The Feral Alpha's Captive-Chapter 48: All Tied Threads

DRAVEN

Before anyone could react to what the hell had just unfolded, Morgana was already on her tail, nearly ripping the door off its hinges as she threw it open.

"Luna, wait—" she called after her, using her title.

But Circe only stiffened for a second—long enough for Morgana to reach her, taking her by the arm.

Circe whipped her head back, her eyes locking on her mother’s as furious tears gathered.

"Let us talk about this," Morgana said, smoothing her daughter’s hair gently. "I have been a horrible mother to hide things from you after binding you to a man who could never be worthy of you."

The back of my neck prickled, heat born of humiliation spreading up my face. I could only grind my teeth, still tasting blood from the slap.

My eyes darted furtively, hoping no one was close enough to hear her say that.

I was still Alpha.

I had to keep it that way—but I was sure no one could hear us. We were on the highest floor of the pack house.

"You still—" Circe protested.

"I know," Morgana whispered. "I am sorry, darling. I will make it up to you. Let’s talk. I should never have left you out of the fold. You have too high a standing to be left out of this. It was my ignorance."

Circe’s expression shifted from righteous, tearful anger to hurt that flickered with hope. "I am Luna, Mother."

Morgana cradled her daughter’s face, Circe leaning into the tender touch. "I could never forget that. No good mother would."

Circe let her tears fall, and Morgana wiped them all away.

Watching the scene—along with the still-smirking, unnerving High Alpha—filled me with no softness. All that churned within me was disgust.

Althea was never shown that.

She was also framed for the murder of an unborn child that did not even exist.

I could not wrap my mind around why things were the way they were. Why she was treated like some disease, some evil thing that deserved nothing but misfortune.

At least I knew why I had joined this meeting.

Althea could not belong to anyone else—much less my mortal nemesis.

If it had been some girl, if it had been Circe, I would not have cared—but the Hell Hound having my fated mate, encroaching on my territory as if I could not defend it?

It simply would not be.

And after all that Althea had been through, the last thing she deserved was to be trapped in the clan of a monster.

I knew I had my faults, but I was nothing like that half-blood prick.

Only the gods knew what he had in store for her.

Ash, my wolf, bristled. "You rejected her!" he growled.

It no longer surprised me. When it first started, I had been startled by the aggression my own wolf directed at me after I rejected Althea.

It was the reason I ensured she would be my concubine until I could bleed her out of my system with every orgasm—and it worked, until I found out she had another mate.

The ravenous longing and need returned with a vengeance, enough to stoke the flames of gnawing unease to the point where I let my wife know that I desired another.

Fuck.

Morgana was finally able to guide Circe back into the room, and the moment the door closed, she took control of it. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"All your previous plans failed," she said, folding in on themselves like an ill-nailed tent. "The pain you caused her through the brand pulled her mate in closer—and gave them another means to bond."

My eyes flared open into saucers. The visitor had told her? Relayed information to yet another allied pack?

We didn’t communicate with these terrorists, but things had truly changed with Althea—on all fronts.

Enemies morphing into hesitant allies.

"The letter sent was melodramatic and bullshit from the first line," Circe said as she turned to her mother. "I would have expected more of you, Mom."

Morgana did not look taken aback at all. The small tilt of her lip said the contrary.

She looked...proud.

"This Hound is merciless—but not blind. He watches first. Then he kills. And even when Althea was found with the letter, he saw through it all."

"But you didn’t," Ash snarled.

I forced back a sharp retort.

"So while she is in his domain, she is safe. He will not hurt her unless he sees her himself."

"And we all know Althea would never hurt a fly."

True.

"And the mate bond will grow stronger and stronger by day until the inevitable happens."

I saw red.

"And he claims her despite her being my daughter," Morgana muttered.

Circe nodded. "And according to our visitor, the Hound’s loyalty will override all circumstances, plots, and plans. He will never let us get close."

"We have to get her first," the High Alpha said almost conversationally, leaning back into the bed he sat on.

If Circe was unnerved by him, she didn’t show it. She only nodded. "Yes, High Alpha. That is where our visitor comes in."

There was a knock on the door.

Without preamble, Circe went to answer it—like she had expected it.

A hunched figure clad in a cloak stepped in, and the air shifted.

A clan Vargan in a room of allied-pack members.

It was almost too surreal to believe.

She knew we would accept. Circe running out had been theatrics.

Who the hell did I marry?

Morgana’s smile only widened, a wild hunger leaching into her eyes.

"I have vowed to him that he will not be harmed. So behave. We have bigger fish to fry."

Morgana slipped on her neutral mask.

Silence reigned before a firm, hoarse voice filled the space.

"It was my arm that was used as bait. But of course, you failed."

I bit back a curse as he continued.

"So we change strategies. And if you are not all as half-witted as I dread..."

I noted that he did not face the High Alpha as he continued.

"You should share my thoughts."

"We need to get her out," I said.

"Yes—but he is not letting her out of his sights, and she seems to prefer that a lot."

I gritted my teeth. No. That was a lie—

"But we can use that to our advantage—his need for proximity to her—to get her close enough for you to take her."

"How?"

"The Solstice. Our hunting Solstice will be the perfect opportunity. When he lets her out of the fortress and she makes a run for it during the hunt. But she is in some cell right now, accused of being a spy."

"So—" I began, but he cut me off.

"She will have to be vindicated. Absolved of all blame. It will be easy to convince Thorne—he never believed the letter to begin with. But the clan will need to see her as innocent, because she cannot be isolated during the hunt."

"She has to melt into the crowd," Morgana interjected.

"But she cannot do that when they still suspect her and avoid her," Circe inferred.

"Exactly. So we need a story to do just that—a convincing one. And I, the returned abducted, will be its narrator. That will explain my abduction, the letter, and how she ended up caught red-handed."

"You will convince your clan that she had nothing to do with the crime—that she was no spy," Morgana said.

"Yes."

"That’s easy."

We all turned to Circe, who now stood smirking.

"We’ll tell the truth—and a sliver of white lie."

The cloaked man said nothing for a long moment before nodding.

"The next part."

"What part?" I asked.

"We need an incentive to make her follow the plan. She seems to be growing too comfortable in Thorne’s arms."

I bit my tongue until it split and bled.

The High Alpha finally stood, walking forward with an easy swagger to his step, like he had already won.

"We have just the Vargans for the job. She will be out of your clan by your Solstice’s end."