CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 79: CONFRONTATION

Selene suddenly found several growls directed at her. All the Alphas bared their teeth at her, their wolves straining against the insult that she hurled not just at Julian but at all of them.

And this only made her smile widen as she looked at their seething expressions.

Julian’s entire body shook. His breathing grew ragged and unsteady, his rage clawing at the edges of control. "I’ll rip your tongue out..." he snarled with a trembling voice. He had never been insulted like this in his entire life.

And still he had not forgotten how she had knocked him with one punch, which made him a complete loser in front of the other alpha heirs. He could see their mocking glances on him.

Selene leaned forward as much as her bounds allowed, her eyes gleaming like fire catching on oil. "Go ahead. Try...at least then you’ll have an excuse for why a bound witch left you spitting blood on your knees."

The words landed like a slap. A ripple of laughter broke among some of the younger Alpha heirs, unable to hold back at seeing Jullian mocked so brazenly.

They had never shied away from mocking each other. On the surface, they acted like close friends, laughing and standing united before the other races. But behind the scenes, every one of them was a rival.

Another Alpha heir snorted from the side, his voice dripping with amusement. "Careful, Julian. At this rate, she’ll break more than your teeth. Maybe your pride was too fragile to begin with."

Laughter rippled again, sharper this time. Julian’s face went crimson. It was the wrong sound at the wrong time. His eyes went wild.

He twisted, trying to lunge for her, but the same Alpha who had stopped him before shoved him back hard, forcing him to stumble a step. "Enough," the man growled at Julian and other young heirs, his tone edged with dominance. "She wants to unhinge you. Don’t give her the satisfaction."

Selene smirked at Julian again, slow and deliberate. "Too late. Already did."

"Bitch..."

And then suddenly another voice joined them, shifting everyone’s attention.

A middle-aged man entered inside the room, and Selene realized he was also an Alpha, and when she looked at his face, she instantly recognized him as the Alpha of the Blackthorn pack. Alpha

Fenrik Blackthorn. Kellan’s Father.

"You all did well."

Selene’s gaze hardened as another mastermind of this stage was shown.

Her mind raced back to the night she had taken Kellan as her hostage, the desperate gamble to gain leverage, to carve a chance at survival against monsters who wanted her caged or dead. She had always known there would be consequences. But this...this trap spun so carefully...even she has to applaud.

She knew he was the mastermind behind all the scenes; his presence here was enough to confirm all her doubts.

The Alpha of Blackthorn stopped before her, his gaze piercing as his lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "You cost me much, witch," he said. "But now, finally, you are caught, and through you, my son will be returned."

Selene’s smile widened. She leaned forward slightly despite her bonds, letting her gaze lock on him. "You do not have to go to such lengths to get your son back. It is simple." Her voice carried weight and amusement. "You release the witches you hold, and we will return your son."

Fenrik Blackthorn’s eyes narrowed. He snorted, a low sound that rumbled through the room. "Do you think I trust you? What if you never returned my son?" His voice was hard and cold but carried the tremor of fear that he tried to hide.

Selene did not flinch. Instead her smile deepened, a slow curl of lips that spoke of her sharp wits. Her tone dropped to a rich and dangerous tone.

"It is not that you do not trust us. It is that the witches matter more to you. You do not care whether your son lives or dies. You just want power in your hand. After all, one more son lost is nothing when you have already lost many sons. After all, you can always breed more cubs just like pigs in heat."

Fenrik’s face darkened, a storm of rage breaking behind his eyes. His lips pressed into a thin line before snapping open. "And you bitch! My son is very important to me. What do you know? We are not like your filthy race, who abandoned our own offspring." His voice shook with fury.

Selene’s gaze hardened at his words. She did not comment on his last words. She did not need to.

She let silence stretch between them, letting him stew in his own anger.

She was not casually enraging him. Every word, every glance, every deliberate pause was a tool. She wanted him unsettled and distracted, off balance. Because she wanted to draw out information from them.

Opportunities like this rarely came. Because not every day do you have a face-to-face confrontation with enemies like this.

Her hands were bound, but her mind was free. So she was trying to test the waters and get as much information as possible from them. She noticed the youngest alpha heirs shift, their ears twitching, their teeth flashing. Julian fumed silently. Even the others in the room tightened slightly, disturbed by her audacity.

Fenrik’s chest rose and fell rapidly. He tried to swallow his rage, but it was too much. His hands flexed at his sides. "You do not speak of my sons like that!" His voice boomed now. "You have no right to insult me. None at all!"

Selene’s lips tilted in a smile. "I have every right. You made your choices. You let the witches suffer. You let them fall. Your son is your pawn. Power is all that matters. And I have only spoken truth."

"And who knows, you are wasting time here just to catch me and gain the upper hand over the witches. But maybe your son has already faced so much that he can barely walk. Hmm, think, Alpha Fenrik, every minute you waste here, your son is going to pay for it. There is still time. Release us, and your son will come to you unscathed."

"Or who knows, when it is already too late, there will be nothing left of your son." Selene smirked as the color drained from Alpha Fenrik’s face at her words.

She was sure he was almost fuming with rage. If he really did not care for his son, he would not have patiently listened to her words and would have ripped her apart without thinking, just as hot-tempered werewolves often did. So she was going to use this opportunity very well.

And just as she had said, the werewolves were hot-tempered. Alpha Fenrik completely lost his mind at the threat. He was almost ready to lunge at her when suddenly a figure stepped in front of her, shielding her entirely from the furious gaze of Alpha Fenrik and the other alphas.

"Alpha Fenrik, leave the witch to me. I will deliver your son to you."

Selene heard a deep voice resonate above her, making her instantly stiffen.