Juno’s POV
The question visibly shocked him. His face paled, and his grip on his glass tightened so much I thought it might shatter.
“I have a specific direction I’m going with this question,” I explained calmly. And a person’s nature tends to be reflected in their offspring.
Elten stared at me for a long moment before sighing heavily. “I wasn’t wealthy,” he began reluctantly. “My wife enjoyed the comforts money could bring. We argued about it often.” He looked down at his hands. “My sister had been widowed and came back to live with us, bringing her son Dane. She used her inheritance to help support us.”
“I had the twins, Juliet and Vance, and with Dane, that made three children to care for.”
“Twins? Scarlett asked, surprised. “Juliet and Vance are twins?”
Elton nodded. “Juliet looks younger because she takes care of herself obsessively. She doesn’t like people knowing her real age.”
He continued, “My wife was unhappy that my sister wouldn’t give her more money, though I thought my sister was already being very generous. My wife would compare me to the wealthy alphas of Lakeside, making me feel inadequate.”
His voice grew tight with old pain. “When Nathanael had his conflict with the Lakeside and took over the region, Lakeside immediately surrendered. We… sacrificed some ‘scapegoats‘ to appease him.”
“We were all required to give something,” Elton continued. “My sister volunteered to go to Nathanael. What I didn’t know was that my wife wanted to go too. She told the warriors to take her.”
His hands clenched into fists. “I tried to stop it, but she said she’d rather be the King’s mistress than my luna. It broke my heart, but I let her go.”
I nodded slowly, understanding now why Elton had been able to continue living without a mate. His wife had rejected him willingly.
“Alpha Elton,” I said after giving him a moment to collect himself. “Why didn’t you tell your children the truth? That their mother left willingly? They grew up hating the Levenston family, believing their mother was taken.”
Elton hung his head. “I didn’t want to destroy their image of her,” he admitted. “She was gone, never coming back. What good would it do to tell them their mother abandoned them?”
I leaned forward slightly. “Did you know that after your sister pleaded with him, Nathanael wanted to send your wife back to you?”
Elton’s head snapped up,
his eyes wide.
“Your sister was his favorite,” I revealed. “He might have even loved her, in his way.”
Elton looked stunned by this information.
“She asked him to send your wife back to you, and he agreed. But your wife was jealous and enraged. She murdered your sister in cold blood.”
Elton’s face crumpled as tears filled his eyes. The grief was obviously still raw, but now anger at his wife joined it.
“Nathanael was furious,” I continued. “He had your wife imprisoned in the dungeons and then executed her.”
I gave Elton a minute to absorb this, watching as he struggled to control his emotions.
“I tell you this because I respect you, Alpha Elton,” I said finally. “That’s why we’re having this conversation.”
He nodded, wiping his eyes with the back of his
hand.
“The resistance couldn’t have known how to successfully attack your pack without inside information,” I pointed out. “And out of all the packs in Lakeside, why would they choose yours?”
1/3
Chapter 253
I paused, watching his reaction carefully. “I suspect your children, particularly Juliet, advised you not to confront Augustin About the sound-
Elton nodded slowly, confusion evident in his expression.
“What possible motive would Juliet have for this?” I asked rhetorically. “Since returning from Dawnshere, I’ve been putting the pieces together. The u the hostility, the poisoning–
Poisoning? Eltos interrupted, alarmed. What do you mean?‘
“I was poisoned,‘ I explained calmly. “If I hadn’t come home when I did, I might have died or lost my baby,”
Elton shifted nervously in his seat.
“You were looking for an alpha mate for Juliet, weren’t you?‘ I asked. “Did you ever suggest her to Augustin?”
“No,” he said quickly. “But Luna Levenston once held a ball and invited the daughters of all the alphas. Augustin danced with Juliet but… he trailed off
‘He wasn’t interested, I finished for him.
“She didn’t take it well at first,” Elton admitted. “But she seemed to get over it.”
I nodded, confirming my suspicions. Ever since Amelia had told me about Elton’s wife’s behavior, I’d been thinking about the poisoning incident.
‘I need you to bring Juliet here to explain why she poisoned me and who put her up to it,” I said firmly.
Elton’s face paled. “You can’t possibly think-”
“Something motivated Juliet to want to hurt me and Augustin,” I interrupted. “Something made her willing to help the enemy successfully attack your pack in Dawnshere. If we hadn’t gone there, who knows what would have happened? You might have joined the uprising against Augustin.”
I held his gaze steadily. “Tell me honestly, Alpha Elton. You are our guest, not our prisoner. I consider you a friend.
Elton nodded reluctantly.
“Will you bring Juliet here so we can question her? I’ve delayed having her arrested out of respect for your dignity.”
Elton took a deep breath and sighed, the weight of his daughter’s actions clearly sinking in. “She couldn’t have worked with the attackers. She wasn’t living at the pack. She only recently decided to move back.”
I remained firm. “She was there. She provided the poisoned food. Will you bring her or not?”
Elton’s eyes filled with tears again. “Will she get a fair trial?”
‘I swear on my wolf that if she’s innocent, she’ll be released,” I promised.
He nodded his agreement.
‘I told you about your wife so you’d understand,” I explained. “Maybe your daughter Juliet is just like her mother.”
Now, I believe someone is trying to force Augustín into a war with Lakeside by killing me. They want to seize power while he’s distracted. Juliet is part of this plot.
