Chapter 61

• ALEXIOS
• It took two days to reach Nightshade territory much to my chagrin. Mother chose to follow me and surprisingly so did Fiona. I did want to tell her no. But she was her own person. As much as I knew why she was joining us, I didn't have the heart to stop her. I was convinced she would eventually come around. We were accepted into the almost desolate pack grounds that happened to be Nightshade. My heart thumped as the vehicle I was in slowly carouseled around the maze that was their settlement before eventually stopping in front of a mansion. It was vast in every manner. So much so that it almost rivaled the Rose mansion. In front of the entrance was Vitale, the new Alpha of the Nightshade, and next to him were two elders. One's demeanor was cool as the starry night. The other however looked as blue like a ghost. The whites in his eyes became almost bloodshot at the sight of me. I could hear his heart from the comfort of the car. He was very much afraid and rationally, there were a lot of things he needs to be afraid of. The tributes hadn't come. Not that I care because eventually, I had become bored of torturing the Nightshade pack. My mother had been right. Once Duncan Nightshade was out of the picture, my rage seemed to disintegrate. The same rage I had tried to keep aflame because of Lydia .
• I leaned into my driver and whispered, "I will be stepping out alone. I need the Nightshade to be susceptible in order to get the answers I want and I won't get those answers if they think I am here to start another war. So stay here and protect my family if the need be."