Free Web NovelChapter 171: Chapter 171 The Wolf King Moves
Caesar’s POV
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as I descended the concrete stairs into the basement facility. The scent of fear hit my nostrils before I even reached the bottom step. Good. Fear made men talkative.
I rolled my shoulders, letting my wolf push closer to the surface. The beast was restless tonight, hungry for retribution against anyone who dared target what was mine.
My footsteps echoed against the concrete as I approached the reinforced steel door at the end of the hallway. Dylan stood guard.
"Alpha," he acknowledged with a slight bow of his head. "He’s been secured for two hours now. Getting jumpy."
I nodded, appreciating Dylan’s efficiency. "Any resistance during extraction?"
"Nothing significant. We caught him leaving his apartment, nice and clean." Dylan’s mouth curved into a small smile. "He pissed himself when I told him who wanted to speak with him."
I chuckled darkly. "Let’s not keep him waiting then."
The heavy door swung open with a metallic groan, revealing a sparse room with a single chair bolted to the floor in the center. John sat there, wrists and ankles secured with silver-lined restraints—not enough to burn, just enough to neutralize any werewolf strength.
His head snapped up at my entrance, eyes wide with recognition and mounting terror. The stench of fear intensified, nearly making my wolf purr with satisfaction.
"Mr. Sinclair," I said, my voice deceptively smooth as I circled him. "How the mighty have fallen."
"I don’t understand," John stammered, trying to maintain composure. "There must be some mistake. If this is about the Frostline contract—"
"This is about many things," I interrupted, standing directly before him. "Your business with Frostline is merely the tip of a very dangerous iceberg you’ve decided to sail upon."
I nodded to Dylan, who produced a tablet and displayed bank statements on the screen. John’s face drained of color as he recognized his own financial records.
"Six separate transfers to offshore accounts," I continued. "All traced back to known operatives working against pack interests. Against *my* interests."
John’s eyes widened. "I don’t know what you’re talking—"
Without warning, I let my eyes shift, amber irises bleeding into the deep crimson that only the Wolf King possessed. The color that marked the apex predator of all North American packs.
"Holy shit," John whispered, realization dawning on his face. "You’re him. You’re the—"
"Wolf King," I finished, allowing my voice to drop an octave, laced with the power that made Alphas bow their heads. "And you’ve been conspiring with my enemies while harassing my mate."
His breathing quickened. "Your mate? I don’t—" His eyes widened further. "Sylvia? Sylvia Frost is your mate?"
"Very good," I praised mockingly, beginning another slow circle around his chair. "Now, let’s discuss who’s been pulling your strings."
"Listen, I can explain," John babbled, his earlier arrogance completely evaporated. "I was approached by some guys—businessmen, they said. They offered me significant compensation to make things difficult for certain companies. I didn’t know they were targeting your... your mate."
I stopped behind him, leaning down to speak directly into his ear. "Names."
"I don’t have names," he whimpered. "Everything was handled through proxies. They paid in crypto—untraceable."
I straightened, giving Dylan a slight nod. My Beta stepped forward, tapping something on the tablet. Instantly, images appeared on a wall-mounted screen—surveillance photos of John meeting with several known agitators from the Northwestern territories.
"Try again," I suggested quietly.
John’s face contorted as he realized he was caught. "Look, I can be valuable to you. I have information—connections. Let’s make a deal."
"A deal?" I raised an eyebrow, amused by his audacity.
"I’ll tell you everything I know," he said eagerly, desperation making him sloppy. "I’ll work for you. I can be your inside man. Just let me walk out of here, and I’ll—"
I cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder, squeezing until he winced. "You misunderstand your position, John. You aren’t negotiating. You’re confessing."
With a flick of my wrist, I extended my claws, letting them graze his cheek just enough to draw a thin line of blood.
"You’ve threatened what’s mine," I whispered. "Do you know what happens to wolves who threaten an Alpha’s mate?"
His face twisted with rage, a last desperate attempt to salvage his pride. "Fuck you," he spat. "You think you’re untouchable? There are people working against you that you don’t even—"
I increased the pressure of my Alpha aura gradually, watching as his words choked off, his breathing becoming labored under the crushing weight of my dominance. John’s face had turned an interesting shade of purple as my power pressed down on him. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"You have until midnight to remember every name, every contact, every whisper you’ve heard against me or mine," I said, finally easing back my aura enough for him to breathe. "Dylan will take your statement. If you lie or withhold information, I’ll know. And I’ll return."
I straightened my cuffs and headed toward the door, pausing with my hand on the handle.
"One last thing," I added, not bothering to look back at him. "If you ever so much as think about my mate again, there won’t be enough pieces left of you for your family to bury."
I left the room, satisfied with the broken, terrified scent trailing behind me. Dylan would handle the rest—extracting names, confirming details, ensuring this particular threat was neutralized.
Once outside the facility, I checked my watch. Still enough time to make it home for dinner. I pulled out the small bottle of Acqua di Parma cologne from my pocket and applied a liberal amount. The citrus and woody notes would effectively mask any lingering scent of blood.
The drive home gave me time to transition from Wolf King back to just Caesar—Sylvia’s mate. By the time I pulled into the garage of our penthouse, I had mostly succeeded, though my wolf still prowled beneath the surface, satisfied with the night’s work yet eager to see our mate.
When I entered our home, the unexpected aroma of home cooking hit me. I froze in the entryway, surprised by the domestic scene before me. Sylvia stood in our kitchen, her hair pulled back in a messy bun, wearing an oversized t-shirt and yoga pants as she stirred something on the stove.
She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
"Sivi?" I called, unable to keep the wonder from my voice.
She turned, her face lighting up with a smile that made my chest ache. "You’re home! Perfect timing—dinner’s almost ready."
"You cooked?" I couldn’t hide my surprise as I approached, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind and inhaling her sweet, honeyed scent.
"Don’t sound so shocked," she laughed, leaning back against my chest. "I can follow a recipe when properly motivated."
I pressed my lips to the sensitive spot behind her ear. "And what was your motivation, little wolf?"
"You," she answered simply, turning in my arms to face me. "Everything you do for me, for us. I wanted to do something special to show my appreciation."
The simple sincerity in her words struck me harder than any physical blow. This woman—this fierce, brilliant, loyal woman—was mine. My mate. My equal.
She pressed herself against me, arms circling my neck as she hugged me tightly. The contact was electric, feeding my wolf’s need for connection after the violence and darkness of the interrogation. I felt strength and peace flowing back into me from her touch, as if her embrace could heal wounds I didn’t even know I carried.
"I love you," I said against her hair, the words feeling inadequate for the depth of emotion surging through me. "More than you’ll ever know, Sivi. You’re everything to me."
Her amber eyes met mine, shining with emotion. "I love you too, Caesar."
I couldn’t resist any longer. I captured her lips with mine, one hand cupping her face while the other pulled her flush against me. The kiss deepened, our wolves recognizing each other, the mate bond humming between us with an intensity that still took my breath away.
The food was forgotten as I lifted her onto the counter, standing between her legs as I poured every ounce of my devotion into that kiss.
