Alexander’s POV
I watched Summer’s face drain of color as we stood in the hallway. The Council representatives had just left with Natalia, but whatever that witch had whispered to my mate had clearly devastated her.
“Summer?” I gripped her shoulders gently, trying to bring her focus back to me. Her eyes seemed distant, lost in a nightmare I couldn’t see. “Baby, talk to me. What did she say to you?”
When she finally looked up at me, the raw pain in her eyes made my wolf snarl protectively.
“She said…” Summer’s voice trembled. “She said Felix didn’t die from his illness. How could she know
about him?”
My blood ran cold. Felix was Summer’s greatest wound, her deepest grief. For Natalia to weaponize that against her was beyond cruel.
“Come here,” I whispered, pulling Summer into my arms and guiding her away from the hallway where curious eyes might see her distress. I led her to my office and locked the door behind us.
“Alexander,” she said, her voice hollow as she sank into the leather couch. “What if she knows something? What if Felix’s death wasn’t just his immune disorder?”
I knelt before her, taking her hands in mine. “Summer, listen to me. Natalia was cornered. She knew she was being exiled from our pack territory, and she wanted to hurt you in the most devastating way
possible.”
“But how would she even know about Felix?” Summer’s eyes were wide with confusion and pain. “I’ve never spoken of him publicly here.”
That was a valid question. How did Natalia know about Felix? My instincts screamed that something
wasn’t right.
“She’s trying to manipulate you,” I said, pushing down my own suspicions for now. “She knows Felix was your son, and she’s using that knowledge to twist the knife. It’s what people like her do when they’re desperate.”
Summer nodded slowly, but I could see she wasn’t fully convinced. Neither was I.
“I need to know,” she whispered. “I need to know if there was more to his death than what I was told.“”
I stroked her cheek gently. “We’ll look into it, I promise. But first, you need to rest. This has been too much stress in too short a time.”
After getting Summer settled in our quarters with Lyra watching over her, I sought out Beta Ethan. I found him in the security room, reviewing footage from last night.
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“Ethan,” I called, my voice low and urgent. “I need you to investigate Natalia Thompson’s movements
over the past month. Who she’s met with, where she’s been, everything.”
Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “Something specific I should be looking for?”
“Any connection to Silver Creek Pack. Specifically, to Alpha Foster or his mate Suzanna.”
His expression darkened with understanding. “This is about Felix, isn’t it?”
I nodded grimly. “Natalia told Summer that her son didn’t die from his illness. I need to know if that was just a cruel manipulation or if there’s something more sinister at play.”
“I’ll put our best people on it,” Ethan promised. “Discreetly.”
“And Ethan?” I added as he turned to go. “Not a word of this to Summer until we know something
concrete.”
Three hours later, I was reviewing pack boundary reports when Ethan entered my office without knocking, his expression grim.
“You need to see this,” he said, placing a tablet on my desk.
The screen showed surveillance photos and an intelligence report from one of our operatives inside Silver Creek Pack territory. My jaw tightened as I scrolled through the images.
“This can’t be right,” I muttered, though the evidence was right before my eyes.
The first photo showed Natalia meeting with a known black–market dealer of specialized wolf medications. The second showed her back at Silver Creek territory, this time speaking with none other than Suzanna herself.
“There’s more,” Ethan said quietly, swiping to a written statement. “Our informant confirms Natalia visited Alpha Foster on the same day Summer took Felix to Disneyland–the day before his death.”
“Son of a bitch,” I growled, my claws extending involuntarily as rage coursed through me.
“She was working with them,” Ethan concluded. “But why?”
I leaned back in my chair, connecting the dots in my mind. “She’s been obsessed with me for years. When I publicly claimed Summer as my mate…”
“Natalia joined forces with your mate’s enemies,” Ethan finished. “Out of jealousy.”
The realization made me sick. Felix had died because Natalia couldn’t accept that I’d chosen Summer. An innocent child, murdered over a woman’s wounded pride.
“Alpha?” Ethan’s voice pulled me from my dark thoughts. “What do we tell Luna Summer?”
The question hit me like a physical blow. How could I tell Summer that her son had died because of us?
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That our relationship had triggered Natalia’s jealousy and led to Felix’s murder? The truth would destroy
her.
I thought of Summer upstairs, already devastated by just the suggestion that Felix’s death wasn’t natural. Learning the whole truth would shatter her completely–and possibly our bond along with it. She might
never forgive herself… or me.
“Nothing,” I said finally, my voice hard. “She doesn’t hear a word of this.”
“But sir-”
“Not yet,” I amended, running a hand through my hair. “We need more evidence. And I need time to figure
out how to handle this.”
Ethan hesitated. “What about Natalia?”
“We can’t touch her yet. Not without revealing what we know to Summer. We don’t have enough evidence.
But who said I couldn’t teach her a lesson privately?
“I
I stared at the photos again, a plan forming in my mind. “We need to redirect this. Summer already suspects Foster and Suzanna were behind Felix’s death. We’ll strengthen that theory.”
“You want to frame them?” Ethan asked carefully, his face neutral.
“Is it really framing when they’re already guilty?” I countered. “Foster and Suzanna would have approved whatever Natalia did. They’re just as responsible.”
I stood up, decision made. “Create a file. Use these surveillance photos but remove Natalia. Emphasize Foster and Suzanna’s involvement. Add information about medications that could have caused Felix’s rapid organ failure.”
Ethan looked uncomfortable but nodded. “And what happens when Summer eventually learns the truth? That Natalia was involved? That we knew and didn’t tell her?”
The question hung heavy in the air between us. I had no good answer.
“By then, I hope she’ll be strong enough to handle it,” I said, though my gut twisted with guilt. “Right now, she’s too fragile. Learning Natalia killed her son because of jealousy over me… it would destroy her.”
“And if she finds out you kept this from her?”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Then I’ll deal with those consequences when they come.”
As Ethan left to carry out my orders, I returned to our quarters. Summer had fallen into an exhausted sleep. I watched her peaceful face, knowing I carried a terrible burden that could shatter that peace forever.
“I’ll protect you,” I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Even from the truth, if that’s what
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it takes.”
I hoped someday she would forgive me for this deception. But more than that, I hoped she would never
need to.
And then I picked up my phone and dialed a number I rarely used.
“It’s Alexander,” I said when the line connected. “I need a favor. It’s about Natalia Thompson…”
