CHAPTER 122: UNEDITED.

I slammed the phone down on the table, my fangs bared in frustration. "That bastard!" I hissed, my voice echoing in the empty room.

Simon’s POV~

The moment the five Alphas left, I remained seated in my house, with blood dripping out of my mouth. My long nails were also dripping with blood, and I idly picked at my fangs with them, trying to dislodge the stubborn strands of meat wedged between.

I must admit, I was beyond furious....rage coursed through every fiber of my being but I forced myself to control it. I couldn’t allow my temper to consume me, not when Zane was involved. Hurting him was the last thing I wanted, though the thought of the others made my hands itch with violence.

If I had truly wanted, I could have slaughtered the Alphas the very moment they stepped into my presence. Snapped their throats, spilled their blood across my floor, and watched the life drain from their arrogant eyes. The opportunity was there. The hunger was there. But the thought of Zane watching me like that... no. I couldn’t do it.

I know myself too well when blood is near. I lose control. I destroy animals, humans, werewolves....it makes little difference to me when my thirst sharpens. I lied to Zane when I told him I didn’t kill animals or feed on werewolves. The truth is, I do. I have to. It’s the only way I can survive.

The Seer plays his part as well, that wretched yet useful creature. In some ways, he could be considered my executioner, my provider. He brings me the condemned. Those he despises....his enemies, the ones who belittled him, mocked him, tried to crush him beneath their boots. He points them out, and I investigate. I stalk them with my wind-whorl and drag them into the forest where he awaits. And when his blade strikes, when their screams pierce the night, I feast. Flesh, blood, bone. All except for Zane.

Zane was different.

The Seer had considered taking him too, once. He had only spared Zane because the boy had been bound as an Omega to the five Alphas. That bond made Zane valuable to the Seer, gave him reason to linger, to learn more about him.

A long sigh escaped me. Reaching for the live goat tethered on the table beside me, I seized it by the horns. Its panicked eyes rolled wildly as it kicked against my grip, bleating in terror. Without hesitation, I sank my fangs deep into its neck. The sound of its agonized cry filled the dim room as I drank greedily. Its blood was warm, thick, and rich on my tongue. I drained it until its body went limp in my arms, until its life was nothing more than silence.

"So... what exactly do you plan to do now?"

The voice was sharp, laced with irritation. I turned my head to see Josh seated across from me, his lips stained red.

"Is Zane the only one in this world?" he demanded, his voice rising slightly. "Surely there are other Omegas who could bear your offspring. Stop letting those Alphas walk free just because of him. You’re going to kill them eventually, Simon, so why keep postponing the inevitable? End them now. I can hardly wait to watch those bastards burn alive. Their blood is useless to me anyway."

He leaned forward, his expression dark with hunger and anticipation. "The police officers will arrive in the forest soon. We need to decide what comes next before I take my leave. I can’t return to the Alphas’ training academy not after everything that’s been revealed. I’m sure Zane has already told Alfie about what you confided in him here. That boy will have spilled every word. So why delay? Why give the Alphas more time to breathe? Just walk into their mansion and tear them apart. Because mark my words, they’re plotting your death as we speak."

His tone was edged with determination, his words vibrating with the kind of certainty that only desperation could forge.

I wiped the last trace of blood from my lips and let a low chuckle escape, though my eyes narrowed. "Yes, they are planning to kill me. That much is true. But they won’t act so quickly, not yet."

"What should we do now, though?" Josh asked, his brow arched, curiosity glittering in his eyes though his lips curved with impatience.

"We’ll wait, of course," I answered firmly, my voice clipped with seriousness. "Wait until Zane and Alfie decide to confide in the other Alphas about what happened today. Wait until they plot their little schemes and try to draw me into their circle. But no matter what plans they hatch... betrayal will come for them, and it will be from one of their own. The Seer walks among them, and when the time is right, he will tip the scales in my favor."

I rose from my chair and began pacing back and forth. "We’ll relax for now, Josh. It will take time. Alfie and Zane will hesitate before calling the others....they’ll want to tread carefully, not alert the Seer to their suspicions. They’ll try to investigate quietly. Which means I won’t be summoned just yet."

Josh exhaled sharply and gave a half-shrug. "Fine then," he muttered, though his tone was begrudging. "I’ll stay away from the training academy for the time being, at least until it’s time to deliver judgment to those Alphas." He pushed himself to his feet, then lowered his head in a deep bow, respect etched in every movement. "Until then, stay safe, Simon."

I watched him leave, silent, though my mind churned with thoughts I did not voice. I could hear his every thought, because I was his maker. I had turned him into a vampire. He could never hear mine, never know the truths I kept locked away. He couldn’t know that I was the one responsible for his mother’s death. He couldn’t know that the enemy he sometimes sought was the same creature he bowed to now.

We could link minds, yes....communicate without speaking but the bond was not equal. And I wondered, idly, how he would react once the truth inevitably clawed its way to the surface. Once he discovered that his creator and his real enemy were one and the same.

The door closed behind him, and the silence that followed was heavy. I let it linger for a moment before reaching for the phone at my side. My fingers hovered for only a second before I dialed.

When the line connected, I spoke with a weary sigh. "How’s everything at the mansion? Is your secret still safe? Zane already knows that the Seer is among the five of you."

"What?!" The voice on the other end exploded in fury, so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. I switched it to loudspeaker, though the man’s anger still reverberated through the room. "You told him the Seer is among us? What in the hell were you thinking, Simon? Have you gone insane?!"

"I didn’t give him the whole story," I replied calmly, rubbing a hand through my hair as though trying to massage away the irritation pounding at my temples. "I only gave him a thread to pull at. I want him to piece the rest together on his own. It keeps him distracted. Regardless, I’m telling you now....be careful. Watch him. Whatever Zane does, you report it to me."

The voice snarled back. "If only I had killed him from the very beginning, none of this would have happened! Why did you have to fall in love with him, Simon? Why? I’ll admit, once upon a time I thought I loved him too, but I’ve seen him clearly now. He’s an obstacle. Nothing more. Better to let him go, better to tear him from this world than cling to this... obsession. But you....you can’t let go, you bastard! You’re blinded!" His voice rose into a raw scream, his breathing harsh and ragged through the receiver. "Perhaps you should just do the time loop! Reverse everything back to when Zane knew nothing!"

I clenched my jaw, anger flaring.

If only I could. I had wished for that, to turn back time but I can’t. The moment I realized Zane is carrying Alfie’s child, my powers seem to disappear. I thought to myself all while trying to control my anger but then I couldn’t....

"Shut the fuck up!" I roared, the walls trembling with the force of my fury. My entire body had tensed. "Keep your filthy hands away from him. I need Zane, do you understand me? You lay one finger on him, and I will make sure you drown in your own blood. When the time comes to kill your brothers, we’ll do it together but until then, Zane stays untouched. Safe."

The line went quiet for a moment. Then the voice responded, sharp and bitter. "Fine. Whatever you want."

The call ended abruptly, the silence afterward thick enough to suffocate.