Confrontation of Truths

**Dimitri**

The morning arrived cold and heavy with tension. The decision I made the night before still weighed on me, but there was a clarity in my thoughts that I hadn’t felt in days. If Lucian was playing with our minds, sowing distrust to weaken us, I needed to disarm him. I needed answers, and there was only one way to get them.

Haizel and Lucian face to face.

I descended to the depths of the mansion where Lucian was still imprisoned, but this time with a different purpose. The room where he was held was dark, with stone walls that revealed nothing but shadows and cold. Leonardo accompanied me in silence, aware of the gravity of what was about to happen.

When we reached the cell, Lucian was as before, sitting on the floor, chains around his wrists. His eyes lifted to meet mine, a spark of curiosity passing through them when he saw the determination on my face.

"Finally," he said, a shadow of a smile curling his lips. "Are you ready to play, Dimitri?"

“This isn’t a game, Lucian,” I retorted, keeping my tone firm. "I want the truth. And I’m going to get it today."

He tilted his head, intrigued, but before he could respond, I signaled to Leonardo, who quickly left to fetch Haizel. The silence that followed was heavy, laden with an expectation that was almost tangible. Lucian watched me closely, as if trying to decipher my intentions, but I let nothing show.

Soon, I heard Leonardo’s footsteps, and then Haizel was brought into the room. She looked tense, her eyes first locking onto mine, seeking some form of assurance, before finally turning to Lucian. The air in the room seemed to grow thicker, as if each breath was charged with electricity.

“You know why you’re here,” I began, addressing Haizel. “I need you to be completely honest. This is the moment to confess, to lay all your cards on the table.”

Haizel hesitated, her gaze drifting away from Lucian, as if the words she needed to say were stuck in her throat. Lucian, in turn, didn’t take his eyes off her, a cold, calculated smile on his lips, as if he knew exactly what was coming.

“Haizel,” my voice cut through the silence, firmer now. “It’s time to tell the truth.”

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment before speaking. “I... I never wanted it to come to this, Dimitri. I never wanted to betray the pack.”

“Then why did you do it?” The question came out before I could stop myself, my voice heavy with frustration.

Lucian watched the scene like a curious spectator, his eyes glinting with hidden malice. “Go on, Haizel,” he taunted, his voice soft, almost mocking. “Tell him.”

She visibly trembled at his words, but finally raised her eyes to meet mine, her gaze filled with regret and fear. “Lucian… he had something on me, something I couldn’t let others find out. He used it to manipulate me, to make me work for him. At first, I thought I could handle it, that I could control him, but… I failed.”

I wanted to shout, to demand more answers, but I held back. “What did he have on you, Haizel? What was so terrible that it made you betray all of us?”

She hesitated for a moment, her voice almost failing as she responded. “Antonia… Antonia isn’t your daughter, Dimitri.”

The world seemed to stop for a moment, as if time had frozen. Her words echoed in my mind, each syllable piercing like a blade. “What did you say?” My voice was low, almost a whisper, but charged with restrained fury.

“Antonia isn’t your daughter,” Haizel repeated, her voice trembling. “Lucian knew that. He knew the truth and threatened to expose it. I was scared, Dimitri. Scared of how it would destroy you, the pack… so I gave in. I let him control me.”

Lucian laughed, a sound full of contempt. “She tried to hide the truth, but I always knew it was only a matter of time before she broke. Fear, Dimitri, is the most powerful force.”

My vision blurred with rage, but I forced myself to breathe, to not let the fury take over. “Why?” I asked, trying to maintain control. “Why did you do this, Haizel?”

“I was scared,” she admitted, tears streaming down her face. “I knew that if the truth came out, everything you built could crumble. And then, when Lucian found out… he used it against me. I couldn’t let you know, I couldn’t bear the thought of hurting you like that.”

I stepped closer to her, my voice deadly serious. “You’ve already hurt me, Haizel. You betrayed me, the pack, and put us all in danger. And for that, you will pay. There’s no forgiveness for what you’ve done.”

Her eyes widened, panic clear in her expression. “Dimitri, please… I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this. I only wanted to protect you!”

“Protect?” My voice was as hard as steel. “You nearly destroyed everything. You betrayed us, Haizel, and that cannot be forgiven.”

Haizel began to sob, her cries breaking the heavy silence of the room. “Please, Dimitri, let me help. I’ll do anything.”

“No,” I declared coldly. “You’re out of the pack. You’ll never set foot on our territory again. Leave now, before I decide your betrayal deserves a harsher punishment.”

Lucian watched it all with obvious satisfaction. “Ah, the Alpha’s justice. Swift and unforgiving, as always.”

I ignored Lucian and turned to Leonardo. “Take her away. Make sure she never returns.”

Leonardo hesitated for a moment, clearly affected by the harshness of my decision, but he nodded. He approached Haizel, taking her by the arm to lead her out. She was still sobbing, but she didn’t resist. She knew her luck had run out.

As she was led away, the weight of her betrayal still hung over me, but the decision was made. Haizel had lost her place in the pack, and now my focus was on ensuring that Lucian could use nothing else against us.

I turned my gaze back to Lucian, my hatred for him growing even more. “This ends here, Lucian. You will pay for everything you’ve done.”

He only smiled, a smile that seemed to promise more suffering to come. “We’ll see, Dimitri. We’ll see.”

I walked away, feeling the weight of leadership now heavier than ever. But I knew that, as difficult as it was, this was the only way to protect the pack and everything I loved.

And if that meant expelling those who betrayed our trust, I would do so without hesitation.