounded.
evident.
‘Fox Larson,” he whispered, tears streaming down his face. I realized Larson wasn’t Fox real surname.
‘Does the clause about Council leadership in the petition mean the Council leaders are involved?” Juno asked suddenly. “It specified that the Council leader would be the head of the Council, a position not determined by election. That seemed… specific.”
I explained that this was customary. In a democratic system, the Council would vote on who would occupy the highest seat. They would have to choose from the twelve great families: Levenston, Savidge, Callaway, Holbrooke, Montalvo, Ashford, Belmont, Duval, Branning, Lockhart, Trelawney, and Westerfield. The current Council leader wouldn’t necessarily continue leading.
“They’re pursuing some goal that requires eliminating the royal family,” I suggested. “Currently, everything passes through me. Imagine what would happen in that environment.”
‘Judge Noah is handling this case, I assured Ulysses. “He’ll find and return your mate. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
I promised to notify Ulysses when we caught his son so he could question him, but made it clear I wouldn’t hand the boy over since he had committed
treason.
“How old is your son?” I asked, realizing Ulysses couldn’t possibly have a twenty–two–year–old son.
“He’s only seventeen,” Ulysses revealed, “My boy is just seventeen.”
I realized the organization was recruiting minors. This was worse than I had imagined.
I believed arresting Qiana would reveal more about this situation. The pieces were starting to fall into place, but the picture they formed was more disturbing than I had anticipated.
The Broken Luna’s Sacrifice
Chapter 226
