Free Web NovelChapter 175: Chapter 175 Judgment
Sylvia’s POV
I kept my expression carefully neutral, though my heart raced.
"I’m aware of who he is."
Her eyes widened slightly. "You knew? And still you used him as a scapegoat for our troubles?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Do you have any idea what kind of danger you’ve put the Frostfang Pack in? Royal wolves are in a precarious position right now, and you’ve just given the Wolf King reason to wipe us out."
"He won’t," I said with confidence.
"And why not?" she demanded. "Because you’ve been sleeping with him? You think that protects us?"
The knowledge that she knew about my relationship with Caesar startled me, but I refused to show it. "His identity has always been a closely guarded secret."
"You underestimate how quickly secrets travel in our world." She stood again, pacing behind her desk. "The royal bloodlines are watching him closely, waiting for any sign of weakness. And now my daughter has publicly humiliated him."
"I haven’t humiliated him," I argued. "It was a strategic business move that he fully understood and approved."
She stopped pacing to stare at me. "He approved it? Why would he do that?"
I met her gaze steadily. "Because I asked him to. Because I needed to save this company, and he was willing to help."
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What exactly is your relationship with Conrad?"
I lifted my chin. "He’s my mate."
The silence that followed was deafening. My mother’s face went through a series of expressions—shock, disbelief, calculation, and finally, anger.
"Your mate?" she repeated incredulously. "The Wolf King is your mate? And you didn’t think to inform me of this development?"
"Would you have believed me?" I asked quietly. "Or would you have accused me of lying to elevate my status, as you’ve done with everything else I’ve accomplished?" freewёbnoνel.com
She ignored my question. "This changes everything. If you’re truly mated to him, your loyalty must be called into question. Where do your allegiances lie, Sylvia? With your pack or with your... mate?" She spat the last word as if it tasted bitter.
"I don’t see why they have to be mutually exclusive," I replied. "Caesar respects my position in the Frostfang Pack. He has no intention of interfering."
My mother scoffed. "Don’t be naive. He’s the Wolf King. Everything he does is about control and power."
"You don’t know him."
"And you do? After what—a few months? A few passionate nights?" Her voice dripped with condescension. "I’ve been navigating pack politics since before you were born, Sylvia. Men like him don’t share power. They consume it."
I felt my temper rising, my wolf bristling at the insult to our mate. "I know him better than anyone," I said firmly. "And I believe I can help him strengthen his position among the wolves without compromising our pack’s interests."
Her eyes flashed gold—the only indication that her wolf was surging forward. "Listen to yourself! You think you can help the Wolf King? The most powerful Alpha in existence? Your arrogance is astounding."
"It’s not arrogance," I insisted, standing to meet her gaze. "It’s confidence in my abilities—abilities you’ve always overlooked."
"I overlooked nothing," she snapped. "I saw a daughter who consistently put her own desires above pack needs. And now you confirm it by mating with a man who could destroy everything we’ve built if he chose to."
"He wouldn’t—" frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The crack of her palm against my cheek cut off my words. The slap wasn’t hard enough to truly hurt, but the shock of it silenced me momentarily.
"You foolish girl," she hissed. "You’ve forgotten your primary loyalty should be to your pack. Not to some man, no matter how powerful."
My cheek stung, but it was nothing compared to the fire in my chest. I straightened, looking her directly in the eye.
"I have never forgotten my loyalty to this pack," I said, my voice dangerously low. "Everything I’ve done—including accepting a mate you’d disapprove of—has been to strengthen our position. But you’re too blinded by your need for control to see it."
Her face paled, and I noticed her breath coming faster, her hand reaching for the desk to steady herself. For the first time, I saw not just the formidable Alpha, but an aging woman whose health was fragile.
"You may be Alpha now," I continued more softly, "but you won’t be forever. And when that day comes, you’ll need allies, not enemies. Caesar could be our greatest ally—if you’d just see past your prejudice."
"Get out," she whispered, her voice strained. "Get out of my office."
I hesitated, noting how her face had flushed and her breathing had become labored. Concern overrode my anger. "Mother, are you—"
"OUT!" she shouted, her wolf’s power bleeding into the command.
I turned and left, tears pricking at my eyes despite my determination not to cry. As I closed the door, I caught a final glimpse of her—one hand pressed to her chest, gasping for breath, eyes wide with either rage or something more concerning.
Henry was hovering anxiously in the hallway. "Ms. Frost? Is everything alright? I heard shouting."
I composed myself quickly. "Henry, I think Alpha Frost needs her blood pressure medication. The small pills in her desk drawer. Please take them to her, with a glass of water."
His eyes widened in understanding. "Right away."
"And Henry," I added as he turned to go, "don’t tell her it was my suggestion."
He nodded and hurried away while I walked to the elevator, my legs trembling slightly. Only when the doors closed behind me did I allow a single tear to fall.
My mother had never been an easy woman to love, but she was still my mother, still my Alpha. And despite everything, I worried for her.
But I wouldn’t let her dictate my future—or my choice of mate. Caesar and I were bound by something stronger than pack politics, stronger than her disapproval.
As the elevator descended, I straightened my shoulders and wiped away the tear. I was Sylvia Frost, future Alpha of the Frostfang Pack and mate to the Wolf King. I would not be broken by harsh words or a slap.
I had a business to run, a mate to return to, and a future to build. With or without Alpha Astra’s blessing.
