CHAPTER 114: CHAPTER 114: THE BROTHERS LEAVE THE PACK

I jolted awake with a sharp cry, my body trembling as if the nightmare still had its claws in me. My chest heaved, each breath ragged, my skin damp with sweat. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The shadows of the dream clung to me, whispering in my ears, choking me.

My eyes darted around the room. I was alone.

A shaky breath slipped from me as I dragged a hand over my face, pressing hard against my eyes as though I could erase the images burned into them—the blood, her cold stare, her voice telling me to surrender. My palm came away wet with sweat. My body still felt heavy and weak, like the wolfsbane was real and still flowing in my veins.

"Calm down," I whispered to myself, though my voice broke. My hands raked through my hair, gripping tight, as if holding myself together. But no matter how many times I repeated it, the ache in my chest would not fade.

The door creaked open.

I looked up quickly, still pale, my heart jumping. And there he was—Aeron.

He stepped inside, his eyes sharp with worry the moment they landed on me. His steps were fast and steady until he stood right beside the bed, towering over me.

"Luca," he said, his voice low but firm, carrying the weight of his concern. His gaze searched me, reading the fright still written all over my face.

I swallowed hard, trying to hide the shaking of my hands, but I couldn’t. The dream clung to me too tightly.

But it seemed my brother was already burdened with something, and I did not want him to worry about me.

***

Author’s POV~

"Luca," Aeron said at once, his voice sharp and firm, "We have to go from here. Now."

There was no hesitation in his tone, no space for questions. His anger was clear, and his decision was final. He did not want to waste another moment, not when that bastard, the Lycan Prince, was still here.

Aeron knew that man’s people were everywhere, watching, listening. Any discussion inside this room could be overheard and would reach his ear. He could not risk it, and most importantly, he did not think he would be able to live here without punching that prince.

Luca had just woken up. His body still felt heavy, his stomach twisted with discomfort, but he looked at Aeron silently. He trusted his brother more than anyone in the world. Without asking a single question, without demanding an explanation, he gave a small nod. That nod was enough.

Aeron’s jaw tightened, but his eyes softened for a brief second. He turned sharply and moved to the door, and Luca forced himself to push aside the unease in his body. He stood up and followed his brother.

Within moments, the two of them were walking through the pack grounds. The night was heavy, and silence pressed around them, but their steps were fast and sure. They did not stop to talk to anyone. They did not inform anyone.

By the time the Beta of Alpha Marcus realized what was happening, the brothers were already at the edge of the pack with their warriors behind them.

"Wait!" the Beta shouted, stepping in front of them. His voice was filled with alarm. "You cannot just leave like this. At least speak to the Alpha—"

But Aeron did not stop. His expression grew darker, and without even glancing at the Beta, he walked straight past him. Luca followed, silent and steady, trusting his brother’s lead. Their warriors moved with them, forming a strong wall of loyalty that no one dared to break.

The Beta tried to argue again, but he could not hold them back. His voice faded behind them as the brothers and their men disappeared into the night, leaving the Midnight Pack without a word.

The moment he realized they were truly gone, the Beta hurried back, his heart racing. He rushed to inform Alpha Marcus and the other Alphas.

The moment the news spread through the Midnight Pack that Aeron and his brother had left, the air inside the Alpha Hall grew heavy with anger. All the Alphas gathered there were furious. Their faces turned dark, and their voices rose, echoing against the walls.

It was not only the matter that the brothers had gone without a word. The real insult was that they left now, just when the Lycan Prince himself had arrived.

Everyone knew what his arrival meant. His presence was never casual. If the Prince came, a meeting must be held, decisions must be made, and someone must take responsibility for all the matters at hand.

But now, the one person they were planning to pin everything on had slipped away. Aeron, arrogant as ever, had not bowed to them, had not even spared them a glance, and had walked away with his brother as though none of them mattered. His action was like a slap to their faces.

Around the room, the Alphas muttered among themselves, their tempers rising higher. None of them wanted the burden of responsibility. None wanted to face the Council’s judgment later. They had hoped to throw all the blame onto Aeron, to use him as the shield, but now he was gone.

The Lycan Prince sat at the center, calm and silent. His reaction was the opposite of the others. He did not flare with anger. His eyes held a faint amusement, as if the chaos around him meant little. He had come for one purpose, and that purpose was already complete.

The witch had escaped, and to him, that was a satisfactory outcome.

In truth, he even found it amusing that Aeron had left in such fury. To see the proud man so restless and so unwilling to share the same roof with him was pleasing.

It lightened his mood, and though others thought his time here was wasted, the prince felt no such thing. He had gotten what he wanted. Now, he was also ready to leave.

But for the Alphas, there was no satisfaction. Their frustration grew unbearable. They had sacrificed too much already. They had used up countless resources to capture the witch, and now she was gone. They had even sacrificed many of their young witches, sending them out as bait, and now they were all rescued. All their efforts had turned to nothing.

And worse, now they had to face the Council. The thought alone made their expressions turn darker than before.

The Council would not forgive such failure. The Council would demand explanations, and the invitation for judgment would soon arrive. Each Alpha knew it. Each one felt the weight pressing against his chest.

But among all of them, Alpha Marcus carried the heaviest burden. His anger was burning, but his body trembled at the same time. He knew that most of the blame would fall on him.

After all, it was his pack where everything had gone wrong. His territory had been invaded, and he had failed to control it. Outsiders had come and gone freely, and now the brothers had left under his nose.

The Council would not see him as a leader anymore. They would see him as weak, careless, and unworthy of his place. And Marcus knew it well.

As the other Alphas glared and muttered, Marcus’s face was pale with fury and shame. His fists were clenched, but he could do nothing. The power he had once held in front of them was slipping away like sand through his fingers.

On the other side, his son Alpha Julian was nowhere to be seen. He had not come to the hall, not even to greet the Lycan Prince. He was too ashamed to face anyone.

After the humiliating scene where Selena had kicked him in his most prized jewel, he had been taken almost half-dead to the hospital wing.