Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 74

The silence was deafening.

A stillness so absolute, it rang louder than any outcry. Not a breath stirred. Not a rustle of cloth or scrape of boot against the floor. Just the weight of anticipation pressing down on every soul in the chamber.

And then — finally — Alpha Garrick looked at her.

Kaelani’s breath halted.

It was the first time his eyes had met hers since she’d been dragged into that chamber, since the lies began pouring from his mouth. Now, in that single glance, she saw it all — the guilt, the strain, the crumbling edges of a secret too long buried.

Her face hardened, though disbelief and betrayal pulsed behind her eyes.

All this time… he knew who my father was.

The Elder’s voice broke through the quiet, calm but edged with finality.

“If you refuse to answer, Alpha Garrick, you will wait in a cell of your own while the Council conducts its own paternity test. You will not delay these proceedings further.”

Garrick was sweating now. Maybe not visibly, but the shift in his posture, the tightening of his jaw, the way his throat bobbed — it was all there.

The silence stretched on again. Longer this time. He said nothing.

A sharp nod from the Elder.

“Guards. Take him into custody.”

The hiss of movement broke the tension. Several guards approached the glass enclosure — their steps swift, sure, in unison.

Garrick shot to his feet.

“It’s me!” he exclaimed. Then softer, collapsing into the truth as though it tore itself from him. “It’s me… I am… Kaelani’s father.”

Gasps cracked like thunder through the chamber.

Elara’s mouth shot open as if the air had been ripped from her lungs, her eyes wide with disbelief. The smug composure she always wore like warpaint crumbled in real time — shock contorting into rage, into something feral and ugly.

That Omega rat. That bitch. Her sister?

Christian recoiled like he’d been struck, his head jerking back as the truth landed with violent force.

The color drained from his face, and his expression shifted from confusion to horror as he stared at his father — betrayal etched in every line.

But Brielle — Brielle clutched the straps of her handbag as if it were the only thing anchoring her. Her lips trembled. Her eyes welled. Fury and heartbreak warred across her face.

Across the chamber, Julian sat frozen. His mother’s hand pressed against her chest, stunned. His father, always stone-faced, had gone utterly still.

And beside them, Jace exhaled — a long, low breath of release. The truth he’d carried alone for days now danced freely in the air, heavy but unburdened at last.

Kaelani didn’t move at first.

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