Revenge to the Alpha Mate novel Chapter 273

Chapter 273: Chapter 273

Aurora’s Perspective

After the meeting, the heavy, almost suffocating pressure from the study seemed to cling to my skin like a film. I followed Lex out in silence through the thick wooden door, leaving Father, the uncles, and the shadow of that name—*Seyoum*—behind.

The commotion in the front courtyard had died down considerably. The raw victory celebration had faded, giving way to the practical work of cleanup.

Morning light had finally spread fully, revealing a cold, clear autumn day.

Lex and I walked down the corridor toward the west wing, which housed the family’s small infirmary and lounge area where Brett was presumably still under observation. Neither of us spoke. I was still processing the meeting’s contents.

Lex, I could tell, was already switching gears. The line of his jaw was tight, his gaze heavier than usual.

We had just reached the small lounge outside the infirmary when we heard voices from within. Not medical staff. Brett’s voice, still weak from blood loss, but the irritation in his tone was unmistakable.

"...Told you, I don’t need it, Kay. I’m not made of glass."

Pushing the door open, the scene unfolded. Brett was propped up against a pile of pillows, his left arm still in a sling. Some color had returned to his face, but shadows lingered under his eyes. Kay stood by the bed, holding a blister pack of what looked like painkillers and a glass of water. Kay was the default Beta of our generation, Lex’s future right hand. He was more serious than Lex, rigidly methodical, sometimes earnest to the point of being inflexible.

"The medical directive is to take the medication on schedule, to control inflammation and potential Lycantine after-effects," Kay’s voice was even, devoid of inflection. "This isn’t a suggestion, Brett. You need to regain operational status as soon as possible."

"My ‘status’ is just fine," Brett scoffed, ignoring the offered medicine and looking at Lex and me as we entered. "Hey. So? Another round of travel restrictions and lectures?" His tone was thick with sarcasm.

Lex frowned, walking over. "More than that. It’s more complicated. The Hunter’s Guild is involved."

Brett’s sneer faltered, his eyes turning sharp in an instant. "Those persistent bastards." Having been through that prison, he understood their malice more viscerally than any of us. But the sharpness was quickly buried under a deeper layer of frustration. "So? What’s the grand strategy from our esteemed leaders? Hunker down, increase patrols, wait for the next poisoned arrow from who-knows-where?"

Kay set the water and pills on the nightstand, looking to Lex as if awaiting direction. Lex, meanwhile, seemed annoyed by Brett’s attitude. "Brett, this isn’t a joking matter. We need to take it seriously."

"I *am* being serious!" Brett’s voice rose slightly, and he winced as the movement tugged at his wounds, but his gaze remained stubborn. "I just crawled out of that hellhole with my life! I know exactly how ‘serious’ they are! But I don’t think hiding behind walls, waiting for them to come to us, *is* taking it seriously!"

I leaned against the doorframe, listening. A strange resonance stirred within me. Brett was voicing the same bottled-up frustration I’d been feeling.

After my near-miss with being kidnapped and sold, after seeing what happened to Brett, the feeling of being passive, of being acted upon, was intolerable.

"So what do you propose, Brett?" Lex turned, facing the room, his voice taking on that Alpha-in-training tone—the one that tried to assert control. "Charge out, find this Seyoum, and then what? Do you have any idea how covert the Hunter’s Guild structure is? The scale of conflict that could trigger? We need a plan. Intelligence. Not reckless bravery."

"Reckless bravery?" Brett laughed, a cold sound. "Better than safe-house strategizing. Lex, you have no idea what it’s really like out there! You think the ‘sporadic clashes’ on patrol reports tell the whole story? Have you ever actually interacted with rogues struggling on the fringes? Do you know what they face?"

"My duty is to protect the stability and security of the pack’s core," Lex’s voice hardened. "Those rogues... they chose to live without a pack. They accept the risks."

"*Choice*? Accept risks?" Brett tried to sit up straighter, stopped by pain, but his eyes burned. "Some of them never had a choice! Some just... don’t fit into your damn, by-the-book system! The people I met in there—Scarface, the others... they’re tougher, with more grit, than half the ‘official members’ sitting in their comfort zones! They just need..."

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