CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER 266 THE ALPHA KING’S STANCE

"Guards! Take her away and deliver one hundred lashes with the silver whip!"

His roar dripped with unrestrained rage and disdain, leaving the air heavy with dread. Moments later, the guards stormed in. Two of them seized Claire by the arms, their grips like iron shackles.

She struggled desperately, but it was useless; their hold was unyielding, dragging her forward despite her thrashing. The more she fought, the more pitiful and disgraced she appeared.

And though she once dreamed of mingling with nobles as their equal, this scene would forever cling to her, an indelible image of humiliation that would ensure she was looked down upon from this day forth.

"Brother..." Dimitri began, his voice heavy with conflict. Everything he had just heard from his older brother was so shocking that his mind felt numb, and his heart ached for his niece.

Yet, Claire was still his daughter, the child of his beloved first love. No matter her faults, he couldn’t bring himself to abandon her. Guilt gnawed at him, deepening with the thought of all she must have suffered at the hands of the Vampire Lord before being rescued.

That guilt, coupled with his love for her, outweighed whatever sympathy he held for his niece. Blood would always come first, and when forced to choose, he would prioritize his own daughter over his brother’s.

But before Dimitri could voice any of this, the Alpha King cut him off.

"Brother, if you’re thinking of talking me out of this, drop it." The Alpha King’s voice was cold, his eyes glinting dangerously. "You know very well I don’t grant favors nor show face, not even to you. The only reason I haven’t cast you out for all the disgrace and trouble you’ve caused is because of our mother."

"That was mercy. But make no mistake, I am ruthless. If you insist on walking this path, and if your newly acknowledged daughter adds to it, then don’t blame me when I show you no mercy... not even for our blood ties."

His wolf stirred restlessly within, a dark presence pressing at the edge of his control. He had been holding it back all this time, but if his brother truly wished to provoke him, then the Alpha King would let the beast free.

Seeing the unrestrained fury burning in his brother’s eyes, Dimitri swallowed his words. He bowed deeply and excused himself, retreating with forced composure. But the moment he turned away, his face twisted into a darker expression, one brimming with murderous intent, before he hastened after Claire, who was still being dragged away.

Once Dimitri departed, the Alpha King’s Royal Advisor, who had been standing discreetly in the shadows, fully aware of the situation, stepped forward. Bowing slightly, he spoke in a cautious tone. "Your Majesty... with this much, your brother may see it as cause for rebellion. Does that not concern you?"

The Alpha King snorted. His brother had always carried resentment over being cast aside during the selection for the throne, but dissatisfaction alone changed nothing; he had never once bested the Alpha King in combat, nor did he possess any talent for governance or strategy.

Even if Dimitri were to rebel now, emboldened by his newly acknowledged daughter, the outcome would not change. The Alpha King was confident he would crush him with ease. Still, he knew his brother’s nature; Dimitri might lash out at every turn for the sake of his child. If he did not, all the better; the Alpha King could spare them.

"You and I both know my brother’s limits," the Alpha King said coldly. "Would he truly abandon his carefree life... for one troublesome daughter?"

"But Your Majesty, have you forgotten?" the Advisor pressed carefully. "That man has tortured his own fated mate for years, all for the sake of his first love. If he could do that, what else is he incapable of? And now that he’s discovered he has a child with her, do you truly believe he won’t go to extremes?"

Though the Alpha King had every right to be confident in his own strength, the Royal Advisor knew that men like Dimitri, forever overshadowed, never as strong, were often the most dangerous.

They were unpredictable, cunning, and without bottom lines. He wasn’t trying to sow discord between the brothers; it was his duty as Royal Advisor, the Alpha King’s strategist, to see threats the Alpha King might dismiss.

When the Royal Advisor pointed this out, the Alpha King sank into deep contemplation. It was true, his brother had long been misbehaving, ruthless even toward his own fated mate. Such conduct was not only shameful but forbidden, especially within the Royal Family.

They were meant to lead by example, to uphold the honor and laws of the werewolf society as decreed by the Moon Goddess herself. Otherwise, they risked drawing her curse upon their bloodline for generations to come.

And yet, his brother refused to listen. Dimitri convinced himself that because he had not formally rejected his fated mate, the Moon Goddess would overlook his cruelty.

After all, the greatest taboo among werewolves was rejecting one’s fated mate. This was also why Addison could not justifiably reject Zion, because he was her fated mate. The Royal Family, as the leaders of the werewolves, understood that their every action set the standard for the people who followed them.

If they failed to honor the Moon Goddess’s design, it would only be a matter of time before their entire lineage fell from grace.

As for Dimitri, the Alpha King had already lost hope in him. If the Moon Goddess chose to curse him, then only Dimitri and his descendants would bear the weight of that judgment.

Now that the Royal Advisor had pointed it out, the Alpha King realized he had indeed been underestimating his younger brother. He never saw Dimitri as a true competitor, which made him complacent.

But the reminder served its purpose—it was wiser to stay vigilant. Although the Alpha King could be ruthless when duty demanded it, he was not like his younger brother, who was heartless enough to torment his own fated mate and mistreat his legitimate daughter.

And now, with Claire freshly punished and her hatred for Addison festering, the Alpha King could already envision the chaos that might follow.

"You are right," he admitted, his tone firm. "Thank you for reminding me. If I focus only on one possibility, I risk being blindsided in the future. We shall keep a close watch on them, especially on that Claire."

"If she survives a hundred lashes of a silver whip, I am certain she will cause more trouble for Addison. But killing her outright would only drive Dimitri’s ruthlessness directly against me and my family."

"But Your Majesty, we cannot allow such people near us. If we let down our guard, we may well be stabbed in our sleep," the Royal Advisor cautioned, determined to ensure the Alpha King raised his defenses.

Claire was a schemer, and with Dimitri’s backing, her ruthlessness would surely surpass what she had shown in the Midnight River Pack.

The Alpha King’s gaze lingered on the grand doors through which Dimitri had vanished. His tone was calm, yet edged with authority. "There is a saying, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Let us watch them carefully and act accordingly when the time comes."