Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Chapter 48

[Leo and Nathan in media]

∆∆∆

One could feel danger lingering in the air. It was lethal and perilous, billowing with the very essence of suffocation itself.

Candlelight served as the only decor brightening the modest room, and in the middle of it sat Leo. His legs remained crossed, eyes sharpened and breathing steady as his hands shaped the clay rolling beneath his fingers.

Even when the hinges of the door cracked open and Count Barry strode in, Leo remained disinterested in anything beyond his creation.

The sound of glass striking a wooden table filtered through the silence before Count Barry finally yelled.

"So you don’t have anything to say?" the man grumbled, his patience thinning visibly while rage reddened his face. "There you are making those uncanny sculptures while Kai just released the announcement of his mating ceremony with his whore."

One final touch.

Once Leo perfected the shape, he exhaled sharply before twirling around in his seat. "I have everything under control, Uncle."

"How?"

"Alex is merely enjoying what cannot last. Trust me, Uncle. Our plan remains intact, and Kai is nowhere near free from my clutches. There’ll be no interruptions." Leo claimed it calmly, yet Count Barry refused to believe him even slightly.

"How exactly do you intend to get back into the Court?" Count Barry questioned again, voice edged with impatience.

Leo’s gaze shifted toward his side table where his phone vibrated softly against the wood.

"Here..." A faint smile spread across his lips. "Here’s the answer."

∆∆∆

On the outskirts of MoonBlade’s major city, the rest of the land blurred into countryside layered with forests, restless birds, and the infamous Fortress of No Return.

Nathan pillowed his head against the rough metal compartment of the vehicle, both hands and legs chained heavily. With his stolen magic suppressed by the collar around his neck, he was nothing more than a restrained Alpha.

Or so it seemed.

The transport wagon rattled endlessly across the rough road until suddenly, something slammed into the vehicle from the side.

The wheels screeched violently, jerking off course before everything halted at once, including the air entering Nathan’s lungs.

Alarmed voices erupted outside. Guards shouted over one another, weapons unsheathing in frantic succession.

Nathan’s attention sharpened instantly, though the darkness inside the booth provided no sight of what unfolded beyond it.

Then came the sounds.

Bones crunching. Bodies collapsing. And screams dying midway.

Once again, silence swallowed the atmosphere whole.

The booth doors were suddenly yanked apart, the afternoon sunlight chasing away the suffocating darkness.

A masked figure stood upon the asphalt with a knife hanging loosely from his left hand. Blood dripped steadily from the sharpened blade while bodies of guardsmen lay scattered behind him like discarded carcasses.

Nathan tilted his head slowly before questioning, "Who are you?"

The masked figure remained unmoved. "Someone important needs you. That’s all you need to know."

∆∆∆

Two hefty men dressed in black suits followed behind Leo, escorting him toward a disturbingly unfinished building hidden far beyond the range of scrutinizing eyes.

The stench of piss and damp concrete swirled heavily through the air, yet the necessity of the meeting urged Leo forward without hesitation.

"Here’s the package, Luna," one of the men announced.

Nathan emerged from the shadows moments later, dragged forward by heavy chains clattering against the floor. The second his eyes landed on Leo, laughter escaped him.

"You." Nathan grinned through the bruises staining his face. "You rescued me?"

"Does that surprise you?" Leo countered smoothly, remaining completely unfazed.

"Yes." Nathan stepped forward slowly, each movement shrinking the distance between them. "But something tells me you don’t wanna kill me anymore. What’s changed?"

The men behind Leo immediately stiffened, prepared for any sudden attack. Nathan was unstable, violent, and unpredictable even while restrained.

Leo’s expression never shifted.

"I need Alex gone."

Nathan’s face darkened instantly. "I’m interested in Kai," he replied, dismissing Leo’s proposal with clear disgust lacing his tone.

"You’ll have him too," Leo clarified coldly, "but not until I get what I want."

"And what’s th..."

Nathan’s words dissolved into a grunt as the chain jerked violently, forcing him onto his knees. A brutal punch landed across his face, blood spilling from his mouth as the masked man who rescued him stepped forward again.

"When the Luna speaks to you, you don’t question him back."

Nathan wiped blood from his lips and laughed beneath his breath instead.

Leo resumed calmly, almost elegantly. "I heard about your magical abilities. Remove Alex from the picture, and I’ll give you Kai once I’m done with him. Until then, you’ll ask me no questions and simply do as instructed."

"I don’t trust the likes of you," Nathan resisted, eyes blazing with fury.

Leo crouched before him then, his well manicured nails digging beneath Nathan’s jaw until their gazes locked firmly.

"Do you want to know why I had them bring you here instead of my residence?" Leo paused deliberately, allowing the weight of his words to settle. "Because you’re nothing. A disposable artifact at best. You can either make yourself useful... or I could simply have you disposed of."

Nathan’s nostrils flared. "I have powers. You’re underestimating me."

Leo stepped even closer, the keys attached to the dampening collar tinkling softly between his fingers. With a low chuckle, he unlocked the collar.

Immediately, Nathan inhaled sharply as the stolen magic surged violently through his veins once more. Crimson light flickered beneath his skin like cracks spreading through stone.

Leo watched him carefully before clarifying, "You have no power, Nathan. You only possess magic. There’s a difference."

Nathan slowly rose to his feet, flexing his fingers while the energy settled uneasily inside him.

The room itself seemed colder afterward.

"So..." Leo straightened his sleeves elegantly. "Are we finally on the same page?"

Nathan remained silent for several seconds before finally nodding once.

To Nathan, perhaps this supposedly fragile Omega was not someone to underestimate.

Not yet.

The rogue truly had no other option. He was an outcast now, hunted by two powerful Packs and abandoned by the world beyond them. There was nothing waiting for him outside these walls, and if cooperating for now meant survival while he gathered strength, then so be it.

Nathan stretched out his hand slowly for a shake.

"Well..."

Leo stared at the offered hand with visible disgust.

"Oh, please." He rolled his eyes before turning away. "At least go bathe first."

The men surrounding the room snickered quietly while Leo walked toward the exit without another glance.

Slowly, the cold seeped back into the unfinished building once more.

Nathan remained standing there alone, chains hanging loosely from his wrists while his eyes glowed faintly like a predator lurking within the darkness of a forgotten den.