Chapter 305
Chapter 305:
The voice came from the doorway. Vance Decker, the Blackwood Gamma, filled the frame like a boulder — arms crossed over his massive chest, expression thunderous. “Alpha Marshall’s orders were clear. You are not to be within breathing distance of that man p>
“I need to do this, Vance,” I said, standing up. “I need to look him in the eye and end it. Not for him. For me p>
“Too dangerous,” Vance grunted, stepping forward to block my path. “He’s unstable. A desperate Alpha is unpredictable p>
I didn’t back down. Instead, I straightened my spine, letting a fraction of the authority Dallas had awakened in me seep into my voice. “This isn’t a request, Gamma Decker. It’s a notification p>
T𝗁е 𝘣е𝘴𝗍 𝗋е𝖺𝗱i𝘯g eхp𝗲𝗿𝗶e𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻
Vance blinked, taken aback.
“I’m not walking in there blind,” I continued, my voice steady and cold. “We take the Pierre. I want the entire terrace floor secured — lock down the elevators and the stairwells. Put two warriors in plain clothes at the bar, and you stay on comms in the lobby. I give him fifteen minutes. If I say the word ‘Moonflower,’ or if I don’t walk out in sixteen, you storm the place p>
Vance stared at me, jaw slightly slack. He glanced at Duncan, who offered a small, knowing shrug. The Gamma’s posture shifted, defiance melting into professional acknowledgment.
“Moonflower,” Vance repeated, testing the word. He nodded once — sharp and military. “I’ll have the team ready in twenty p>
The terrace at The Pierre Hotel was bathed in the bleeding colors of twilight. The city sprawled below us like a grid of gold and grey, but the air up here was thin and cold.
Braydon stood by the stone railing, a glass of scotch in his hand. He looked worse than he had last night. His suit was fresh, but his eyes were hollow, rimmed with the red of sleeplessness and whiskey.
“You came,” he said, turning to face me. He tried to smile, but it looked like a grimace. “I knew you would. You always had a soft heart, Adella p>
“I have fifteen minutes, Braydon,” I said, stopping well out of arm’s reach. “Say what you need to say p>
He flinched at my tone. “I wanted to explain. About the estate. I was trying to protect you. Dallas doesn’t know you like I do. He doesn’t know how fragile you are p>
“I’m not fragile,” I said quietly. “I was broken. There is a difference. And you liked me broken, didn’t you p>
He set his glass down on the patio table with a clatter. “I loved you! I defied my father for you p>
“You didn’t love me, Braydon,” I cut him off, my voice rising just enough to carry over the wind. “You loved the broken, wolfless girl who needed you. You needed my weakness to feel like an Alpha — because deep down, you knew you weren’t strong enough to lead on your own p>
“Shut up!” Braydon roared, sweeping the glass off the table. It shattered against the stone floor, shards of crystal exploding outward.
He lunged forward, closing the distance between us, and grabbed my wrist. His grip was bruising. “Don’t you dare speak to me like that. I am still an Alpha p>