Blood moon

Chapter 91. Not supposed to be

Hunter had been losing his sanity for a long time due to the sudden events that kept appearing in his life, one after another, disrupting his coherence and ability to make the right decisions in life. He was now at a point very close to losing whatever sanity he had left in his body.

He felt like everyone was betraying him, constantly making the situation as tough as it could be. Seeing Andrea cry had been a heart-wrenching experience for him, it had only made his heart smaller, making him feel deeply guilty because he wasn't sure how they had come to this point.

Just a few weeks ago, they had been in their kitchen, cooking together and spending quality time as a couple. But ever since the pack entered the woman's life, everything had turned upside down. He couldn't stop having all these sad and painful thoughts.

Now it turned out he had brought her into a house full of people who could betray them at any moment. That woman in the kitchen had been working for their family for over twenty years, had seen them grow up, witnessed their parents' relationship, and yet she had dared to betray them, thinking he wasn't good enough to lead the pack.

It was unbelievable, and he felt like he could be on the brink of madness.

—Please, Hunter, I made a mistake— the woman's voice sounded broken and defeated. She was undoubtedly completely worried that he might actually do something evil for revenge.

Tears streamed down the woman's face; she looked completely terrified as she gazed into her alpha's fiery red eyes. Hunter's eyes were devouring; he hated her. He was torn between his limits and his new purpose in life, at least for the past few hours, which was to make her life impossible.

—Tell me... who's involved in this— he growled in a highly threatening tone.

Harley had been in a corner of the room, listening to what was happening. He had sensed his younger brother's aura even before he arrived, but now that he was locked in the same four walls, he felt worried because he realized that this nearly two-meter mass of a man seemed on the verge of erupting in flames and setting everything around him on fire.

He deeply thanked his stars that he wasn't the one going through all of this. As the older son, he had always felt the weight of inheriting the position, having many people under his responsibility, needing to feed them and provide them with a future. He had thought he had made many sacrifices, but with the punishment of the Goddess Selene, he realized that many things had naturally fallen into place because of his position. Now, he was struggling to make a name for himself, just as Hunter had had to do since he was a child.

Even though he had proven himself as a pure-blooded alpha, as his eyes showed, people still doubted his abilities. He had done so much to keep his woman safe, saved her from abduction, and maintained composure despite the strong pressure exerted by his wolf, but none of it was appreciated.

Ever since he had taken on the role, one problem had come after another. He admitted that Hunter had a lot of pride and character because he hadn't broken, always keeping his humanity intact, just like his older brother. He wondered if he could do the same because they processed pain differently.

The idea that Hunter was the bloodthirsty king the pack needed crossed his mind. Now that he had a bit more humility, he could be the one to rule next. Kings ascended to the throne based on the needs of the people, and in this case, they needed someone who wouldn't hesitate to enforce the pack's mandates. Although he found the idea unfair because Hunter had worked hard to get where he was, he had always found a way to stand out, whether it was due to his beauty or his ability to get into or out of trouble.

—If I tell you the names of the people involved, will you let me live?— the woman asked, almost on the brink of tears at the thought of Hunter continuing down the path his thoughts were taking.

—Yes, but the moment I find out you're lying— he paused as if considering what he would do —you'll wish I had killed you.

The woman quickly recounted how she had been recruited by one of the elders of the pack, a staunch opponent of Hunter coming to power. He was convinced that the blood of the royal family was tainted, and a new set of werewolves capable of bringing justice to the pack needed to take power. It was a kind of democracy within the pack, and both brothers shared an incredulous look; they had never heard such nonsense from a person.

The story continued, and she talked about a meeting with about six pack members who shared the same beliefs. The problem was that one of them was the treasurer, who didn't directly handle the company's finances because it had always been said that giving one person too much power would be a mistake. However, he possessed records of properties, jobs, and offspring.

That man had been the real reason the pack had become an easy target. The blood of those people was on their hands because of sheer foolishness. They could have expressed their ideas differently, but now there were children left orphaned without their parents, wives without their husbands, and men without their wives. They had simply torn families apart due to selfishness. Both men's hearts were flooded with pain because they had grown up with these people, gone to school with them, or helped them at some point, and now they had died for selfish reasons.

Harley believed that ever since George Garroway had come to the town, everything had simply gone to hell. They needed more than just faith in the pack to defeat him. He had managed to sow some doubt among the people, and it seemed that was enough for them to betray each other.

—Why kill us?— Harley asked in a stern tone —Hunter and I weren't at home. Why act now? We would have only come after you—

Hunter nodded.

—It was supposed to be that Hunter wouldn't leave the house, as he had been doing for the past few days, locked up with the lady, and you would stay locked in the office, as you've been doing since you left home.

Both brothers looked at each other.