Chapter 54: Shall We Begin?
Irina’s POV
A chill swept through me. “What?”
Kratos turned his burning gaze on Aiden and Derek. “You said her name was Julie?”
They both nodded slowly.
His expression twisted with something close to fury. “She’s the one who betrayed us. She and her Alpha lover destroyed this place the first time.”
The words hit like a blow.
“The first time?” Rylan repeated, frowning.
Kratos nodded once, eyes distant. “She hunted us for a while. We took her in, made sure she had everything, but one day she disappeared. We searched for her, thought that perhaps she got into a fight and was hurt.”
His voice didn’t waver, but I could tell how much it hurt him to remember this story.
It wasn’t exactly a happy memory the one he was recalling.
“After a month, we decided to hold a funeral. There was no way a young wolf like her would have survived in the wild. Other rogues used to roam around that area. If she encountered them, she would be doomed.” He stopped to take a deep breath. “Or so we thought, until one day she returned.”
Theia whimpered softly inside my head, she could tell we were reaching a part of the story none of us wanted to hear.
“We were thrilled, we thought it was a miracle. We let that woman stay with us, but then chaos started to spread like wildfire in the middle of the night.” Kratos’s voice dropped. “The wards fell. The trees screamed. Fire devoured everything we built. By the time we realized what was happening, it was too late. Half my people were dead before dawn.”
The glow of the forest dimmed as he spoke, shadows trembling at the edges of his words. Even the air seemed to mourn with him.
Aiden’s brows furrowed. “You’re saying Julie caused all of that?”
Kratos’s gaze snapped to him, sharp as a blade. “Her name was not Julie; she used to be called Ana. She came with a man, an Alpha. He wanted us gone, and he was not sure why.”
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< Chapter 54: Shall We Begin?
“You don’t live the way other rogues do, he might have seen you as a threat,” Rylan suggested.
I nodded in agreement. “You didn’t have anythin anymore.”
ole to take, and… I wasn’t there
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Aiden flinched, and Kratos just sighed. “I wish it were that simple. I’m not sure why Ana did what she did, but she hated us for some reason, even after everything we did for her.”
“That sounds like Julie,” Theia commented.
“Do you think you’ll recognize the Alpha?” I asked Kratos. I’m sure Derek and Aiden have access to the information of other Alphas.
Kratos nodded. “Certainly, I’ll never forget his face. He was not much older than Julie at the time, I’m guessing he was eighteen,” He said.
Wait a second.
“You said this happened five years ago?” I questioned, and Kratos nodded. “How old was Julie?”
“Sixteen,” He replied.
That doesn’t sound right…
“Are you sure about her age?” I pressed, because if he-
“Of course I am. She was about to turn seventeen, and she couldn’t stop talking about it, and she even asked for a small party.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
The ages don’t match. I try to think about it over and over again, but there is no way Julie is the baby they exchanged me with.
I’m missing something, another person involved, but the question is who?
“You look pale, is something wrong?” Kratos asked, stepping closer to take a better look, but Aiden immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him.
“MINE,” He growled, making me roll my eyes.
accompany
I pushed him to the side to keep talking to Kratos. “I’m fine, but I think us. I know you told me you would only come here, but… I really need you as a witness.”
you should
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<Chapter 54: Shall We Begin?
Kratos tensed. From what I gathered, he hates packs and Elders.
“Irina…”
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“I know, I know, but I really need your testimony. I want to hear everything you have to say about what happened that night,” I continued, stepping closer before he could retreat into the comfort of his silence. “If the Council has Julie-or Ana, or whatever her real name is-then they need to hear the truth. Otherwise, she’ll twist everything again.”
Kratos’s eyes flicked to Aiden, then to Derek, as if weighing whether this was a trap. “You think they’ll believe me? The Council never listens to rogues.”
“He is not lying,” Theia pointed out.
I exhaled, meeting his gaze. “They might not listen to you or me because they think I’m a useless omega, but they’ll listen to them.”
Derek and Aiden looked at me; they were ready to cooperate if necessary.
Kratos doubted. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to another until he let out a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll help you.”
That’s how we ended up in Aiden’s Pack: We needed a place to hide in case the council decided to make a surprise visit to Silver Fang.
“So… you are a rogue?” Debbie asked, as she circled Kratos in a playful way.
She wasn’t afraid, which honestly surprised me. Most wolves would’ve been on edge, considering Kratos looked like the kind of man who could break you in half without breaking
a sweat.
“Haven’t seen one, princess?” Rylan teased under his breath.
Debbie rolled her eyes. “Of course I’ve seen rogues, but he smells different.”
Kratos ignored her comment, but his eyes were still focused on Debbie. “You are related to that man?”
He was referring to Aiden.
Debbie snorted. “f**k no, if I were, I wouldn’t be this pretty.”
I chuckled, making everyone’s eyes snap to me. I cleared my throat. “Nice to finally meet you as Aiden’s friend, Debbie.”
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<Chapter 54: Shall We Begin?
She smiled at me. “Likewise, and for the record, I never agreed with this asshole’s plan.”
“I like her,” Theia commented, and I agreed with her.
“Is this woman going to stay here?” Kratos asked. we were waiting for Ethan to arrive, Debbie just…
Appeared out of nowhere.
Debbie grinned. “You look uncomfortable. Why is that?”
Aiden shot her a warning look from across the room. “Debbie.”
“What?” she shrugged, leaning against the wall with a smirk. “I’m just saying, we barely know this guy, and he’s already here like he owns the place.”
“I don’t want to own it,” Kratos said simply. “Packs don’t interest me.”
“Hmm, you don’t act like it.”
Why is Debbie pressing his buttons?
“Is she always like this?” Kratos asked Aiden.
The door burst open. “Yep, certainly. I love my cousin, but she doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut!”
Finally!
“It’s not my fault you took so long to paint your nails,” She snapped back at Ethan.
Again, I chuckled.
Ethan was about to open her mouth when she yawned. “Anyway, I’m tired, and besides Irina, there isn’t anything fun, so toddles!”
With that, she walked out the door, leaving everyone else in the room completely dumbfounded.
“So being rude runs in the family,” Rylan commented.
Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose. “I already told you, we are not related,” he barked.
I sighed. “Can we not do this right now? We have more pressing matters, Kratos is here for a reason, and you keep up with the bullshit he is going to leave.”
Kratos nodded, as if saying I was correct.
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<Chapter 54: Shall We Begin?
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Aiden and Rylan shut their mouths. Derek hadn’t spoken since we arrived. I’m guessing he is the only one taking this situation seriously.
“So, our Luna has a temper,” Ethan commented, both Alphas in the room.
hich
course, earned him a growl from
Again, we are getting nowhere. I have to do something.
“You know what we can do,” Theia’s voice snapped me back.
She was right, I hadn’t used this power before, but I’m sure it will make everyone step in line.
Including Aiden.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting my aura change from an omega to something stronger than an Alpha.
I could feel the air shift the moment everyone gasped. Once I was sure I had achieved it, I opened my eyes.
Everyone was still, not daring to utter a single word.
“Shall we begin?”
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Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.

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