Chapter Forty Nine
LUCY
After I had written that letter to Chris, my heart weighed heavily for days. Tears had been my companion for days, the uncertainty of my father’s actions, and the consequences of my emotions consuming me. The conflict within my soul echoed in the solitude of my hut, each moment feeling like a battle.
Days went by, determination took hold of me. I couldn’t bear the weight if my doubts any longer, I needed answers even if it would shatter the bond I had with Chris. I set out early one morning to Cade’s chambers ..
As I sought Cade, I heart welled up in determination as I approached him with a sense of resolve. “Cade,” I called out, my voice steady and my gaze unflinching. “I need to know about my father and his involvement is Alpha Chris’ father’s death.”
“Lucy, it’s not a simple matter,” he said, his gaze meeting mine, his eyes held something that I couldn’t decipher.
My jaw tightened in anxiousness, but my resolve unwavering. “Cade, tell me what I need to know. I need to know the truth, I can’t live in uncertainty anymore.”
Cade let out a long sigh before motioning me to sit beside him. “Very well then. But you have to understand, Lucy, that this story goes many years ago.”
I settled onto a nearby seat, my heart pounding as I listened. “I know. Tell me,” I said, my voice quivering.
“Your father and Chris’ father were close friends,” he began. “Your father was loyal to the former king. But as the pack’s loyalty shifted, tension rose. His father believed in preserving the pack’s tradition, while his uncle advocated for a change.”
He was talking about himself now, Cade was Chris’ uncle. Maybe this was a way to learn more about his true identity.
“His uncle? Chris has an uncle? Where is he now?” I asked, pretending not to know.
“He’s far gone. He had to leave the palace with the hope of returning one day to claim what is rightfully his,” he said, his fist clenching. I could see the anger in his eyes, he was fuming in rage even as he tried to keep cool.
“Bur how does that lead to Chris’ father’s death?” I asked, my brows furrowed as I processed the information.
Cade’s expression grew somber. “One fateful day, Chris’ father was found dead in his chambers. Your father was discovered holding his lifeless body.”
My heart clenched, the weight of the revelation was too much to bear. “But why did my father kill-”
“He didn’t,” he cuts in, his voice filled with conviction. ” I investigated and looked into every detail. Your father had gone to his chambers to talk to the king about the growing rift between him and his brother which had led to the pack’s division. But he found him dead already, he held his body out of desperation, trying to comprehend what had happened.”
“So he’s innocent?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes, relief and grief coursing through me.
“Yes, Lucy. He’s innocent of any wrongdoing,” Cade nodded, his gaze intense.
“What about Chris’ uncle? That also makes him a suspect,” I said, staring at him suspiciously.
He scoffed. “You think he killed his brother and fled? Of course, everyone thought the same thing. But he didn’t kill his brother, his brother’s killer is still out there somewhere and his brother is going to claim what is rightfully his.”
“You sound like you’ve known him for a long time, Cade. Is there something you’re not telling me?” I asked, my suspicion growing by the minute.
He rose from his seat and began to walk around the room, his fist clenched. He turned to me, his gaze fixed on me like he was boring a hole through me. “I am he. I am that man who would claim what is rightfully his.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked again.
“I am Uther Parker, brother to the former king,” he said.
My eyes widened in shock. I wasn’t expecting him to be this open with me about his true identity. Chris was truly right, Cade was of royal blood and the supposed brother to the king. It all made sense to me now, why he clamored on taking the throne from Chris, why he wanted Chris dead so bad, I understood better.
“Why did you run away after your brother was confirmed dead? Why didn’t you stay back and claim the throne?” I asked.
He burst into laughter which came as a surprise to me as well. “I’m not stupid, Lucy. Everyone thought I has a hand in his murder, they all thought I sent your father to kill the king. How could I stay back?”C0pyright © 2024 Nôv)(elDrama.Org.
A heavy silence settled between us, the weight of the revelation hanging in the air. Then Cade’s voice took on a more sinister edge. “Lucy, think about what your family endured. Wrongfully accused, banished, their honour tarnished. We can be allies, we will make them pay for treating your family in that way.”
My heart raced, my emotions taking control of my being. As much as I had always wanted to make Chris and his family pay for what they did to I and my family, I knew it wasn’t their fault. If my father hadn’t been found by the side of the dead king, he wouldn’t have been accused of killing the king.
Cade’s gaze bore into mine, his voice a whisper that dripped with venom. “It’s time for revenge, Lucy. Time to make Chris’ pack pay for what they did to us.”
“Revenge? What we need is justice, we need to find the truth,” I said.
Cade’s expression hardened, he placed his hand on my shoulder, his grip tight. “You’re naive, Lucy. They banished us without cause, without mercy. Do you think justice will prevail? If they truly cared for justice they would have found out who the true killer was and clear your father’s name.”
A smile smoothed on my lips, it was time to play along as usual. I had a conviction that Cade had a hand in the death of the Chris’ father and my poor father had to take the blame. There was something he wasn’t saying and I was going to find it out.
I nodded my head in agreement. “We’ll make them pay for everything they’ve done to us. We’ll burn the city to the ground and everyone in it,” I said.
As our eyes locked, I felt the weight of my decisions pressing on me. Thhe path ahead was uncertain, but I was determined to face it on my own.