CHAPTER THIRTY–FIVE
KILLIAN’S POV
I hated leaving her.
Even if it was just for a few hours, it felt as if I was walking away from the only place in the
rested.
World
where
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my soul actually
Liana was curled up in bed when I kissed her goodbye, still warm from our night together, her skin glowing with the kind of softness I didn’t deserve. She didn’t stir when I left the note by her pillow, but I knew she’d read it. I knew she’d smile, maybe
even blush a little, the way she always did when I wrote her something.
And I hated that I had to go.
But this meeting couldn’t be avoided. Not anymore.
I told myself I was doing it for her. For Ryan. For us.
Now I was here, stepping into Logan’s house–my Beta, my brother in all but blood. The only reason the meeting wasn’t taking place at my estate was because of her. Because she was there. And I would never risk her overhearing any of this.
Logan’s house was the safest place. His estate was hidden just outside the city.
Steve was already there, standing near the window with his arms crossed, his face as unredeadable as always. He was my Gamma, loyal, relentless, always calculating. He rarely smiled, rarely spoke first, but when he did, it meant something.
Logan sat at the bar, sipping whiskey. He was the opposite of Steve. Loud, playful, reckless sometimes, but sharp. Sharp where it counted. He was the CFO of Wolfe International and the one who could read my silence better than anyone else.
These two men weren’t just part of my pack. They were part of me.
So when I walked in, and Logan said, “You’re late,” it wasn’t a complaint. It was concern.
I took the glass he handed me, didn’t drink. I sat.
Steve’s voice came first. “We heard the rumors. About Cynthia. About the divorce.”
I didn’t answer Just looked down at my glass. Logan filled the silence.
“Killian, we need to talk. This election coming up, it’s not a joke. You’re not just running for Alpha of this pack. You’re competing to be Alpha King Of all the packs Every region Every territory. This isn’t the time to make enemies.”
I let out a slow breath “I know what’s at stake.”
“Then why are you risking it now?” Steve asked, sharp and direct “Why the hell are you divorcing your Luna weeks before
the council vote?”
Because I can’t keep living a lie.
But I didn’t say that yet. I looked at both of them. “Because she’s not my mate.”
Logan rubbed his temples “Killian… you knew that before the election was even announced. You married her anyway.”
“Because I didn’t have a choice then. But I do now.”
Steve’s tone dropped. “You’re forgetting the requirement. No Alpha King gets crowned without a Luna beside him. The council will never approve a candidate who’s divorced and alone.”
I raised my head. “I’m not alone. I have Liana”
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Steve stepped forward, serious. “Killian, listen to yourself. You want to trade Cynthia, the perfect Luna, the woman with the
council’s favor, for your stepsister. Who’s human??”
“She’s my mate.”
“You think she’s your mate. You feel it. But to the council? She’s a scandal. A human.
born outside your legal marriage. That’s not just controversy. That’s disqualification.”
A
Weep–relative. A mother to a child
“I don’t care what they think-”
“You should!” Logan barked. “Because this isn’t just about you anymore! You want to change things, remember? Restructure how we lead. Give Omegas more rights. Destroy the hierarchy your father built. None of that happens if you walk away from
this title now!”
I stood. “I’m not walking away.”
“Then don’t give them ammo to destroy you!” Steve shouted. “Postpone the divorce. That’s all we’re saying. Don’t announce
anything until you’ve been crowned. You’ll have power then. You can name anyone you want as Luna–hell, even a human.
No one will stop you. But now? Right now, they’ll crucify you.”
I stared at the wall, at nothing.
“And the pregnancy?” I asked flatly. “Do we pretend it’s mine?”
Steve and Logan exchanged a look.
“We know it’s not yours,” Logan said, his voice low. “We know Cynthia’s been sleeping with her mate. A human. We figured it
out weeks ago. But that doesn’t change the fact that this is the perfect time to use her.”
“Use her?” I echoed.
Steve nodded. “Yes. Use her. Let the council believe the baby is yours. Let them see you with a pregnant Luna by your side.
That’s power, Killian. That’s leverage.”
Logan leaned forward. “You’re competing with two other Alphas, remember? Alpha Dorian of the North Territory, and Alpha Cassian from the East. Both strong. Both with Luna mates, yes, but neither of them has a pregnant Luna. You do.”
“That pregnancy could tip the entire election in your favor,” Steve added. “They’ll see you as stable. As fertile. As ready to lead and continue the bloodline. Even if it’s not true.”
“And meanwhile,” Logan cut in, “Liana stays hidden. You keep her away from all this. No one must know. Not yet.”
Steve nodded slowly “Exactly. You love her, we get that. We’ve seen it. But she’s your secret, Killian. Your dirty secret. And
for now, that’s how it has to stay.”
My chest tightened.
“Keep her out of the spotlight,” Logan said gently. “We know what she means to you. But for now, just for now… use Cynthia Let her stand beside you. Let the council believe what they want. Once you’re crowned, you can divorce her. Do whatever you
want. But win first, Killian Win for Liana Win for your son”
I looked down at my hands. At the mark on my ring finger where the wedding band used to sit.
“Does it ever stop?” I asked, my jaw ticking. “Putting duty before everything else?”
Logan answered quietly. “Not for us. Not in this world”
I didn’t move for a long time.
Then I nodded
“I’ll think about it.”
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That was all I could give them.
And it was already killing me inside. Keeping my Liana as a secret.
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