Chapter Seventy Four
CHRIS
The triumphant sight of Cade surrendering willingly to us stirred a mix of satisfaction and vindication in my heart. The once fierce warrior who was feared by everyone was now being led to the dungeon to face his doom. He was now a broken man, a man who had lost everything he held dear due to his greed.
“Finally, justice begins,” I muttered to my beta, Glen, my voice filled with determination.
Cade’s capture was the first step towards victory, towards revealing the truth behind Lucy’s father’s stained legacy. The next step was to expose Cade’s evil deeds to the elders. It was crucial because the name of an unjustly accused man needed to be clear, and it was the only way to make Lucy his Luna.
“Mount guards around the pack, Cade’s warriors might show up again to rescue him,” I ordered. Glen did as he was told and different guards were made to secure the walls of the pack.
However, despite the echoes of victory that loomed over the pack, there was an unusual quietness around me. Lucy was nowhere to be found and this gave me a reason to be concerned.
“Where is Lucy?” I asked Glen, scanning the faces of the warriors returning from battle.
He shook his head. “No sign of her. Maybe she needed time after….. you know, Nathan.”
He was right. I knew how close she and Nathan were and I understood how his death would affect her emotionally and physically.
Nathan’s death had cast a shadow over the battlefield and I wondered if Lucy’s abrupt departure was a testament to the grief that etched across her face.
“Give her some time,” Glen suggested, “she’s been through a lot lately,” he added, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
“You’re right,” I nodded. “Maybe she needed space to process everything.”
It was almost noon the next day and Lucy hadn’t shown up like I thought she would. It got me distressed after I searched every nook and cranny of the pack in search of her. There was no sign of her anywhere around. Lucy and I were supposed to interrogate Cade, to make him spill the truth before the council of elders. That was our plan but she had gone missing in a twink of an eye; this was unlike the Lucy I knew. She wouldn’t disappear from the pack without a word.
What if she had been captured without my notice? Was she still mourning over the death of Nathan?
News reached me that Lucy’s sudden disappearance wasn’t just about Nathan’s death but a somber adherence to the agreement with the elders.
“Why would she leave now?” I pondered, frustration clouding my face. “Why did she have to leave now? We were on the brink of exposing Cade’s crimes.”
I paced around my chambers, wondering where she would be. “Relax, Alpha Chris. I believe that she wouldn’t have gone too far. I’ll send some of the guards to bring her back to you,” Glen said.
“Why did she do this? We agreed to face this together,” I mumbled.
“The elders can be stubborn, and Lucy, well, she’s fiercely loyal to them,” Glen said.
Loyal? Lucy was a hard nut to crack. She couldn’t have possibly left the pack because of the stupid agreement she had with them.
“Send the guards immediately, I’ll go speak to Cade myself,” I ordered.
Glen bowed. As he turned to leave my chambers, I called out to him. “Glen!”
“Yes, my lord,” Glen responded.
“Find her, please,” I begged, my voice etched with utmost concern for Lucy.
“I’ll bring her back safely. Do all you can to expose that tyrant,” Glen said.
With a slight bow, he left my chambers, leaving me to wallow in my pain. As the dungeon claimed Cade, my heart ached for Lucy.
After a few hours of waiting and no sign of Glen or Lucy, I decided to speak with Cade alone. As I got to the dungeon that held Cade, he burst into laughter which amused me.
“Are you here to mock me like your counterpart?” Cade said. Despite his anguish, I could see the fury in his eyes.
“Why did you kill my father? What did he ever do to you?” I asked, clenching my fist to suppress my anger.
Cade chuckled. “Your father was a weakling. He didn’t deserve to be King.”
“You won’t speak ill of my father, you….”
“I’ll do that and worse, child!!” Cade interrupted. “Your father should have known better before accepting to be king in my place. The throne was mine!!” he bellowed.
“The throne that has led to your son’s early grave?? Your selfishness has cost the lives of so many people including Lucy’s father whom you framed,” I snapped.
Cade huffed. “Oh, dear Lucian.” He rose from where he was seated making his way to the dungeon gate. “Lucian. Lucian. He was too kindhearted and deserved what he got. If only he knew the truth, he wouldn’t have taken the fall for me.”
“What truth?” I asked, searching his eyes for answers but I found none.
“It’s too sad that the truth will never come out. You’ll end up like your miserable father in no time,” Cade said ignoring my question.
“What fvcking truth?!” I yelled again.
Ignoring me, he continued. “I’m part of your enemy but I’m not your main enemy,” he laughed. “You and your father are weak. Too weak to be the leader of this pack. The reign of The Parkers will be over soon enough.”
“What fvcking truth are you talking about?” I yelled the more.
“The truth you’ve been searching for. The truth behind your father’s demise.” Case said, his voice filled with scorn.
There was something Cade wasn’t saying – something he wanted me to know. I needed to get the truth out of him before it was too late.
Frustrated, I returned to my chambers, fuming in rage. Cade had just made me uncomfortable, my meeting with him was not successful as I expected it to be.
What truth was he referring to? I thought. Cade did not for once admit to killing my father or Lucy’s father. All he said was they deserved what they got.
I pondered on his words for long that I didn’t notice when Glen walked in.
“You looked troubled, my Lord. How did it go with Cade? Did he confess to his deeds?” he asked, bringing me out of my reverie.
“Did you find her?” I asked.
“We searched everywhere and beyond, but she’s nowhere to be found. We also searched the rogue pack, she wasn’t there,” Glen explained.
“We need her,” I murmured. “Maybe he’ll talk when he sees her.”
Where could she have gone to? Why did she have to leave?
“We’ll keep searching until we find her,” Glen said with a reassuring tone.
She had to be found, her presence meant everything to me. But the elders wouldn’t allow it. So it was up to me to find out the truth behind my father’s death, clear Lucy’s father of the allegations against him and bring Lucy home to me as my Luna.