Chapter 92
The sudden, horrific realization clicked into place, reading between the fractured lines of the chaos outside.
Someone had orchestrated an assassination attempt on Christian. A cold sweat broke across Fleur’s skin as she realized Raphael’s sudden arrival at the restaurant had been the only thing that delayed them. If they had left on schedule, she, Christian, and the kids would have been inside that vehicle.
Her heart dropped into a bottomless void. Was the attack meant for her and the children too, simply by virtue of being at the Alpha’s side? A violent shudder ran down her spine.
Doubt clutched at her chest, feeding on her worst fears. Could her children ever truly be safe with the Pack Alpha—a man whose powerful position drew enemies like moths to a flame, surrounded by constant threats of silver, fire, and blood?
The warnings from Lea and Raphael echoed in her mind, fracturing her resolve. Had she made a fatal mistake by bringing her family into Christian’s territory? Was she actively condemning her kids to a life spent looking over their shoulders?
They waited deep within the restaurant’s private sanctuary, ringed by a wall of Christian’s elite pack warriors. Outside, local authorities had arrived alongside a swarm of media and rogue paparazzi, all desperate to broadcast the first gory details of the blast to the public.
Despite the growing frenzy beyond the glass, Christian’s focus never wavered from his family. His primal protective instincts were flared, his aura absolute as he ensured Fleur and the pups were completely shielded from view.
He refused to let the media expose their faces to his rivals. Moving with practiced authority, he signaled Lucas, who promptly brought a secure SUV around to the rear exit to take Lea, Fleur, and the children back to the packhouse.
Christian gently guided Chloe and Gabriel into the back seat, leaning in to buckle their harnesses himself. Chloe looked up at him, her wide, innocent eyes swimming with anxiety.
“Daddy, aren’t you coming with us?” she whispered.
A flicker of raw pain crossed Christian’s features, his deep voice softening. “Not tonight, sweetheart. Daddy has to take care of some business. I’m sorry I have to break my promise to you p>
“It’s okay, Daddy. Don’t be sad. I’ll stay awake for you,” Chloe murmured, trying to offer a brave smile.
Christian pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Don’t stay up too late, my little princess, alright p>
He turned to Gabriel, leaning across to kiss the boy’s brow as well. “Buddy, you’re the man of the house tonight. Look after your mother and Chloe for me while I’m gone. Can you do that p>
Gabriel nodded solemnly, squaring his small shoulders. “I will, Daddy. I’ll keep them safe p>
A faint, bittersweet smile touched Christian’s lips before he turned his gaze to Fleur. The raw terror in her scent and the tightness in her expression were like a knife to his chest. He reached out, his voice a low, fierce vow. “Do not fear. You are all safe under my protection, and I will tear apart anyone who tries to change that p>
“Just come back whole,” Fleur whispered as he stepped back.
When he looked at her one last time, his expression was entirely locked away behind the mask of a ruthless leader. He gave her a single, tight nod before the door clicked shut.
Christian watched the taillights of the SUV vanish into the darkness, a heavy mixture of relief and lingering adrenaline churning in his gut. His wolf growled restlessly, heart still hammering against his ribs at the mere thought of his mate and pups being caught in the inferno.
Even with his security tighter than ever, a catastrophic breach had occurred right under his nose. A dark foreboding settled deep in his chest. How had an explosive device bypassed his guards? The implications were sickening.
“How the hell did this happen, Dallas? Who breached our perimeter?” Christian growled, the deep, lethal vibration of his voice commanding the air as they strode toward the smoking wreckage.
“I’m at a loss, Alpha. The security grid was untouched from the outside,” Dallas replied, his scent spiking with nervous tension. “The call had to come from within. We have a traitor in our ranks p>
“Find them immediately. Every single soul tied to this attack will bleed for it,” Christian promised, his eyes flashing a dangerous, luminescent amber. “Is that understood p>
“Crystal clear, Alpha,” Dallas said, lengthening his stride to keep pace with the furious leader.
They reached the parking lot, met by the grim aftermath of the detonation. Christian’s reinforced limousine was a charred, twisted skeleton of steel, surrounded by shattered glass and the melted frames of neighboring vehicles.
“What about Sam?” Christian asked, his eyes sweeping the debris for scent trails.
“He didn’t make it, Alpha. He was in the driver’s seat checking the ignition when it went off,” Dallas said quietly.
“Dammit!” Christian slammed his fist into a standing concrete pillar, leaving a web of fractures in the stone. Grief blended seamlessly with his burning rage. Sam had been a loyal pack member, a dedicated driver who had served him for years.
“See to it that his family is fully taken care of by the pack funds, and recover what you can from the wreckage,” Christian commanded, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. “He deserves a true warrior’s burial. Give his mate and family whatever they need p>
As he stared at the blackened metal, a brutal clarity washed over him. Fleur and the pups were firmly in the crosshairs of his enemies solely because of their bond to him. He was a beacon for violence, and keeping them close meant dragging them into a never-ending war. If they stayed by his side, they would never know peace; they would only know the scent of gunpowder and silver.
He loved them enough to let his own soul burn. To keep them safe, to give them a normal, peaceful life, he would have to distance himself. The realization tore at his wolf, an agony worse than a silver blade through the heart, but he would endure it to keep them alive.
“Alpha, we have the rat,” Dallas’s voice shattered the oppressive silence, pulling Christian back from the brink of his thoughts.
Christian turned slowly, his gaze locking onto his subordinate, eyes entirely consumed by a predatory darkness. “Where p>
“The guards dragged him down to the packhouse dungeons,” Dallas answered smoothly.
“Let’s go,” Christian gritted out, the air around him freezing with lethal intent. “There is one more death on tonight’s agenda p>