“You have always been hotheaded,” Julian said, his tone disapproving. “Always rushing into situations without taking a chance to examine things and know what’s going on. I warned you about this tendency of yours last summer, didn’t I?”
Alpha Lucian’s confident stance wavered as he blinked in confusion. “What?”
“What are you going to do if another innocent life is lost because of your recklessness?” Julian asked him. “Or, do you think you are safe because your pack is close to the royal pack?”
“What happened last summer?” someone asked curiously. Alpha Lucian remained quiet, the colour on his face draining.
“Then there’s Alpha Van,” Julian said, turning to one of the guests. “A month ago, you came to me, begging for financial aid from the royal family. Your Beta, who you chose against the pack elders’ approval, embezzled funds and ran away. You did not want to face backlash and wanted to hide the truth of the matter. I’m the only one who knows about this. I told you to recover the lost money and bring the Beta to custody. Have you done so?”
“What is he talking about?” Alpha Van’s Luna, who was standing right beside him, asked. “Didn’t you tell me that Beta Antony left to live among humans?”
“Is it true?” an elder of the same pack asked Alpha Van.
“Luna Sandra,” Julian continued, turning to another guest. “When I visited the Sky Pack with my father as a young boy, rogues ambushed our hunting party. You had followed us against your father’s orders, but you ended up being the one who saved my life. You were afraid you would be punished for disobeying your father, so we told no one about it.”
“Is this true, Luna?” Beta Eric asked as all attention turned to Sandra.
“Yes,” she replied. “Until this day, I’ve never told anyone else about what happened that day.”
“Do you need more proof of who I really am?” Julian asked, looking around the room. “For many of you, you’d rather I don’t say your secrets out loud. Should I continue?” His eyes rested on one of the males who had a troubled expression on his face. “Alpha Ahn?”
“No!” Alpha Ahn replied immediately, shaking his head. “No, Your Majesty! I believe it’s you.”
“Does anyone here wish to question my true identity?” Julian asked. Gesturing between him and Nile, he said, “We can see which one between us two know you really well.”
For a long moment, the two males locked gazes, neither making a move. Julian knew he had pushed Nile into a corner. To help him better pretend to be the Lycan King, Crystal must have revealed some information to him. But, there were some things that Julian knew about the gathered leaders and their packs that Crystal had no idea about. If Nile could not show that he had such secret knowledge of them, it would be enough to convince the guests.
Nile’s gaze moved from Julian to Lyra. Anger coursed through him at the thought that all along, she had been plotting against him. He should have killed her alongside Julian a long time ago.
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