Dendrick’s POV
“It was Logan. I swear it was Logan who killed my beta!”
My angry words echoed through the grand foyer of Alpha Kieran’s pack house as I paced back and forth. My mind was a storm of rage. My hands were sweaty, my head ached with grief. But most of all, my heart ached with pain.
My beta. My best friend. He was dead, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to bring him back.
Every muscle in my body was coiled tight, my heart pounding so loudly I could barely hear the other Alphas as they tried to calm me down. But I didn’t want to be calm. I wanted justice. I wanted blood.
I wanted the person who did this.
I wanted Logan.
I kicked a chair out of my way, the wood splintering as it hit the wall. A goblet of wine perched on a nearby table met the same fate, crashing to the floor in a pool of crimson liquid. But nothing could quench the fire raging inside me.
“Denderick, you need to stop,” Alpha Harris yelled, his voice filled with a warning. “We don’t know who did this yet. Stop it.”
“He’s right,” Alpha Callum added, his voice cold and sharp. “Pointing fingers without proof won’t solve anything.”
“Proof?” I spat, whirling to face him. “You think I need proof to know what Logan is capable of? He’s a murderer! He killed my beta just like he killed all those women!”
“Enough!” Alpha Callum barked, his eyes narrowing as he stepped forward. “Don’t forget, Denderick, that bodies keep turning up in your territory. And now you’re accusing Logan? You need to calm down before you make things worse for yourself.”
“I never killed those women!” I roared, my voice shaking with the intensity of my anger. “And I certainly didn’t kill Liam. But Logan… He’s the one who’s been behind it all along. How can you be so blind?”
“Blind?” Alpha Kieran sneered, finally joining the conversation. “If anyone’s blind, it’s you, Denderick. You’ve let your emotions cloud your judgment. You think just because you took Logan’s breeder that you’re entitled to spew nonsense and expect us to believe it?”
I stiffened, the mention of Aria igniting another spark of anger. “I didn’t steal Aria,” I shot back, stepping closer to Kieran until we were nearly nose-to-nose. “That baby she had, that’s my son, not Logan’s. I had every right to take her back.”
Kieran raised an eyebrow, his expression cold and unfeeling. “And what right do you have to accuse Logan without a shred of evidence? You’re making a fool of yourself, Denderick. The Council isn’t here to indulge your vendetta against Logan.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. They were so quick to defend Logan, so eager to turn the blame back on me. It was as if they had all been bought off, their loyalty sold to the highest bidder. Or perhaps they had been threatened into submission. It was clear to me now that I was standing alone in this room, surrounded by Alphas who had already made up their minds.
My voice dropped to a low snarl, “Are you all so blinded by Logan that you can’t see the truth right in front of you? Or is it that you’re all afraid of him? Afraid of what he might do to you if you dare to stand against him?”
Before any of them could respond, Alpha Marcus stepped forward, his face twisted in anger. He grabbed me by the arm and shoved me toward a corner of the room, his grip tight and unyielding.
“You’re embarrassing me, Denderick,” he hissed, his voice low so that only I could hear. “Do you know what the others are saying? They’re wondering why I’d ever consider giving my daughter Giselle’s hand in marriage to someone as reckless and unhinged as you.”
I yanked my arm free, glaring at him. “I’m not crazy, Marcus. Logan’s the one who’s behind all of this. He’s the one who’s been killing those women, and he’s the one who killed Liam tonight. I know it, and I bet he cannot deny this.”
Marcus eyed me warily. I could see it in his eyes that he thought I was going senile.
“Then show me the proof, Denderick.” He growled. “Show me something that will make these other Alphas listen.”
For a moment, I faltered. The truth was, I didn’t have any solid proof. All I had were my instincts, my gut telling me that Logan was responsible. The only evidence I could point to was the dead pregnant woman Liam had saved months ago-but even that wouldn’t be enough to convince the Council. And she was dead. Just another dead woman who couldn’t speak to support me.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything to defend myself, but before I could speak, a familiar sound cut through the tension in the room.
Laughter.
My blood ran cold, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. I turned slowly, my eyes narrowing as I saw the culprit himself sauntering into the room as if he owned the place. He was grinning, that same twisted smile that made my stomach churn with hatred.
It was him. Logan.
“Well, well,” Logan drawled, his voice dripping with mockery as he glanced around the room. “What did I miss? Denderick, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
My heart pounded furiously in my chest as Logan’s gaze met mine, his eyes gleaming with a sick satisfaction. He knew exactly what he had done, and now he was here to rub it in my face, to flaunt his victory in front of the entire Council.
“Logan,” I growled. “Where have you been?”
His smile widened. “Not that I have to spare you a reply, but I was using the men’s room. Why are you asking?”
I could feel the anger rising inside me, threatening to explode. But I couldn’t lose control. Not now. Not with everyone watching.
“My beta is dead!” I spat. “Liam! And I know you had something to do with it. I saw the look you gave him as we walked in.”
“Looks mean nothing, Denderick. We have barely resolved the issue of you stealing my breeder, and now you’re here with accusations?”
His smile widened as if he could sense the battle waging within me. “Come now,” he said, his tone almost playful. “Surely you don’t think I had anything to do with your beta’s unfortunate demise? That’s quite the accusation, even for someone as reckless as you.”
I couldn’t control myself anymore. With a snarl, I leaped forward and tackled Logan to the ground.