Chapter 188

Chapter 188 Beta’s loyalty

P

ADALYN

As my words set in, a familiar expression appeared on Silas‘ face. I hadn’t seen it in years, and it sent a wave of satisfaction through me.

My brother was at a loss again.

No matter how tall and strong he now looked, he was still that poor little boy who didn’t even dare to cry for his stupid dead bird.

He clenched his fist at his side and stared at me as if he wanted to smash it directly into my face, but I knew he wouldn’t do that. He was a pathetic wimp, a fool with a wavering heart.

It would be his downfall.

I was sure of it.

After a long, steady silence, Silas seemed defeated. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded meek.

“Father can’t do this,” he muttered, but it was clear by his expression that he didn’t believe his own words. We both knew what Father was capable of. He appeared helpless, though he tried his best to hide that. “1 thought Father wouldn’t…”

His words trailed off and I kept waiting for him to finish his sentence, but he never did.

An uncomfortable pause resumed once again and I tried to imagine what he was thinking about. His gold eyes were distant and his every feature was timid, as if he were a child rather than a grown man.

I never understood my little brother. To be more exact, I never tried to understand him. Why would I want to do so? Silas had always been the one to receive endless amounts of attention and doting from the family ever since his birth. Ever since his arrival, he had taken everything away from me. No matter how much I achieved, no matter how well I excelled, it was never enough. Silas was the one who mattered most.

So, why would I ever want to understand him?

As petty as it sounded, it made me feel good to see him in this state of stupid agony. This feeling had been the exact reason I’d told Father all those years ago about that little bird of his. Sure, I could have remained silent and allowed my brother to continue taking care of the creature, but I’d seen an opportunity to mess with him and took it just as he’d taken everything from me.

I’d carried around this heavy resentment for Silas for so long that I could hardly remember the pleasant days before he’d ever been born. Maybe back then, I had been more like Cora, a girl who led a happy life with love from everyone around her, a girl who’d dreamt about being one of the leading warriors for this country.

Hazily, I could remember that back then, I had a dream like Cora, and my ambition had been no smaller. I

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Chapter 188 Beta’s loyalty

might have even believed that I would become the future Beta, the first one in Wegalla’s history.

But as I tried to think back on those dreams, I couldn’t determine if I’d truly had them or if it’d been a figment of my imagination.

Of course, none of that mattered now. Even if I’d dreamed of becoming the Beta of the Crescent Pack and warrior of Wegalla, Silas had arrived and taken Father’s former position. He was a male, after all, so he was the favored choice.

Silas finally spoke and interrupted my thoughts with a clearing of his throat.

“You and Father made a wrong move,” he warned. “A very wrong one. You both have made the hugest mistake, sister, and the whole family will be ashamed when they find out.”

I was taken aback by his declaration for a moment.

Silas had called me “sister“, perhaps for the first time in years.

I had to admit that I was surprised by this appellation. As far as I knew, Silas hadn’t called me that since the death of his bird, and I wasn’t sure why he was claiming me as family all of a sudden. Maybe he was trying to provoke a sense of closeness, or he was trying to show some softness in an attempt to coax me into doing what he wanted.

Either way, I wouldn’t be manipulated, not anymore.

“We shouldn’t spoil our responsibility and loyalty as Betas,” he said, and I blurted out a laugh.

“Betas,” I repeated back ironically. “No one has ever called me a Beta. They always say ‘Beta Silas” and “Beta Oliver‘, but never ‘Beta Adalyn‘. I’ve only ever been called a lady. You can’t imagine what that’s like, can you? To be reduced to nothing more than just a lady, when I come from one of the most prestigious families in Wegalla?”

I supposed Silas would never understand me either, because he then blurted out “Regardless of what people of the court say, you shouldn’t do this to the Alpha King. Adalyn. There could be no way back from this. Imagine what’s going to happen when Asher wakes up. Things might seem exciting and grand now, but you can’t see from your excitement that actions have consequences.”

His expression softened. “Please, Adalyn. You don’t have to be Father’s pawn, Let me go in there and we can pretend this never happened.”

I supposed if he wasn’t speaking total nonsense, I might have been moved by his kind tone. He spoke in a way that suggested that he was really concerned about me as my brother.

But what he said was nothing more than complete and utter shit.

Had he ever imagined what my life would become if I just stood aside and watched that vile healer, Ca*sandra Keller, step into our world? If Asher were to divorce me and marry such a plain, backwoods girl, I would be the laughingstock of the entire Pack, if not the entire country. Who would want me after Asher cast me aside, and what would become of Prince Marco? Would we be expelled from the palace, from the only life we’d ever known?

Chapter 188 Beta’s loyalty

Had he ever thought about any of that?

No. No, he only cared about himself. Even if Asher and I divorced, he would maintain his place in the Pack. He would remain revered and then pa*s on his title and position to whatever children he spawned with his lowly mate, that horridly poor girl who worked with Ca*sandra.

His life would go uninterrupted.

But I would be in ruin.

I let out a short laugh again and then stared at Silas coldly.

“You can stop talking to me like I’m some pathetic, malleable child,” I snarled, and I shook my head back and forth. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. I’m in charge now, so here’s how it’s gonna go, Silas. You have two choices. You could either run downstairs and tell them I’ve drugged the Alpha King, or you could remain silent and act according to Father’s plan.”

He started to speak, but I raised my hand and stopped him.

“Don’t forget, dear brother, that you have a new bird back in Anemond now,” I reminded him quietly, and then I gave him the cruelest, most mocking smile I could manage. “So I would suggest you make a wise decision if you don’t want her to die.”

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