<b>Chapter </b><b>170 </b>


    Conrad POV


    I am on my back on the ground, holding her above her as she tries to rip into me with her teeth. We both freeze when we hear the voice.


    1 look up and see Mary standing as if the sight before her doesn’t bother her at all. She stands still with a te covered in a closh. Lewana turns to her and starts snapping at her, too. But she doesn’t flinch.


    “Don’t you DARE defend him. He is a liar and an idiot“.


    “Of course, he is dear. Most men are. I bet Serena is getting hungry after all that work. I have a rav steak for her“.


    She pulls the lid off, revealing arge raw steak, and Lewana runs for it. She tears into it as if she were starving. Her anger then turns on Mary.


    “You lied to me, too. Why is he not eating with you?“.


    “We had a fight when you left. I had been hiding some of my past from him, and he was upset when he found out“.


    She starts growling at Mary, but she remains unfazed.


    “You kept them from me to“.


    “To protect you, dear. Yes, I did. Did the moon goddess even tell you about the protective order?“.


    “They’re all dead“.”


    Mary just smiles and takes her hand. “All but one dear. I was fully trained but was too young to take my vow“.


    A light switch in Lewana instantly, and she starts crying. Between sobs, she is still taking bites of that steak as Mary rubs her back.


    “Why don’t <b>we </b>go into the kitchen and have a nice cup of tea with your steak? I even have some peanut butter cookies I can make ice cream sandwiches with“.


    She silently nods and gets up. She pauses and turns back around to me.


    “I’m still mad <b>at </b>you. Until you tell me you can sleep in the damn forest<b>“</b><b>. </b>


    She then <b>disappears </b>into the kitchen.


    1 let out a sigh of relief and lie down t on the floor. All the staff started moving about again after they took cover.


    Arthures and stands over me and looks down.


    “Were you really stupid enough to tell a pregnant Alpha she was overreacting?“.


    There is a gasp as some of the other she wolves hear that. I can’t believe I was that big of an idiot.


    I sit up and look at the old man. “What the hell do I do now?“.


    “Well, I have no idea. But Mary clearly does. If only you were still talking to her.


    He walks off and goes into the kitchen to follow Mary and Lewana.


    I see Liam at the top of the stairs. He just shakes his head and walks off.


    I have been trying to keep everything together that I haven’t even realized it’s me who has fallen apart and been pushed out.


    I start to run out the door and remove my clothes. I need to run.


    I only notice when I shift to Jace that I have been ignoring him, too. I open up our connection fully, and he instantlyys into me.


    “About time youplete shithead“.


    “Fine. Lay into me as well. I’m well aware I fucked up“.


    “You think you just fucked up. You have destroyed everything we hold dear. You have ignored your wolf and my instincts and have sopletely lost your way over thest two months, you can’t even lead a pack, let alone be Alpha King“.


    “That’s not my fault. It was the shadows“.


    Jace pauses and goes quiet.


    “The shadows did possess you. The shadows used the opportunity to move into your fractured soul when she was taken from us, but they didn’t make you do anything“.


    I paused. Those words turned my blood to ice and twisted my stomach in knots. I stopped running and listened intently because it had to be their fault.


    <b>“</b><b>Jace</b><b>, </b>what do you mean<b>?</b>“.


    <b>“</b>Moonlight will know more about it, but they <b>can’t </b>create conflict. They only exacerbate it.


    “I don’t understand“.


    “You had a fight with Mary, right. The shadows would have exacerbated your feelings, but they <b>didn’t </b>create them. You know you hold resentment towards Mary. They targeted that, but the resentment is yours. And don’t deny it with me. I literally live in your head“.


    I start frantically shaking my head. He has to be lying.


    “That’s not true. I love Lewana more than anything. I have nothing but love for her“.


    “But you don’t trust her“.


    “I do“.


    He snaps me. “Then why didn’t you trust her toe back? She always promises. You should have known that she would do everything toe back“.


    “She never should have been taken. It’s my job to protect her. It’s my job to care for her. It was my job to save her“.


    “Will you stop with the masculine Alpha bullshit for a minute and look at this rationally. Yes, we are awesome. We have great power, are great fighters, and have a billion–dor empire. You think that pales inparison to the blessed rogue lycan badass boxing champion, with three ck belts and amazing sniper skills. She doesn’t need our protection. She needs us to have her back and listen, you moron“.


    He blocks our mental connection but keeps us in his form. I run around the woods for hours and just think about what he said. I eventually make it to the ridge. I stare out over the water.


    I have always tried to fix problems rather than acknowledge them. I always n around things in my way rather than address the obstacle. As the leader of so much, I have always paved the way alone and taken on every battle.


    I think back to my military days and remember Liam always by my side. My brother, who won’t even call me by my name anymore. He always defended me. He was always there. I know I resent him. I always have, but have never told him.


    I lie down and look at the stars as the moon starts to rise. Lewana did say I should sleep in the forest tonight. Might as well<b>, </b>tomorrow is going to suck.