Chapter 29

I’d never set foot in the guard headquarters before. The place was a well-oiled machine, a massive metal structure that was always buzzing with activity. Guards were constantly coming and going.

Inside, it was a labyrinth of offices, interrogation rooms, cells, a training center, and a garage filled with vehicles. Our driver dropped us off at the entrance to the barracks. Christopher stepped out of the car first, then held the door open for me.

I wasn’t ready for what happened next.

Guards were training in the outdoor area, and they all suddenly froze. I was confused at first, but then they all stood at attention and saluted in unison. It was a sight to behold, all these men and women saluting and chanting, “For the guard, for the pack, for the alpha, and for the Goddess.”

Christopher responded with a shout, “By the Goddess, dismissed.”

A shiver ran down my spine at that moment. His deep voice echoed within me, making my heart race and my skin prickle. I felt a sense of belonging, of safety, of unity.

As we entered the guard headquarters, every guard saluted him. Then Marquardt approached us.

“Alpha, Scarlett,” he greeted us, and we both nodded in response.

He gestured with his hands. “Let’s go this way.”

The farther we ventured into the guard headquarters, the more it felt like a military base than an administrative building. Cells and interrogation rooms were scattered in the background, sending a chill down my spine.

“She’s here, room seventy-three.” Marquardt pointed to one of the rooms.

It was Bertha.

I was about to confront someone I’d once considered a friend, someone I’d trusted, the first person who knew—or at least suspected—I was pregnant.

“Scarlett, are you sure you want to do this?” Christopher asked.

I could feel his gaze on me, but my eyes were fixed on the interrogation room. I knew she was in there. I could feel it.

I wanted to tell him no, that I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t sure if I could handle it. But I knew I had to.

“I need to, Christopher. And I need to put an end to this,” I told him, turning to meet his worried gaze.

It broke my heart.

I saw Marquardt swallow hard. No one had agreed when I said I needed to talk to her.

But I knew it was necessary. It was the only way.

“Be careful—we’ll be right here,” Christopher said, pointing to the next room.

It was an interrogation room with a one-way mirror. Christopher and Marquardt would be watching, ready for anything.

“When you’re ready,” Marquardt’s deep voice echoed.

When I’m ready? Maybe I never really would be, but as I kept telling myself, I needed to.

I needed to put an end to this, to break the cycle.

I slowly turned the handle and opened the door. Two guards were stationed by the door, and in the middle of the room was a single metal chair. Bertha was sitting on it, her hands cuffed behind her back.

Bertha, a woman I’d known my whole life, was sitting in front of me. But this wasn’t the woman I thought I knew. The first strands of gray hair were appearing at her temples, and her once-sweet brown eyes now sent chills down my spine.

I walked over to the chair and sat down. She gave me a sadistic smile.

“You’re the last person I thought I’d see here,” she said, shrugging.

Her indifference disgusted me.

“Why?”

That was all I could manage to say. My voice was shaky and high-pitched. I didn’t want to show it, but my heart was pounding, and my stomach was in knots.

I was grateful I hadn’t eaten anything earlier. “Why did you do it?”

She sighed, tried to adjust herself in the chair, but her cuffed hands limited her movement.

“Oh, don’t be so naïve, Scarlett. For the same reason everyone does. Money.”

“Joshua offered you money? But his pack isn’t even that rich.”

I tried to act like I didn’t know anything about the diamonds.

“But he has plans to get more,” Bertha spat out.

“Do you mean his plans to take over our pack?”

I tried to steer the conversation away from the diamonds.

“Yes. But we have so much more to do,” she said, smiling and tilting her head to the side.

She was trying to read me, to figure out what I knew or what I was doing there. But I knew that confirmed our suspicions.

“But how could you betray me? Sell information about my pregnancy? After all these years, Bertha, working with me and my mother,” I said, standing up without thinking and taking a step toward her.

Mentioning the baby made me lose control.

“Business is business, Scarlett. For the price they’re going to pay me, I’d sell your head if I had to,” she said.

Each word made my blood boil, and her indifference made me take another step toward her. Bertha was just inches away from me. “In fact, for the right price, I would sell the baby itself.”

She laughed then, and I lost it. I grabbed the collar of her blouse, lifting her from the chair. Her hands were trapped in the metal cuffs, and I heard a moan of pain, which was music to my ears.

I was ready to punch her in the face until I heard the sound of the metal door opening.

“Enough.”

It was Christopher’s deep voice, and I felt both of his hands on my waist. “You can’t let her get to you like that, Scarlett.”

I slowly let Bertha fall back into the chair, and she laughed again.

“Listen to the alpha, little princess,” she said sarcastically, making me want to punch her even more.

“And you shut up before I make you never speak again,” Christopher said. “We’re not done with you.”

Christopher turned to Marquardt at the door. “Schedule her transfer to the council this afternoon; I don’t want her in our pack anymore.”

“Of course, Alpha.” Marquardt’s voice echoed as Christopher pulled me out of the interrogation room.

As soon as the door closed, I whispered my victory to him.

“I did it,” I said.

I didn’t know if it was for Christopher or for myself. “Christopher, I heard. I’m so proud of you,” I told him, my voice filled with sincerity.

I was eager to leave after that, so we headed back to the pack house.

Once we arrived, my father was waiting for us in Christopher’s office. He was panting heavily, taking a moment to catch his breath before he could speak. “Alpha, Scarlett,” he greeted us, still struggling to regain his breath.

He paused for a moment before continuing, “I’ve been looking into Joshua’s records. They’ve done a good job of hiding it, but I found a warehouse. It’s near our border, a perfect spot for them to mine diamonds.”

I turned to look at Christopher, my heart pounding in my chest.

~Could this be it?~ I wondered. ~Are we finally going to uncover everything?~

But before we could process the information or respond, the office doors swung open again.

Hensen walked in, his face etched with worry. “Alpha Christopher, a letter has arrived from Alpha Brennon,” he announced, waving the letter in his hand.

Christopher quickly scanned the letter, his eyes darting across the page. As he read, my heart rate increased, anxiety creeping in. “Brennon doesn’t trust the council’s deputy chief guard,” Christopher revealed, running a hand through his hair.

His words added another layer of worry to the situation, but it was nothing compared to what happened next.

Marquardt burst into the room, his sudden entrance startling me. I was beginning to feel uneasy with the constant interruptions. “She’s gone,” he blurted out.

“What?” my father exclaimed, his voice echoing in the room. “Bertha escaped.”