Chapter 71: Bloodied
Dorian stormed into the dungeon. His boots struck the cold stone floor with a force that echoed through the underground prison. He had been fuming all night, and now he was on the verge of exploding.
"You were touching yourself to the Alpha’s woman?!" His voice thundered through the dungeon. "And not just any woman...Ava?! The Alpha’s woman?!"
Kade sat there, bloodied and battered, chained to the wall. The silver cuffs burned against his wrists, but his wounds were already healing. Still, his head hung low, shame and exhaustion weighing him down.
"Dad, I... I’m sorry," Kade croaked, voice hoarse, barely above a whisper. He swallowed hard. "I couldn’t help myself. She was in heat. She had just been marked."
"The Alpha marked Ava?" His voice came out strangled.
Kade scoffed weakly, lifting his bruised face to look at his father with dark amusement. "Thank you for the concern, Dad. I see what’s truly important to you," he muttered bitterly. His lip was split, his left eye swollen, but the sarcasm in his voice was sharp as ever. "Not that your son is beaten half to death in the Alpha’s dungeon, oh no. The real tragedy here is that Lucas finally marked Ava."
Dorian ignored the jab. His mind was still reeling. He gritted his teeth. "You really think Ava is good for the Alpha? That doesn’t bother you?"
"Yes," Kade admitted, his voice firm despite his bruises. "As much as it hurts me to say it, yes." He exhaled sharply. "Can’t you see what she’s done? The Alpha Raventhorn we once knew would’ve ripped my head off in one swipe, no questions asked. But he didn’t. He showed mercy, Dad."
Dorian’s jaw tightened. "Shut up and stop being a child. Mercy makes us weak."
"No, you stop being blind," Kade shot back. "This pack has lived in fear for years. Everyone tiptoes around Lucas, afraid that the slightest mistake will get them killed. But ever since Ava came, he’s changing. He’s calmer. He’s better." Kade clenched his fists. "He’s becoming the Alpha we need."
Dorian snorted. "Need? This pack gets its strength from our Alpha. Every other pack fears us because of him. That’s what keeps us protected."