Chapter 242
SONIA’S POV
“What should we do. I question my wolf who was already fast asleep but no response came from her. She must be really tired from all the stress knowing fully well we are pregnant.
The moon hung high in the night sky, its light spilling through the large windows of the council room. The shadows stretched long across the polished floor, a quiet reminder of the darkness that seemed to surround us on all sides.
I stood near the window, arms crossed tightly over my chest, my thoughts as turbulent as the storm threatening to break outside. Behind me. Ramon paced, his movements agitated, his breaths uneven.
We hadn’t spoken since I’d told him about Daniel. Not really. We had shared words, yes, sharp ones, bitter ones, but nothing that brought us closer to understanding or resolution. Now, in the heavy silence of this room, the weight of what we had to decide loomed like a guillotine.
“He betrayed us. Sonia, Ramon said finally, breaking the silence. His voice was low, raw with anger and hurt. “He betrayed me. I don’t know how you can even consider letting him live.
I turned to face him, my own frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “Because ifave kill him, we lose any chance we have of turning this against Lorena.” I said keeping my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. “And if we lose that chance, more lives are at risk.”
His pacing stopped, and he looked at me, his eyes dark with anger and confusion. So, what? We keep him alive, let him feed Lorena lies, and hope she doesn’t catch on! Do you really trust him not to betray us again?”
I flinched at the question, the truth cutting deeper than I wanted to admit. “No,” I said quietly. “I don’t trust him. But this isn’t about trust, Ramon, It’s about strategy. About doing what we have to, even when it feels wrong.
He shook his head, his jaw tightening. “You’re asking me to gamble the lives of this pack on a man who’s already proven he can’t be trusted. That‘ not strategy, Sonia. That’s desperation.
“And what’s the alternative?” I snapped, my voice rising, “We execute him! Make an example of him? How does that help us stop Lorena? How does that protect the pack?”
“I sends a message,” he said, his voice cold, “It shows everyone, Lorena included, that betrayal won’t be tolerated.”
“And what message does it send to the people who are afraid? The ones who might be tempted to turn against us because they think we can’t protect them! Killing him doesn’t make us stronger, Ramon. It makes us weaker.”
His fists clenched at his sides, his frustration boiling over. “You’re asking me to put my faith in a man who’s already shattered it You’re asking me to put this pack’s survival in the hands of someone who nearly destroyed it. Do you know how insane that sounds
“I know,” I said, my voice breaking. “I know how it sounds, But I also know that if we let our anger guide us, we’ll lose sight of what’s important. This in’t about Daniel, Ramon. It’s about Lorena. It’s always been about Lorena
The sdence that followed was drafening the kind that made every second stretch into an eternity. I turned back to the window, my reflection staring back at me, pale and tired
“I hate this,” I said softly, more to myself than to him. “I hate that we’re even having this conversation. That someone we trusted, someone we cared about, did this to us
Kamon stepped closer, his presence a heavy warmth at my back. “You think I don’t feel the same?” he asked, his voice quieter now. “You think it doesn’t tear mir apart to know that the man I trusted with my life betrayed me? That he betrayed us?”
I turned to face lum, and for the first time that night. I saw the pain in his eyes, the hurt buried beneath the anger. “Then you know why we have to ur him,” I said, my voice trembling “Because if we let this anger consume us, if we let it dictate our choices, we’re no better than the people who want to destroy us
He didn’t respond right away, his gaze dropping to the floor. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with emotion. “Do you think he’s telling the trutht About why he did ar
I hesitated, my thights a whirlwind. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But I think he’s scared. And I think he regrets what he’s done. Whether that’s enough to muce him trustworthy. “I shook my head. “I don’t know”
“And what if we’re wrong?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “What if keeping him alive costs us everything?”
1/2
– 11.04 АМ ГО
Chapter 212
“Then that’s a risk we have to take, 1 said, my heart aching with the weight of the words. “Because if we don’t, we’re no closer to stopping Lorena than we were yesterday. And we can’t afford to stand still
e what
Ramon turned away, running a hand through his hair as he let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re asking me to set aside everything I feel. To ignore w he’s done and focus on the bigger picture. Do you have any idea how hard that is?”
“Yes,” I said, stepping closer. “Because I’m asking myself to do the same thing.”
He looked at me then, and for a moment, I saw the man I had fallen in love with the man who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders but still found a way to move forward.
“You’re stronger than you think, Ramon,” I said softly. “Stronger than me, even. And I need you to be strong now, because I can’t do this alone,”
His gaze softened, and he reached out, his hand brushing against mine. “You’re not alone,” he said, his voice steady. “You never will be.”
For a moment, we stood there, the weight of our decision hanging between us
“Fine,” he said finally, his tone reluctant but resolute. “We’ll use him. But the second he steps out of line, the second he gives me a reason to doubt him..he’s done.”
I nodded. my heart heavy. “Agreed”
Later that night, I sat alone in the nursery, watching the night sky from the room that has already been decorated for my pups that are to be born
10 this world.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. T’m sorry for wanting to bring you into this. For not being able to protect you the way I should.” Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. I had to be strong, for them, for Ramon, for the pack
As I sat there, the decision pressed down on me, suffocating me. Keeping Daniel alive felt like the right choice, but the doubt lingered, gnawing at the edges of my resolve.
What if Ramon was right? What if I was wrong!
“We’ll figure this out,” I whispered, more to myself than to my already exhausted wolf. “We have to.”
