CHAPTER 52

ALPHA KIAN'S POV
Two days ago at the party**
I was having a drink over the counter when I suddenly sensed one of my people. Her scent filled my nostrils strong and hard which made me instinctively look for the scent and it led me to the door where Olivia was standing, her arm linked with an Alpha I recognized as Julian, Alpha Leo's brother.
It took me everything to keep from scoffing.
She was in a purple regal dress with her hair and makeup properly done. To be fair, she looked gorgeous.
My eyes scooted to the mark right next to her collarbone. She was marked.
A scoff escaped from my lips this time.
"Alpha," I heard a voice I recognized all too well. My beta.
"My brother, isn't that the woman you wanted to fuck?"
I saw my beta as a brother even though he wasn't too sure about that.
He followed my gaze and it landed on Olivia. I looked at his face to see his expression and as expected, he looked surprised.
I smirked at his reaction and he looked at me with wide eyes. "Isn't that Olivia?"
I simply smiled in response.
"Then. Why aren't you doing anything? I thought Leo was her mate and she ran away with him b-but why is she with Alpha Julian?"
"I don't know." A sigh escaped my lips.
What was I to do?
If Leo was her mate then I wouldn't bat an eye but she was whoring around. Was she doing this to get back at me for not protecting her well?
To be honest, I knew my faults.
I saw her pain and promised to keep her safe but she must have gotten scared and fled my omega's cabin.
It was still a blur to me how she ended up leaving my territory but if she was with Julian just to climb the social ladder, I wouldn't allow that. It would be a stain on my pack's reputation.
"Excuse me, Kian. I'll go fetch Gillian, he has to see this."
I hummed and watched him sway off with a distinct swag. I smirked and averted my gaze from him to look at Olivia and Julian.
The way Julian was all up against her made me a question.
If Olivia was Leo's woman, how could he boldly flaunt her in public?
And where was Leo? Why wasn't he losing his shits when his brother was all up on his Luna.
I looked around to find him and what I saw made me question what I heard.
A hauntingly beautiful woman was standing next to him and they did not look like colleagues. How could they? She was just too beautiful.
However, Leo was the one I was put under scrutiny.
He looked enraged, yes.
But it was out of another emotion and not possessiveness towards his mate. I had no idea what was going on but Olivia looked much more happy standing with Julian and it made me feel some sort of feeling.
Maybe Jealousy? I did not have a mate of myself yet and Olivia looked so good with Julian.
He was making her feel good, cheerful, protected, and safe. Something I couldn't give her with her under my wings.
I only talked, I did not take action and that made me feel ashamed of myself. Did I even deserve to be Alpha?
How could I condone any of the mistreatment she received?
Saying I did not have at least a whiff of what she went through was a lie. Maybe I just refuse to accept it but... Somewhere deep down, I knew and that made me feel guilty.
If she was whoring around Julian to survive, I would find a way to bring her back home, and if Leo wasn't her mate then... Why did she leave with him? And why did she end up with Julian?
I wasn't clear about that yet but I was going to get an answer. To do that, I was going to confront Olivia. It didn't seem like a very nice idea but I had no other choice. I wanted an answer and I wanted it now!
I dropped the empty glass on the counter and started to take long strides toward Olivia and Alpha Julian.
I smirked as I caught up to them.
"Hello, Olivia," I said and she slowly turned around to look at me.
I looked at her with an intense gaze expecting her to cower but she didn't even react. It was almost like she no longer rated me.
It seemed I would have to drop the intimidating stare.
I flashed her a smile instead and she smirked, stretching her hand towards me to shake. I accepted it and gave her a firm handshake.
"Hello, Alpha Kian." She said confidently.
"I thought you ran off with Alpha Leo, how come you're with Alpha Julian?" I couldn't keep from asking right away.
"Alpha Julian is my mate." She assertively responded, catching me off-guard but I composed myself quickly.
"Julian," She said, looking at Julian who was already staring at me with an intimidating glare. Perhaps he was truly her mate? He did not like me very much and it showed. Did Olivia tell him bad things about me?
"I thought it was Alpha Leo, what are you doing now, Olivia," I asked honestly.
"You weren't usually like this. Don't try to get with two Alphas just to climb the social ladder."
What if I was right and she was whoring around? That would only bring shame to my pack.
"Why? Afraid you'll be seeing me often?" She asked with a smirk.
A growl escaped the depths of my throat and I let her feel my overbearing superior effect but... It didn't seem to work on her and it made me feel lowly.
How did she change in such a short period?
"Alpha Kian?" A familiar voice said behind me. I immediately recognized who that was as well. Gillian, Olivia's brother.
Olivia averted her gaze from me to look at her brother.
"Olivia," Gillian said with a scoff, "How dare you show up here acting all mighty and proud?"
I kind of felt pity for them, they were siblings yet they never experienced that sibling bond because of the family they were born in. An over-expectant father and a narcissistic mother.
"I have no idea what you're talking about and you shouldn't talk down to me and my mate unless you're ready to pay the consequences." With that, Olivia left with Julian.
I wanted to go after them but when I saw Ferno, I decided it would be ideal to go to him first. He was her father.
Surely, he had the right to access more information from Olivia than us, right?
Immediately I found him heading to the back door, I followed and I heard Gillian follow me. That boy...
Unfortunately, I did not have his time right now. Halfway outside, Leo showed up and followed Ferno outside.
Oddly enough, Ferno did not seem to mind. Did they plan this?
I looked at Gillian over my shoulder and shot him a glare before mind linking him, "If you want to come with me, stay quiet."
Gillian gave me a look and nodded.
I nodded back and we headed for the backyard. Across from us were Ferno and Leo and there seemed like a heated conversation going on between them.
We hid in front of the tall wall and listened to their conversation.
"Leonard! I already gave my daughter to you as collateral, what else do you want from me?!"
I froze. What?!
Ferno did what?!
"I came to give you a fair deal. Tonight, I'll be taking your daughter with me and I won't return her, I will also write off your debt."
So Ferno also owed Leonard money...
But still, giving Olivia to him as collateral was too much. And now... Leonard was planning on taking Olivia away.
What would be Ferno's response?
After all, Olivia was still his daughter. No matter how much he loathed her, he wouldn't give up on her, right?
"Let me get this straight," Ferno looked at Leo with a sly grin, "You'll take away my daughter for good and then write off my debt?"
Leo nodded, "Of course, Ferno. This is a good deal, what do you say?"
"What do you think your father will choose?" I asked Gillian via the mind-link.
"He won't sell Olivia off, she's still his daughter," Gillian responded through the mind link and I looked at him and he seemed unbothered. I hoped Gillian was right.
"I agree to the deal, Leo. Thank you for writing off my debt."
I felt like I was about to explode.
Was this really Ferno?
Was this the man I was a bit fond of?
I looked at Gillian and he looked as shocked as I was.
Leo strode off and Ferno smiled into the shadows.
"B-but father... H-he wouldn't sell.." Gillian looked like he was traumatized but what he just witnessed.
This was a rare case.
He was usually tough and non-emotional and from what I knew he didn't care about Olivia either.
"Who's there?" Ferno asked out loud and I didn't hesitate to step out of my hiding place.
His eyes widened when he saw that it was me, "A-alpha," He stuttered with wide eyes, "I-i can explain."
Gillian stepped out as well and rushed to his father before tightly holding him. "Father, you have a plan right? You're not going to sell Olivia off, are you?!"
Ferno pushed Gillian off him and walked towards me, "Alpha," he said with a serious face, "Can't you just turn a blind eye to this? Olivia never mattered in the pack anyways so-"
"-Kneel," I interrupted.
I had reached my limits.
Ferno looked at me with wide eyes, "Why?" He was staring into my soul but I did not let that affect me.
"Kneel!" I said in a louder tone but Ferno did not budge. Instead, he scoffed at me.
"What? Are you now acting like an Alpha?!"
Gillian stood by his father's side and muttered, "Father, please mind your words."
Ferno pushed him aside one more time and looked at me with a nasty glare.
"You call yourself an Alpha? What a joke!"
"Father please," Gillian grabbed Ferno but I gestured to him to let go of the old fool.
"No, let him speak," I said with a growl. It was an order.
Gillian looked torn between my order and what he should be doing. In the end, he stood still, something I rarely saw him doing since he was very loyal to his father.
It was quite shocking how he switched sides quickly. Did he care about Olivia?
"I never saw you as an Alpha, Kian." He scoffed, "No one in the pack ever has."
I swallowed. I had to admit, that did hit a spot.
"Your authority has always been dull, without me and the beta, your leadership would have collapsed."
I knew my beta was well-liked but...
"My authority hasn't been dull because my beta answers to me. Just because you don't respect me doesn't mean everyone else doesn't."
Ferno scoffed and I looked at the vile look in his eyes, something I hadn't noticed before.
"You're delusional, Kian. Everyone knows you're incompetent and weak. Worse of all, you don't offer your people hope. That's usually what the beta does. He does all of your work! Do you think handling paperwork makes you Alpha? You're wrong!"
Ferno's words kept sinking in and it angered me yet it made me want to cry. Where the hell did I go wrong?
"If you wanted to help Olivia, you would but you're too much of a coward to do anything! Just now, you heard my conversation with Leo. If you wanted to save Olivia, you would have stepped in and cut a different deal with him but no, you don't have the wits to do that! You don't even have the will to do it damnit!"
In a way, he was right.
If only I wasn't too careless and paid more attention to Olivia's bullying, it wouldn't go this far and Ferno wouldn't disrespect me so much.
I looked into Ferno's eyes.
It was enough.
I couldn't let a monster like him tag around my beta for too long. My beta was soft even though he looked icy and he liked Ferno too, so I was going to help him.
I channeled my wolf and let him take over. My teeth switched to that of my wolf and I snapped Ferno's neck before he could see it coming.