hapter 170
Third Person’s POV
Two more steps and she could cross the threshold, but the mark on the back of her neck suddenly flared with pain.
Her nail–hardened claws dug deep into the doorframe, instantly leaving five silver–blue bloodstreaks on the ironwood panel.
From the living room wafted Mallory’s pheromones–a mix of chicory and ambergris, the oppressive aura of a high–ranking Alpha that made her wolf ears flatten involuntarily.
She heard Valentine entertaining Mallory, whose deep and authoritative voice gave only curt replies.
As Adelaide adjusted her breathing, a faint wolfish whine escaped her throat.
After several attempts to composed herself, she finally appeared at the entrance to the living room.
Upon entering, she kept her eyes downcast and greeted him, “Mr. Pahari.”
Mallory rose, nodded in acknowledgment, and replied, “Miss Davidson, how have you been?”
The deliberately formal address hung between them, laden with awkwardness.
“I’ve been managing,” Adelaide said, her voice trembling slightly. “Please, have a seat.”
Mallory gestured for her to sit as well.
Once they were both seated, Beta Valentine retreated to the doorway, where the glaring sunlight suddenly stabbed at his eyes.
Omega servants dared not appro
ach, leaving the two of them alone in the living room, engulfed in an uneasy silence.
Both struggled to quell the surging emotions and dispel the visions of bloodshed- a pain that would likely haunt their families forever.
Mallory broke the silence first, “I spotted you at the royal banquet after the victory parade the other day. Hardly recognized you at first.”
Adelaide recalled that day–she’d gone straight from the parade to the palace celebration without changing her dirt–streaked clothes.
She smiled, but tears dropped onto her hand as she cast her eyes down, her voice strained. “I must have been a sight to behold.”
“Your father and brothers…” Mallory inhaled sharply, his throat clogged as if with cotton, his voice deep and muffled, “Everyone in the Davidson family would be proud of you.”
Adelaide’s hands, resting on her knees, clenched into fists. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and
1/3
turned her face away, her voice choked as she acknowledged his words.
Mallory, witnessing her distress, instantly regretted his visit. Perhaps neither family was ready to face each
other so soon.
Even a grown man like him struggled to hold back tears, let alone an eighteen or nineteen–year–old girl.
Though she had tasted battle and slain enemies with her own hands, she remained the most vulnerable in front of her kin.
Once the cherished jewel of her family, she now stood alone.
Though she had grown wings strong enough to shield herself from external foes, deep within, she still felt the ache and the hurt.
Mallory rarely allowed himself to revisit that day, too afraid of the memories.
But perhaps it was time to confront the past; otherwise, the pain would forever linger, as if his heart were perpetually soaked in blood.
His voice, when he spoke again, had lost its usual intonation, “The past is the past. One must look forward. I heard you’re engaged to Alpha Lance. Congratulations are in order, though I haven’t had the chance to extend them yet.”
Adelaide lowered her eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”
He coughed a few times, clearing his throat, and continued, “We only learned later that you and Ulrik had dissolved your mate bond. Our former Luna wished to send regards but feared upsetting you…”
“I understand,” Adelaide said, her voice muffled as if stuffed with cotton.
They lapsed into silence once more until Mallory broached the main topic, “Rumors have been circulating these past few days, accusing you of forming a mate bond with Ulrik during your mourning period. The public outcry against you has been fierce. However, the police have since clarified matters and made several arrests. The detainees have implicated an omega from Madison’s estate as the mastermind behind the smear campaign.”
“I’m here to ask whether you wish to address this publicly or resolve it privately.”
He paused and added, “Given your impending mate bond with Alpha Lance, you’ll soon have to refer to Madison as a maternal figure. It’s up to you whether to strain that relationship. Rest assured, our police force will not shy away from confronting Madison’s influence if you’re amenable.”
Adelaide raised her eyes to meet Mallory’s gaze, sighed gently, and said, “May I still address you by your name as before? Thank you for coming in person–it means a great deal to me, Mallory. As for the case, I leave it in your hands. I trust this isn’t Madison’s doing. Perhaps it was Wanda–I did have a sharp exchange with her at the birthday party. I suspect she might hold a grudge and seek to tarnish my reputation.”
Mallory acknowledged, “Understood. Publicly exposing this won’t harm Madison in the least. They’ll likely sacrifice a lowly omega as a scapegoat. I’ll have someone look into Wanda’s involvement.”
2/3
“I appreciate your efforts,” Adelaide said, rising and nodding in gratitude.
“It’s my duty,” Mallory replied, also standing. “I’ll take my leave now.”
“Valentine, see Mallory out,” Adelaide instructed.
Valentine stepped forward with a composed smile and bowed slightly. “Mr. Pahari, allow me to escort you
out.”
At the doorway, Mallory glanced back at Adelaide, wanting to say so much but settling on a simple, “Take
care.”
Adelaide inclined her head slightly and watched him depart.
She sat in the living room for a long time, lost in silence.
Outside the living room, on the steps where Mallory had once cradled that severed head, it seemed the old bloodstains still lingered.
