Chapter 417 Unexpected Allies

Author’s pov

Tang stood frozen for a moment, his chest rising and falling in uneven rhythm, the last traces of lethal energy still clinging to his skin like static after a storm.

At the sound of their concerned voices, the sharp edge in his eyes dulled, and the tension slowly drained from his shoulders.

“I’m fine,” he said flatly, his voice low but clipped, the kind of tone that made everyone hesitate to press further.

Cecilia pointed at the crimson stains on his clothes, her finger shaking. “Then whose blood is that?”

“Someone else’s,” Tang replied, his face carefully blank.

Only the tightness around his jaw betrayed the lie he clearly didn’t want to explain.

“Thank the goddess,” Cecilia breathed out, pressing a hand to her chest. “What about the two guards protecting my grandmother? Are they alright?”

A flicker of darkness crossed Tang’s eyes, but his tone stayed deliberately calm. “Nothing serious. They’re injured, but not fatally. They’ll need time to recover, that’s all.”

Cecilia caught the hesitation in his words and opened her mouth to question him again, but Alpha Sebastian ’s voice cut through the air.

“Tang.”

Though Alpha Sebastian’s tone wasn’t harsh, the authority in it was unmistakable.

The sound seemed to pull Tang upright like a string had been yanked.

“Alpha Sebastian,” Tang answered at once, turning toward his Alpha.

His shoulders squared, every muscle taut with restrained fear and loyalty.

He looked like a soldier expecting a verdict.

Before Alpha Sebastian could speak, Cecilia stepped forward suddenly.

Her expression was fierce and protective, planting herself between them like a barrier of sheer will.

“I told Tang to follow my instructions. If anyone deserves blame, it’s me. Those guards were in Colorado Springs because of my family. None of this is their fault.”

She lifted her chin, defiant. “If you need to punish someone, punish me. I’ll take it.”

For a second, Alpha Sebastian looked almost surprised by her boldness. Then his expression softened with mild exasperation.

“I’m not going to punish him,” he said evenly. “I was telling him to go upstairs and clean up.”

The tension snapped like a brittle thread.

Relief flashed across Tang’s face.

Without another word, he hurried toward the stairs, his steps quick, almost desperate to escape the spotlight.

The faint scent of iron still lingered in his wake.

The room slowly settled.

Zaria and York, seeing that both Alpha Sebastian and Cecilia were safe, said goodnight and went upstairs.

Alpha Sebastian stayed behind to handle the aftermath.

Through the pack’s mental link, he checked on the injured guards and arranged for a helicopter to take them back to Denver for treatment.

Once everything was under control, he turned back to Cecilia.

“They’re badly hurt but out of danger,” he said. “I’ve sent our best doctors and doubled the watch around your parents. You don’t need to worry.”

Cecilia nodded, finally letting herself breathe. Her shoulders sagged, and the fight in her eyes softened into weary gratitude.

About half an hour later, Tang came back downstairs, showered and dressed in clean clothes.

The hard lines of his face had eased, but exhaustion hung over him like a shadow.

When he learned they were waiting for Harper, he quietly joined them.

By then, exhaustion was pulling Cecilia under.

Her head kept nodding against Alpha Sebastian ’s shoulder.

He gently guided her to lie down, resting her head on his lap and draping his jacket over her.

Just as he reached for his phone to call Alpha Xavier and demand Harper’s return, the front door swung open.

Three figures stepped inside, not two.

Cassian, who was facing the entrance, suddenly straightened in his seat, momentarily lost for words.

They had been expecting Harper—but the first person to step through the door was Alpha Xavier, with Harper walking beside him… and Alpha Gavin following close behind.

Cecilia was still asleep, her breathing calm and even, oblivious to the storm that had just walked in.

The faint rise and fall of her chest was the only softness in an atmosphere that had turned brittle.

The instant Alpha Xavier saw her resting on Sebastian’s lap, something in him snapped. His jaw clenched so hard the muscle twitched, and his eyes flashed with outrage.

“Cecilia! Have you completely lost your sense of propriety?” he roared, his voice cracking through the quiet like thunder splitting a night sky.

The sound hit the walls and bounced back, startling everyone.

Cecilia jerked awake, heart pounding.

For a split second, she thought she must be dreaming.

Alpha Sebastian placed a steady hand on her head.

“You’re safe,” he murmured. “Go back to sleep.”

Then he turned to Alpha Xavier, his eyes darkening as his Alpha presence surged outward, invisible but undeniable.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees.

“Lower your voice,” he said, each word sharp with warning.

The two Alphas locked eyes, the weight of their power pressing against the room like opposing tides.

Cassian instinctively straightened further, ready to intervene if things went sideways.

The vein pulsing at Alpha Xavier’s temple stood out clearly.

He drew in a sharp breath through his nose, visibly restraining himself, but the fury didn’t fade from his gaze.

Now fully awake, Cecilia realized it wasn’t a dream.

She straightened, shoulders squared, though she stayed close to Alpha Sebastian’s side—ready, but unafraid.

Harper hurried over to her, sliding onto the couch with a worried look, while Alpha Xavier and Alpha Gavin took seats without waiting for an invitation.

Alpha Sebastian glanced at the three of them, his expression calm but assessing.

“How did the three of you end up together?”

Harper leaned forward, unable to hold back.

“I saw Luna Dora sneaking around the Locke family garden,” she explained quickly. “She went inside a building, and when she came out, she looked… different.

Nervous. She was making a call, waving her hands, and I swear I heard her say Cici’s name.”

Her eyes gleamed with restless energy as she spoke. “I didn’t have a car, and you’d been called away by Martha, so I had to improvise.

The enemy of my enemy can be a temporary ally, right? So I asked Alpha Xavier for help.”