Fated to the Alpha Who Killed Me (by Sherry) novel Chapter 52

Fated to the Alpha Who Killed Me

Chapter 52

Violet’s POV:

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“I went to bring them gifts from my trip,” I said smoothly, gesturing vaguely to the kitchen where the rest of

the game meat was stored.

Daemon let out a cold, sharp laugh. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his broad chest, his

expression dripping with cynicism.

“Since when do you care so deeply about pleasing the old man and the old lady?” His eyes narrowed, slicing

through my excuse like a scalpel. “You didn’t go there to play the dutiful daughter–in–law. You went to soft-

soap them because you want that Buffer Zone, aren’t you?”

My hand jerked involuntarily. He’s too sharp.

I lowered my eyes, realizing I couldn’t deny the objective, only the motive. I let my shoulders slump,

feigning a moment of vulnerability.

“Yes,” I whispered, staring at the tablecloth. “I want the land.”

“Why?” he demanded, his voice hard. “It’s a toxic graveyard of rusted steel and dead soil. What could you

possibly want with it?”

I looked up at him, letting him see a carefully constructed mask of desperation. “Because I’m a realist,

Daemon. I know where we stand. I know you’re… looking elsewhere.” I paused, letting the implication of

Celeste hang in the air without naming her. “I have a degree in Event Management that I’ve never used

because I’ve been too busy being your Luna. But if–or when–you decide to sever our bond, I need a

livelihood. I need to survive.”

I took a shaky breath, selling the lie. “Iron Ridge is worthless to the Pack, but it has potential for my major.

I could develop it into a neutral zone adventure park–paintball, obstacle courses for lower–ranked wolves,

maybe a horror–themed escape experience. It’s desolate, yes, but that’s the aesthetic. It could sustain me

when I’m on my own.”

Daemon stared at me for a long moment. When he processed that my grand scheme was nothing more than

a desperate attempt to secure a future income through an “adventure park,” the tension in his jaw

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Chapter 52

unspooled. The suspicion in his eyes evaporated, replaced by a dull, dismissive lack of interest.

***

80

Daemon left shortly after dinner.

I lay down on the bed, staring up at the molding on the ceiling. My plan was in motion, but the waiting was

agony. My mind drifted to the past week. How far had Daemon’s hunt progressed? Had he cornered Celeste

yet? Or was he playing the long, seductive game?

The vibration of my phone on the nightstand shattered the silence.

I slid my finger across the screen. “Zane?”

“Violet… do you have time?” His voice was ragged, sounding like he was speaking through a throat

constricted by unshed tears. “I need… I don’t know who else to call. Can I see you?”

***

Twenty minutes later, I pulled my bike into the secluded parking lot of Silver Birch Park. The fog was rolling

in, obscuring the streetlights and turning the trees into ghostly sentinels. Zane was sitting on a park bench,

his head in his hands, looking small and defeated against the backdrop of the night.

When he saw me approach, he stood up, his movements jerky and uncoordinated. “Violet,” he choked out,

and for a moment, I thought he might hug me, but he stopped himself, gripping the back of the bench

instead. “I found out… I saw her messages. Celeste and that man… they haven’t stopped.”

I stood silently, wrapping my coat tighter around myself against the damp chill. “What did the messages

say?”

“I don’t know everything,” he admitted, slamming his fist against the wood of the bench in a sudden burst

of impotent rage. “She was crying when I confronted her. She swore she didn’t want to reply to him, that

she was forced. She said he’s powerful, that there’s no way to avoid him. But she won’t tell me his name!

She says she’s protecting me.”

She is protecting you, I thought grimly. If you knew you were competing with Daemon Blackwood, the Alpha of the Frost Pack, your courage would shatter like glass.

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Chapter 52

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“Zane.” I kept my voice low, infusing it with a calm, hypnotic authority. I needed to stabilize him, to reinforce his role in this play. If he fell apart now, Daemon would win too easily. “Listen to me carefully. If this man is as powerful as she says, your anger will only get you hurt. And worse, it will drive Celeste away.”

He stopped pacing and looked at me, his eyes red–rimmed and desperate. “Then what do I do? Just let him

pursue her?”

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