My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game (Elena and Marcus) novel Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Chapter 201 Facing the Blame

Asher’s Mate’s POV

I decided to take a long shower in the enormous bathroom, letting the hot water wash away days of tension. Afterward, I slipped into some casual clothes from the wardrobe, and the soft fabric felt incredible against my skin. I had forgotten how much I missed normal clothes after being stuck in those rough army uniforms for so long.

Asher and I headed downstairs together, where breakfast was already prepared and waiting. We joined Miller, his mate Seraph, Caleb, and Wyatt in the spacious dining room. The conversation flowed easily between them, though I noticed Miller and Seraph kept glancing toward the door.

Miller mentioned they had deliberately sent their children away during breakfast, explaining with a sheepish grin that the kids had absolutely no filter when it came to asking personal questions. They would have bombarded me with invasive inquiries about my past, my relationship with Asher, and probably everything else they could think of.

Caleb nodded in agreement, saying my brothers and sister were exactly the same way. He thought it would be better for me to get settled in gradually before facing that particular chaos. I appreciated their thoughtfulness, though part of me was genuinely curious to meet these family members I had never known existed.

After we finished eating, Asher suggested we take a walk around the territory so he could show me more of my new home. We left the packhouse together, and he pointed out various landmarks and important buildings as we strolled through the grounds. But then I spotted something that made my stomach clench with guilt.

In a massive clearing ahead of us, dozens of tents were set up in organized rows, with people moving between them and small cooking fires scattered throughout the area.

Asher noticed my stare and followed my gaze. "Those are the families who had to evacuate. We’re working on finding them permanent housing, but it takes time."

My throat tightened as I watched the scene unfold. "They lost their homes because of us, didn’t they? Because of what I did?"

Asher placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "You had no idea what you were getting into. None of this is your fault, and nobody here is going to blame you for it."

But I couldn’t shake the overwhelming guilt as I stared at those makeshift shelters. Here I was, living in luxury with servants and gourmet meals, while dozens of innocent families were sleeping in tents and cooking over open flames because of actions I had unknowingly participated in. The injustice of it made my chest ache.

"Asher!" A sharp voice cut through my brooding thoughts.

A woman was marching toward us with obvious anger radiating from every step she took. Asher muttered something under his breath that sounded distinctly like a curse.

She came to a stop directly in front of us, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "How thoughtful of you to let me know you were back in town."

Asher’s jaw tightened visibly. "I already told you, Bianca. Whatever we had is over." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Over because of her?" Bianca’s voice rose as she gestured aggressively in my direction. "She’s the reason all these innocent people are living in tents right now. And you just throw away everything we had for someone who helped destroy our community?"

The accusation hit me like a physical blow, but Asher stepped protectively closer to me. "She’s my mate, and you damn well know it. She was raised by hunters without knowing what she really was. She’s here now, and she’s not going to hurt anyone."

Bianca’s laugh was bitter and cruel. "How can you be so naive? She could be playing you, gathering information for another attack against us."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify