Page 25 of Ruthless Reign

The air crackles between us, his face twisted with rage at my accusation, while mine is tense with the need for retribution.

"Sit down," he growls, all playfulness gone. "And talk to me like an adult."

"You killed my friend, you psycho," I snap.

"We didn't kill your friend!" he fires back. "But I know who did."

It feels like the electricity between us suddenly redirects, entering my body with a jolt. I straighten up, face dropping as I stare at him, searching for a trace of a lie. Not finding anything, to my disappointment and relief, I slowly relent, sitting back down.

As if my simple gesture calms him, he drops back into his own seat, a smile returning to his face—psychotic prick.

"What do you mean you know who killed Tyler?" I ask quietly, all hostility vanishing from my voice.

Cade puts his hands together, as if trying to calm himself before speaking. "We were watching your territory for a few days, to gather information. We needed to figure out the right time to come in. But we weren't the only wolves there."

My heart is racing, but I'm not sure why. Part of me wants to believe him, but I don't know if I do. Still, I entertain his comment for a moment, desperate for answers. "Do you know who they are?"

"Yes," he answers without hesitation. "They are from the Seventh Circle Pack."

The name rings a bell, but I can't place where from. My brows furrow together as I slump back into my chair. "How do I believe you? You haven't really given me a reason to do so."

"Because we took you," he replies, voicing my inner thoughts.

I nod. "Tyler's death wasn't the first time we were attacked. It wasn't even the second. Or the third…" I linger off, letting him fill in the blanks.

"If a pack is unsuccessful in an attack, it's unlikely they will continue to try," Cade says calmly. "If the Shadow Pack was attacked numerous times, I can only assume multiple packs were the culprits."

"Why us then?" I ask, stunned. "Why would so many packs try to target us?"

Cade smiles, though it doesn't reach his eyes. "Because your pack is strong," he answers simply, like it'sobvious.

For once, I agree with him. Wearestrong—one of the strongest around. But still, it doesn't make sense to me. Why would hunters and other packs target such a strong force? They would have to know that we would fight back. As if sensing my thoughts, Cade interjects.

"If you are a strong pack, then it's enough reason to believe that there are strong members."

I drop my head, looking away. "I was targeted a few times personally," I admit.

When I glance back up at him, he nods in agreement. "Hunters usually watch to gather intel. If they see someone strong, they make them a target. But I imagine that only got worse when news broke that you were now a Luna."

The pain that appears suddenly leaves me breathless. "I'm not Luna yet," I murmur sadly. "Nor will I get the chance."

I can't help but think back to all the training we did—on the open field, in the facility. If that didn't put us on someone's radar, then being on border monitoring definitely did. Because why else would we be there? Anyone with half a brain would be able to deduce that we were chosen for a reason. I guess that's why I was taken off patrol duties once it was clear that I was a target after Lex came into town. It was obvious that I was what they were looking for.

Panic hits me as I think of the other boundary monitors—thoughts immediately going to Sarah. I don't know why Alpha Daxton chose her, but now that she's Reese's mate, I'm filled with fear at the prospect of her being taken—ripped away from him after he spent so long pining for a mate.

"Do you want to know why you are here?" Cade asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

I give him a forced stern glare, trying to hide the feelings that threaten to drown me. "Enlighten me."

He smiles, pausing for a moment at my snippy reply—like he can see right through it. "Marie voiced an observation one day. After packs began vanishing and we heard the news about the hunters, she commented that it was very similar to that of the Great War."

I feel myself nodding before I can stop myself. "We thought the same."

Encouraged by my agreement, he continues. "We started researching the Great War, looking for more similarities. And do you know what we found?"

Frowning, I stare at him wordlessly. It could be anything, and I don't know where to start guessing. Taking my silence as his cue to continue, he leans back, face amused like he's about to drop the biggest gossip of the century.

"Goddess Ophelia."

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