Page 62 of Redeeming His Omega Mate

Damian

“How many?” I asked Grayson as we walked through the pack’s headquarters.

Devastation filled me as I took in the sight around me. Parts of the ground were scorched black from last night’s explosions, the stone pathways disfigured with deep claw marks. Tables lay overturned, and chairs were broken into useless pieces. Bloodstained petals were scattered everywhere. And the air, thick with the sharp, metallic scent of blood, made it impossible to forget what had happened here.

Smoke curled in the cold morning air, mixing with the distant sobs and the agonized groans of the wounded. Families clung to their dead ones, weeping over their losses, while the healers worked to keep the injured alive. My heart clenched at the sight before me, and anger rose within me. But I couldn’t let it take over. If I led with rage, more people would suffer. What they needed from me was control and reassurance. They needed to believe this was the last time they would mourn like this. And I was going to make sure of it.

“Twenty dead,” Grayson said quietly. “Fifteen pack protectors and five civilians. Many injured.”

“Get me the names of the families who lost someone today,” I said. “We’ll send them compensation and pay them a condolence visit.”

Grayson nodded. “Kael is already withdrawing his troops. Once their injured warriors are healed, they’ll leave Stonehart.”

I let out a pained smile. “Make sure they get everything they need. It’s the least I can do after all that’s happened.”

Grayson nodded again, but there was something in his eyes, hesitation. It was as if he was debating whether to say what was on his mind.

“What?” I asked, turning to him.

“I don’t know if this is the right time, but I found out something during my assignment in Silver Fang,” he said carefully.

It took me a moment to remember that I had sent him to look into Tala’s time there before he left with the joint patrol unit. “What did you find?” I asked.

“You told me she had a fling when she got to Silver Fang and got pregnant,” Grayson divulged. “But that’s not true. Kael found her in the woods, beaten by rogues…and then she was pregnant. This was just a few days after you rejected her.”

A sharp pang of guilt settled over me. I could only imagine what she had been through.

“But that’s not all I found out,” Grayson said, his tone grim.

I arched my brow. “Go on.”

“I befriended one of the Silver Fang guards,” Grayson said. “We went out for a drink, he got drunk, and…well, he spilled a lot more than he should have. Apparently, Kael had a Luna. He was married. But she died.” He paused, holding my gaze. “But that’s not the truth.”

“Then what did kill her?”

Grayson’s expression darkened. “Kael did.”

Silence stretched between us. Kael killed his wife?

“They were arguing,” Grayson went on. “He put his hands on her and hurt her badly. And it wasn’t the first time. The pack believes she died from an illness, but the guards on duty that night heard her screams. He’d sworn them to secrecy, threatening to kill anyone who spoke about that night. His guards and warriors fear him. His brutality has kept them silent. So, they carry his secret for him.”

I stared at him, trying to process what I’d just heard. But Grayson wasn’t finished.

“Kael doesn’t play by the rules, Damian. And after what happened last night…I think we’ve just made an enemy of Silver Fang.”

I exhaled, dragging a hand through my hair. “One thing at a time, Grayson,” I muttered. “I’ll deal with Kael later. Right now, we have bigger problems. The Rogues.”

I’d already communicated my plan for the rogue leader with him last night, so he was well in the loop.

“Get a healer down to the cells,” I instructed. “The captured rogues and their leader need treatment. And tell the servants to prepare something decent for dinner. I’ll be speaking with their leader when I get back.”

Grayson gave a sharp nod before turning on his heel to set things in motion. And with one final glance at the heart-wrenching sight around me, I proceeded to the council room.

“This has gone too far!”

As expected, my words were met with resistance. Elder Maren’s voice, sharp with disapproval, rang through the council room.

I barely flinched. Out of the eight elders, only a few saw reason in my decisions. The rest, loud as they were, held no real power beyond their words. Still, they came at me from all sides, angry over my decision to end my marriage to Serena, which dissolved our alliance with Silver Fang, and even more furious about my choice to negotiate with the rogue leader in our custody.

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