“Why?” I asked, already knowing no answer would ever be good enough.
Elijah looked down, defeated. He opened his mouth a few times, but hesitated. Finally, he spoke, his words bitter and broken. “I could have made Manticore into something great. You all just never saw the vision. It had to be done.” He muttered, and I shook my head. Dante had told me a little about what Elijah had said, about how our desire to be ethical was holding us back. I’d decided at that moment to prove him wrong.
“Don’t delude yourself. You threw away years of friendship, and sold your soul, for a chance at power. But in reality, I’m glad it was you.” I said, and he looked at me with surprise. “I’m glad that we saw how we were slowly falling into our own trap of skirting the rules before it was too late. If we’d continued following your ideas, betraying our values to take down Harringday, we wouldn't be that much different from them, would we?” I asked, and Elijah looked angry.
“But you’d be successful! You’d be in a position to actually make a difference!” He shouted hoarsely. I shook my head.
“We already are making a difference. As for you, I hope it was worth it.” I said, and replaced his gag before leaving. Once this was over, he’d be facing charges, and likely be spending a long time behind bars. But first, we needed to get our side out.
I headed for the room where Celeste was sleeping. She’d passed out early last night and we wanted her to get as much rest as possible. Between her upcoming heat and all the craziness of the last few days, she deserved some rest.
I knocked gently on the door, and heard her murmur. She was sitting up in bed, looking at her phone with sleepy eyes.
“So I take it you saw the news?” I asked, hoping it didn’t bother her too much that the entire world thought she was behind so many of Harringday’s atrocities. She sighed and gave me a small smile.
“Yes. But I have the truth on my side.” She answered, reaching out for me as I approached the bed. I lay down next to her and kissed her deeply. Celeste’s breath caught when I pressed her against the pillows, my hand sliding over the curve of her hip.
“Vigo,” she whispered, half warning, half wanting.
I grinned against her throat. “Say my name like that again, and we’ll be late for the board meeting.”
She laughed softly, the sound curling through me like heat, but her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer instead of pushing me away. For a few stolen moments, there was only us, her heartbeat syncing with mine. The world outside could wait.
“Yes, I saw the board is being called in today. So, that means today is the day we make our move.” She said, and I admired how calm she was in the face of so much danger. What would Gideon do when he saw us there? How would he react when he knew his plans were unraveling? I pushed the thought aside. For this moment, I wanted to be with my mate, savoring this last bit of peace with her.
When we finally rose, the others were waiting. The air was thick with tension. Dante was awake, bandaged but looking better. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Liam was pacing, and I could feel the tension in our bonds.
“What will we do if the video evidence doesn’t persuade the board?” Liam asked, his voice sharp with anger. But I knew it was just to mask his anxiety over what was coming.
“Then I speak up and tell them what I witnessed. I can attest to what Gideon was doing.” Sterling answered, calm and secure in the plan.
“You’ll implicate yourself in fraud, among other crimes!” Dante said, and Sterling looked at him and shrugged.
“It’s true. I did those things. But if it helps clear Celeste’s name, I don’t care about the consequences.” He said, and Celeste took in a sharp breath next to me. Sterling was right - his testimony would help.
Despite not knowing how today would go, the pieces were starting to click together. Sterling wasn’t just fitting into the pack, he was stitching us into something whole. We’d been fractured before - distrust breaking us and nearly ruining our pack and our relationship with Celeste. Sterling seemed to bring a calm, clearheadedness that was the missing piece to our group. Even Celeste seemed brighter, steadier.
I straightened my jacket, catching my reflection in the glass. “Today, we walk into that boardroom and win. Gideon’s betrayal won’t stand. He wants power. What he will get is a unified pack.”
Celeste slipped her hand into mine, her voice low but certain. “Let’s end this.”
We were battered, but whole. And gods help anyone who thought they could break us now.
Chapter 42
Celeste
We drove toward the capital, where the board meeting was taking place. Every second that passed brought me more anxiety. My social media was blowing up. My phone had been buzzing non-stop before I finally shut it off, the screen filled with headlines and strangers dissecting my life in real time. The world already had its verdict: Celeste Harringday, the monster heiress.
The whole world thought I was a villain.
Sterling left earlier, meeting my uncle to prepare for the board meeting. He was going to get as much information as possible and meet us there, in case my uncle had anything else planned. I wasn’t happy about it. If Gideon suspected him, if he sniffedout even a whiff of betrayal, then Sterling could be walking into a trap. But he told me to trust him, and I did.
By the time we stepped out of the car, the air felt heavy. Each step toward the hall was too fast and not fast enough, my heartbeat keeping its own countdown.
The seconds went by too quickly as we walked toward the meeting hall. I could tell that some of the people in the building were surprised to see me, and wondered how many of them might be secretly working for my uncle. But flanked with three alphas, no one dared stop us.
We reached the entrance to the meeting hall. My skin prickled, instincts screaming that the real battle wasn’t outside, it was waiting for me inside.
