Chapter 137: A Traitor Among Us.

Alessandro’s POV
When the doctor finished checking his vitals, I stepped forward, my footsteps quiet but urgent, and stopped beside him.
“How is he?” I asked, my eyes turned to Father.
“Can we talk to him for a few moments?”
The doctor looked down at his chart, then looked at me with a sigh.
“He’s stable… for now.
But whatever poison he was given it was strong. Too strong for a regular human to survive.”
I felt sick to my stomach.
The doctor continued, voice lowered, “It was his wolf that kept him alive.
The moment the toxin spread, his wolf took over and fought back. If not for that, Alpha John would already be gone.”
I swallowed hard, looking back at Father, whose breathing was steady but shallow.
“So he’s conscious?”
Gabriel asked from behind me, stepping closer.
The doctor gave a small nod.
“Barely. But you might get a few words out of him. Just don’t push. He needs rest more than anything.”
Rafael clenched his fists.
“Then we’d better make those words count.”
I nodded and turned to Father's bedside, feeling the weight of our unspoken questions.
I moved to Father’s bedside, my steps careful. He looked smaller lying there frail in a way I’d never seen him before.
But his eyes opened slightly when I reached him, their strength was dulled, but still visible
“Father,” I said gently, kneeling beside him so he wouldn’t have to strain.
His eyes met mine, and he gave the faintest nod. That was enough.
“I need to ask you something… important,” I continued.
“We believe the person who poisoned you is here in the pack. Do you remember who came into your office last before it happened?”
There was a pause, as if even thinking cost him strength. His lips parted, but at first, no words came.
Gabriel stepped closer. “Take your time, Alpha.”
Finally, in a voice that was almost too quiet to hear, he whispered.
“Someone… brought papers. Said they needed my signature…”
“Who?” I asked, leaning in closer.
“Do you remember their face?”
His brow furrowed, struggling.
“I….I don’t know,” he murmured.
“They wore… gloves. Covered… scent.”
I exchanged a look with Rafael. That wasn’t a mistake. Whoever had done this came prepared.
“Could it have been someone from inside the pack?” Rafael asked cautiously.
Father’s eyes closed briefly, as if the idea pained him. Then he gave a weak nod.
I stood slowly, fists clenched.
“That means someone close. Someone with access.”
Gabriel shook his head, disbelief clouding his face.
“But why would someone from inside want to kill Father?”
“Because,” Rafael said quietly,
“killing him creates a power vacuum. Someone wants control. And they’re willing to go to extremes to get it.”
I turned back to look at Father, his face slack with exhaustion. He had risked everything for this pack.
Someone was trying to erase that.
And the look on Father’s face… it told me everything.
His jaw tightened, and a brief look of anger, regret, or pain crossed his face before he looked away.
My heart sank. He knew.
I stepped closer, my voice barely above a whisper.

“You know who did it, don’t you, Father?”

He didn’t answer.
My chest tightened. “You know who poisoned you?”
His gaze slowly returned to mine, and for a moment, I saw something raw betrayal.
But again, he said nothing.
The silence was louder than any scream.
Gabriel’s voice broke through behind me, quieter now, more cautious.
“Father… if you know, you have to tell us. We can protect the pack, but only if we know who we’re up against.”
Still, Alpha John remained quiet, lips pressed into a thin line. Then he shook his head just slightly whether in refusal or fear, I couldn’t tell.
Rafael looked at me with wide, uneasy eyes.
“Why won’t he say it?”
I clenched my fists. If he knew who did this, and still stayed silent… then it was someone close. Too close.
“Because saying it out loud,” I muttered,

“might destroy everything.”
Rafael and Gabriel looked at me, confused.
“What are you talking about?” Rafael asked, stepping closer.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, studying my face.
“Do you think Father is protecting someone?”
I glanced back at our father still silent, still avoiding our eyes.
“He’s not just protecting someone…” I said slowly, piecing it together even as the words left my mouth.
“He’s protecting the pack. If he speaks the name out loud, it could start a war inside these walls.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened. “A traitor within the pack?”
“Maybe someone powerful,” I added, voice low.
“Someone close enough to walk freely into his office and poison him without raising suspicion.”
Rafael shook his head. “But who would do something like that?”
I turned back to Father. “That’s what I intend to find out.”
****
We left Alpha John’s hospital room to allow him some rest, but the expression on his face stayed with me.
It was like he was silently screaming something… Protecting someone. But who?
Just as that thought echoed in my mind, footsteps approached firm and angry.
I looked up to see Leonardo walking toward me, hands shoved deep into his pockets, his face stormy with fury.
“So…” he started, his voice low and tight.
“You successfully convinced Father not to hand over the pack to me.”
I said nothing. I just looked at him.
He stepped in closer, eyes burning with resentment.
“This isn’t over, Alessandro.
I will make sure you never get to be the Alpha of this pack.”
I let out a tired sigh.
“I’m not trying to be Alpha, Leonardo. I’m just trying to find out who’s behind Father’s poisoning.”
He scoffed bitterly.
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”
My brow furrowed.
“What is wrong with you, Leonardo?
Why are you behaving like this?”
That’s when he smirked, sharp, bitter, cold.
“Oh, so you don’t know, huh?
You really don’t know what you did?”
I shook my head, confused.
He leaned in slightly, voice like venom.
“You betrayed me, Alessandro. You took the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
My heart skipped a beat.
“Aurora…?”
His eyes darkened with pain and rage.
“You had no right.”
“Aurora…?” I echoed, stunned.
Leonardo’s jaw tightened. His eyes were glassy now, not just angry but wounded.
“She was supposed to be mine. You knew how I felt about her.”
“I didn’t know anything,” I said calmly, trying to keep my voice steady despite the heaviness building in my chest.
“You left her, Leonardo. When she needed you the most.”
His fist clenched at his side.
“And so you decided to play the hero and take her from me!” Leonardo snapped, his voice filled with fury.

“I gave her everything. My time. My attention. My heart!”
I blinked slowly, letting the silence stretch for a beat. My voice came out calm but firm.

“But when you were supposed to stand up and protect her… you didn’t.”
His eyes flared. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I said, taking a step closer.
“You were too busy worrying about your pride. About how things looked.
You pushed her away when she needed someone the most.”
Leonardo’s jaw worked as if he was holding back words or maybe rage.
“I didn’t take her from you,” I continued.
“You left her standing in the cold and expected her to wait forever.”
He shook his head, his laugh hollow.
“You think you’re better than me? That you deserve her?”
“No,” I said.
“But I never made her feel like an obligation. I see her. I choose her. And she knows it.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his face expressionless, and for the first time, I saw something flicker behind his anger regret, maybe.
Or maybe realization.

But it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

“You’ll regret this,” he said quietly.
“If I can’t have her, Alessandro… no one can.”

Then he turned and walked away.