My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game (Elena and Marcus) novel Chapter 208

Chapter 208: Chapter 208 Buried Secrets Surface

Briar’s POV

The moment we pulled up to the packhouse, my stomach dropped. Guards everywhere. Way more than seemed normal, even for an Alpha’s residence.

I climbed out of the car slowly, every instinct screaming caution. Asher appeared at my side, his fingers threading through mine.

"Something’s wrong," I whispered.

"What do you mean?" Asher’s voice was steady, but I caught the tension underneath.

"All these guards. This feels like a fortress, not a home."

Asher squeezed my hand. "He’s always been paranoid. Comes with the territory, I guess."

"Or he’s got more secrets than we thought."

We climbed the front steps while a guard by the door mind-linked ahead. Within seconds, we were being escorted through marble hallways toward what I assumed was the Alpha’s office.

The door opened, revealing a man behind an imposing mahogany desk. Asher immediately bared his neck in submission, but Alpha Vanguard barely glanced at him. His cold eyes fixed on me instead.

"So you found your mate." His voice dripped with something I couldn’t identify. "The legendary Briar. The girl who vanished for years. Their precious daughter."

The way he said ’their’ made my skin crawl.

"You mean my parents? Elena and Damien?" I kept my voice level, but my pulse hammered against my throat.

"What brings you here, Asher?" Vanguard moved around his desk like a predator circling prey, completely ignoring my question.

What the hell did this man have against my family? My parents would never have let me come here if they suspected I’d be walking into the territory of someone who despised them.

"Alpha Vanguard." Asher’s tone remained respectful despite the obvious hostility. "I need information about my parents’ deaths. The medical examiner told me you confiscated their files. That’s not standard protocol for any Alpha I’ve known."

"I have every right." Vanguard settled into his chair with infuriating casualness. "My pack, my rules."

Something about his attitude set every nerve ending on fire. He was too comfortable, too dismissive about something that should matter.

"Please." Asher stepped forward. "I know I didn’t push for answers back then. I was too destroyed by losing them to think straight. But they were murdered, and I need to know who did it. I need to make sure justice was served."

"You’re far too late for justice, boy." Vanguard’s smile held no warmth. "Your parents are dead. You disappeared afterward. I heard you ran off to Damien’s pack. Maybe you should’ve stayed there with your pretty little mate and left the past buried."

Heat flashed through my chest. "He has every right to know what happened to his parents."

Asher shot me a warning look, but I didn’t care about werewolf politics right now.

"Asher." Vanguard’s voice turned razor-sharp. "Your parents’ killer was dealt with. End of story."

"You know who murdered them?" Asher’s composure finally cracked.

"Of course I know. Rogue pack killed them during a territory dispute. We tracked them down, they confessed, they were executed. Now get out of my office."

The door behind us opened without a knock. Two guards stepped inside, hands resting on weapons.

Asher’s jaw tightened, but he took my arm. We had no choice but to leave.

Once we were back in the car, Asher drove aimlessly through winding roads until he pulled over beside a stretch of forest. The silence between towering pines felt heavy with unspoken thoughts.

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