Free Web NovelChapter 86: Chapter 86
Harold’s POV
I sat alone in my office, staring at the whiskey in my glass like it held answers.
It didn’t.
The council hearing had been a disaster. Christian won. Again. Sophie’s sanctuary decision was upheld. Again. Tom was humiliated. Again.
I downed the whiskey in one burning gulp.
Decades. I’d spent decades building Shadow Ridge into what it was. I’d made the hard decisions. I’d eliminated the weak. I’d created a pack that other Alphas feared and respected.
And my son—my pathetic, soft-hearted son—was destroying everything I’d built.
The door opened without a knock. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.
"You look like someone who just lost everything," Vanessa said, her voice smooth as silk and twice as dangerous.
"I didn’t lose," I said, pouring another drink. "This is temporary."
"Is it?" Vanessa settled into the chair across from my desk, crossing her legs elegantly. "Because from where I’m sitting, you’ve lost two challenges, a council hearing, and your pack’s respect."
My hand tightened on the glass. "What do you want, Vanessa?" ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"The same thing you want." She leaned forward. "Christian’s gone. Sophie destroyed. Shadow Ridge in ruins."
I finally looked at her. Really looked at her. Vanessa was beautiful in that predatory way that made men stupid. But I wasn’t stupid. I’d been corresponding with her for weeks, feeling out whether we had common interests.
Apparently, we did.
"I underestimated them," I admitted. "Christian and Sophie together are stronger than I anticipated."
"So stop fighting them together." Vanessa’s smile was cold. "Divide and conquer. It’s a basic strategy."
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. Tom’s name flashed on the screen.
"Perfect timing," I muttered, answering. "Get to my office. Now."
Tom arrived twenty minutes later, looking like hell. The bond rejection had done a number on him—pale, shaking, eyes wild with pain and rage.
"Drink?" I offered.
"I want Sophie to suffer," Tom said instead of answering. "I want her to feel what I felt. I want—"
"We know what you want," Vanessa interrupted. "The question is, are you willing to do what it takes?"
Tom’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
"Someone who wants Christian dead as much as you want Sophie broken." Vanessa gestured to the empty chair. "Sit. We have plans to make."
Tom sat, still looking suspicious but desperate enough not to care.
I poured drinks for all three of us. "A toast. To our enemies’ downfall."
We drank.
"Here’s what I’m proposing," I said, spreading a map of Shadow Ridge territory across my desk. "An alliance. The three of us working together have resources Christian can’t match."
"What kind of resources?" Tom asked.
Vanessa pulled out her phone, showing photos of wolves I didn’t recognize. "I’ve been recruiting rogues for months. Thirty so far, all trained, all willing to fight for the right price."
My eyebrows rose. "That’s a small army."
"Exactly." Vanessa’s smile widened. "Harold brings insider knowledge of Shadow Ridge’s defenses. Tom brings motivation and financial resources. I bring the muscle."
"And what do we each get out of this?" Tom demanded.
"I get my pack back," I said simply. "Christian steps down—permanently."
"I get Sophie," Tom said immediately. "Alive. I want her alive."
Vanessa and I exchanged looks.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because killing her is too easy." Tom’s expression was twisted. "I want to break her. Make her my mate. Make her suffer every day for what she did to me."
Vanessa laughed. "You’re more twisted than I thought. I like it."
"And you?" I asked Vanessa. "What’s your endgame?"
Vanessa stood, walking to the window that overlooked Shadow Ridge territory. Her expression shifted from calculated to something darker.
"I want Christian dead," Vanessa said quietly. "And not just Christian. I want the entire Knight pack legacy destroyed. Erased. Like it never existed."
Tom and I looked at each other, confused.
"That seems excessive," I said carefully.
Vanessa turned back to us, and for the first time, I saw real emotion in her eyes. Hatred. Pure, burning hatred.
"My father challenged Christian’s grandfather thirty years ago," Vanessa said. "He lost. He was killed in front of our entire pack. Christian’s grandfather didn’t just kill him—he humiliated him. Made him beg. Made my mother watch."
I stayed silent. I remembered that challenge. It had been brutal.
"After my father died, we were banished," Vanessa continued. "Stripped of our pack status. My family became rogues. My mother died within a year from the shame. I was twelve years old, Harold. Twelve. And I watched the Knight family destroy everything I had."
"So this is revenge," Tom said.
"This is justice." Vanessa’s voice was ice. "I’ve spent eighteen years planning this. Infiltrating packs. Gathering intelligence. Learning Christian’s weaknesses. And now, finally, I have the opportunity to end the Knight bloodline."
I processed that. Vanessa wasn’t just dangerous—she was obsessed. Which made her either the perfect ally or a massive liability.
"If we do this," I said slowly, "we need a solid plan. No more failed challenges. No more council hearings. We hit them hard, fast, and permanently."
"Agreed." Vanessa pulled out more documents. "I’ve been planning a coordinated attack. Multiple entry points. Overwhelming force. We strike when they least expect it."
Tom leaned forward, studying the plans. "You want to kill Christian in the attack?"
"Christian, Marcus, Connor—anyone who stands with them." Vanessa’s expression was merciless. "We burn Shadow Ridge to the ground."
"That will kill innocents," I said. "Pack members who have nothing to do with this." freёwebnovel.com
Vanessa shrugged. "Collateral damage. If you’re not willing to make sacrifices, Harold, then you’ve already lost."
I wanted to argue. But she was right. I’d lost because I’d played by the rules. Because I’d tried to maintain some semblance of honor.
Maybe honor was overrated.
"Fine," I said. "We do this your way. But I want assurances. After Christian falls, I reclaim the Alpha title. That’s non-negotiable."
"Of course." Vanessa smiled. "You’ll be Alpha of whatever’s left."
Something about how she said that bothered me, but I pushed it aside.
Tom was practically vibrating with anticipation. "When do we strike?"
"Soon," Vanessa said. "Christian’s preparing for something—increased patrols, more training. He suspects an attack is coming."
"How do you know that?" I asked.
