Marked By The Lycan King, Betrayed By Fate

CHAPTER 24

(Lucian's POV)

Dexton was in the living room, held by two of my wolves. His gaze was defiant, as always, and that alone was enough to ignite the fire in my chest.

My breath was heavy, anger boiling inside me, threatening to explode. I stepped forward, my footsteps echoing in the suddenly silent room.

"Father," Dexton said flatly, as if nothing was wrong.

I didn't reply. Instead, I did the one thing my instincts screamed at me to do—I swung my fist straight into his jaw.

A loud thud filled the air as his body crashed onto the wooden floor. Dexton groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"What the f**k, Dad?! You punched me for no reason!" he shouted.

The two wolves restraining him remained alert but didn't interfere. My breath came in ragged gasps after landing that single blow on him.

"Alpha!" Harper rushed forward, blocking my path. His hands pressed against my chest as I moved toward Dexton again. "Calm down! We don’t know if it was him!"

I growled, my fangs nearly protruding. "If not him, then who, Harper?! Who else would be bold enough to hire rogues to attack Selene?!"

Harper met my gaze with sharp but empathetic eyes. "You need to think clearly. We don’t have proof yet. If you kill him without evidence..."

I exhaled sharply, clenching my jaw. Damn it. Harper was right. But I couldn't just let this go. Not after seeing Selene's battered body, the scent of her blood still fresh in my senses, her fragile state haunting me.

I looked down at Dexton, who was now sitting against the wall, his face bruised but his expression still filled with arrogance.

"Did you do it?" I demanded, my voice heavy. "Did you hire those rogues to attack her?!"

Dexton sighed, wiping the blood from his lips. "I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Dad! You stormed in and punched me!"

"You're lying!" I roared, raising my fist again, but Harper yanked me back.

Even though I knew he might not be lying, part of me still believed he was responsible. He was the last person to harm Selene, the one who had nearly broken her completely.

"Alpha! You won’t get answers this way!"

I shut my eyes, grinding my teeth. My breath was ragged, my rage a storm that refused to calm.

I glared at him, the same way I had when he was a boy and I had to discipline him for misbehaving.

"Selene was attacked, Dexton. She nearly died. And you show up the day before, acting innocent?"

Dexton stared at me, disbelief flickering in his eyes. I hesitated. I knew when he was lying. And right now… he wasn’t.

"Look, I never liked your relationship with her. But killing her? Hiring rogues? That’s beyond me. You know damn well that rogues don’t take orders from just anyone. I couldn’t have hurt her even if I wanted to!"

"You have enough reasons to," I muttered accusingly.

"Father…" Dexton's voice softened, and for the first time, I saw sincerity in his eyes. "I might be a bastard. But I’m not that cruel. I don’t have enough influence to command rogue wolves, let alone send them after Selene. The only ones who can do that… are the Pack Council."

My chest tightened. The Council. If they were truly behind this…

The mention of them sent a cold realization down my spine. It made too much sense. The Council had never approved of my decisions. They wanted me away from Selene.

"Are they insane?" I muttered, my voice trembling with fury. "Selene isn’t even marked yet. She’s not officially my mate. And yet they had the audacity to try and kill her?!"

My hands curled into fists, my back tensing. A deep growl rumbled through my chest, filling the room.

"If this is their doing, I’ll tear them apart one by one. No one touches Selene without going through me first!"

I stepped back, trying to steady my breathing. Harper watched me with concern, while Dexton slowly pushed himself to his feet, wincing from the pain.

He touched his bruised chin and asked, his voice quieter, "Is she… okay?"

I snapped my head toward him, my gaze sharp. That question pierced through me—it sounded too sincere, too… concerned.

For the first time, I heard worry in his voice after everything he had done to her. After he had rejected her. After he had nearly destroyed her.

And the fact that I felt a pang of jealousy toward my own son made it even more infuriating.

"Why? Do you care?" I sneered, my voice like a blade.

Dexton’s eyes softened slightly. "Of course, I care. You love her. And she… she doesn’t deserve this. I may hate your relationship, but I don’t want her dead."

Jealousy and confusion mixed inside me. I pushed those feelings away. Now was not the time for that.

"Tch." I scoffed. "You talk as if you didn’t already hurt her, Dexton. You’re a bastard who tried to force yourself on your ex-mate after rejecting her in front of everyone. So spare me your fake concern!"

"I’m not pretending!" he protested, but I ignored him, turning to Harper instead.

"Harper," I said, my voice firm. "Find out the truth. I want to know who dared to go against me by attacking Selene. If it’s the Council… then this means war."

Harper gave a sharp nod. "I’ll take care of it."

I tilted my head back, inhaling deeply. In my mind, I saw Selene—her frail body lying in bed, her wounds still fresh. The image burned into my soul, fueling the fire within me.

This would not happen again.

Whoever was behind this would regret ever laying a hand on what was mine.

And when the time came… they would know the true wrath of Lucian, the Lycan King they dared to cross.