Free Web NovelChapter 223: Chapter 223 Wolf Woke
Sylvia’s POV
The three wolves charged toward us. Caesar, despite his injury, moved with lethal precision to intercept the first two. I faced the third—a hulking beta with razor-sharp claws extended.
"Sorry, sweetheart," he growled. "Nothing personal."
My lips curled into a cold smile. "Oh, it’s entirely personal now."
As he lunged, I dropped into the fighting stance that generations of Frostfang Alphas had perfected. Charna’s strength flowed through my veins as I sidestepped his attack, using his momentum against him. With a fluid movement, I drove the tranquilizer into his neck, depressing the plunger.
His eyes widened in shock, both at the injection and at the skill with which I’d outmaneuvered him. Within seconds, his movements became sluggish.
"What... what are you?" he slurred before collapsing face-first into the snow.
I turned to see Caesar dispatch one of his opponents with brutal efficiency, his injured arm not hampering his deadly grace. The second wolf lay motionless nearby. William was attempting to retreat, clutching his broken arm. freёwebnovel.com
"Going somewhere?" I called out, stalking toward him with predatory focus.
William’s face contorted with hatred. "You’re supposed to be weak! You’re just his mate, not—"
"Not what?" I interrupted, allowing Charna to surface enough that my eyes blazed with their natural Alpha gold. "Not an Alpha myself? Poor intelligence work, William."
His face paled, the last vestiges of arrogance draining away as horrifying understanding dawned. "Your... your wolf is restored," he whispered, a tremor in his voice. "How is this possible?"
I didn’t bother confirming what he already knew. Instead, I closed the distance between us, tranquilizer in hand. "For someone plotting to overthrow the Wolf King, you really should have done better research."
William attempted to shift fully to his wolf form—a desperate last attempt to escape—but the pain of his broken arm disrupted his concentration. Before he could recover, I had the needle at his throat.
"This won’t kill you," I told him coldly. "But you’ll wish it had when you face the council."
As the sedative took effect, William’s eyes remained fixed on Caesar, who had moved to stand beside me.
Then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
I turned to Caesar, my attention immediately drawn to his injured arm where the silver had burned a vicious wound. "We need to treat that," I said, reaching for him.
Caesar caught my hand, his eyes intense as they searched my face. "You’re hurt too."
I glanced down at the tear in my jacket where William’s blade had grazed me. "It’s nothing. But silver burns need immediate attention."
"Later," Caesar said firmly, his gaze shifting to the unconscious William. "First, we secure him and find his evidence."
Dylan and the security team emerged from their positions, quickly taking William and his unconscious men into custody. Noah’s team reported that the perimeter remained secure—William’s backup had been limited to the three wolves we’d already neutralized.
Caesar directed his men to search the old mine office where William had established his temporary base of operations. I followed, refusing to leave Caesar’s side despite his protests about my safety.
"I can handle myself," I reminded him, gesturing to the unconscious Beta I’d taken down. "Or did you miss that demonstration?"
A ghost of a smile touched Caesar’s lips. "I didn’t miss it. I’m simply concerned about the wound William gave you."
"It barely broke the skin," I assured him. "Your arm, however—"
"Will heal," he interrupted, though we both knew silver wounds healed far slower than normal injuries. "After we finish here." freewebnøvel.coɱ
Inside the abandoned mine office, Caesar’s team worked efficiently, breaking into William’s laptop and accessing his files. What they found confirmed everything we’d suspected and more—detailed plans for attacking Caesar’s territories, financial records showing payments to spies within multiple allied packs, and most disturbing of all, correspondence with human hunters.
"He was going to expose us," Dylan said, his voice tight with anger as he handed Caesar a printed agreement. "He made deals with hunter groups, promising them access to certain territories in exchange for their help removing you."
Caesar’s expression darkened as he read the document. "He would have started a war."
"Power corrupts," Caesar said quietly, "and William always wanted more than he had."
As the team continued gathering evidence, Caesar stepped outside for a moment. I followed him, concerned about his injury. In the moonlight, I could see the silver burn more clearly—an angry, blistering wound that had to be causing him immense pain, though his face revealed nothing.
"Let me see," I insisted, gently taking his arm.
Caesar allowed me to examine the wound, his eyes never leaving my face. "You were magnificent," he said softly. "Fighting alongside me. I’ve never seen anything like it."
I felt heat rise to my cheeks despite the freezing temperature. "I told you I could handle myself."
"So you did." His uninjured hand came up to cup my face, thumb brushing across my cheek. "I should have trusted that from the beginning."
Before I could respond, Dylan approached with William in tow, now conscious but subdued, his hands bound with silver-lined cuffs. The traitor’s eyes burned with hatred as they moved between Caesar and me.
"What will you do with him?" I asked quietly.
Caesar’s expression was cold as he regarded his former friend. "Justice must be served, but not by my hand alone." He turned to face William fully. "I won’t allow your actions to harm innocent members of your pack. Helena will be banished from North America," he pronounced, his voice carrying the weight of the Wolf King’s authority. "And you will face judgment before the council of Alphas from all territories."
William’s laugh was hollow. "They’ll never convict me. Half of them secretly agree with me."
"Then let them say so publicly," Caesar replied evenly. "Let them stand before their packs and declare they would risk exposure and war rather than peaceful coexistence."
William’s confidence faltered slightly. We all knew that few Alphas would dare take such a stance openly, whatever their private opinions might be.
"Take him away," Caesar ordered, and Dylan led William toward the waiting vehicles.
When we were alone again, Caesar turned to me, his stoic facade finally showing cracks of exhaustion and pain. "You should never have been in danger," he said, guilt evident in his voice. "I tried to keep you away from all this."
"That wasn’t your decision to make," I replied firmly. "I’m not some delicate flower to be protected, Caesar. I’m an Alpha in my own right, and more importantly, I’m your mate. Your battles are mine."
Something shifted in his expression—a tension releasing, a burden lifting. He pulled me close with his good arm, pressing his forehead against mine. "Yes," he whispered. "You are."
"Now," I agreed, gently tugging him toward the waiting cars. "let’s get that arm treated before the silver causes permanent damage. The Wolf King needs both hands to rule his kingdom... and to hold his queen."
Caesar’s eyes darkened at my words.
