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Chapter 186
Darius
“We were best friends,” he started, and I knew he was speaking more to relieve himself, but I was silent.
“I promised her we would always be together. It would be us against the world. I broke my promise and let another woman into our lives. I still can’t forgive myself or let it go.” He said and looked at me.
“The day she gave herself up to be taken by your men, she was hurt that I took precautions with her and got Lori pregnant. The hurt was so profound that I still have nightmares about it. She gave up on me that day. She refused to fight. She chose captivity over surviving with me,” he said, and I knew it would always haunt him.
He wiped away his tears and looked at me.
“Thank you for giving her everything that I couldn’t. I know she is happy I can see it. I am not against your love. I am glad you two have been matched by fate. I also know you will care for her, but I can never get over what I did. I have tried. I won’t lie to you, Darius. I love Zora, and there is no day that I would stop loving her, but I have accepted that she is no longer mine in this lifetime,” he said, and I knew he had spoken his peace.
Hardy, on the other hand, was silent, and I knew it would be easier for him to let Zora go because, other than the bond, they had no history together.
There was silence in the booth for some minutes before Hardy finally spoke up.
“Why are we having this meeting?” He asked, and I cleared my throat to
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I told him everything that had been happening, starting from the attack on Brighton. I also told him about Ramsey and what has happened till now.
I held back Gezel’s and Liam’s names but spoke of the rest. I could not give them all the information I had just in case they betrayed me.
“This is extreme,” Hardy said, a bit shocked at what I had told him.
“Scrap the council,” he said, and I shook my head.
“I wished it was that easy. I am a lord, not a king. They are all noble families, and each noble family owns a seat. Besides, this thing is moving farther away from the council and pointing at an organisation fighting for democracy,” I said, and Hardy shook his head.
“A democracy that waters down all our relevance as region heads, destroys the monarchy and puts the council in charge,” he pointed out and putting it that way didn’t make it seem like the council.
“It can’t be all the council, or they would have succeeded. Maybe one or two people. But the real threat isn’t from the council,” I said, and Casey
shook his head.
“Sometimes the threat is obvious,” He said, and I nodded.
“I need to be sure. I could lose my power if I prosecute the wrong council member without proof. It is a very difficult situation for me.
The reason I am talking to you two is that I need help. They have tried to cause you two to come against me already. I want us to work together to snuff these people out. Control your respective regions and do not go to war against each other.
We have to limit their choices and detect their moves to catch them,” I said, and Hardy and Casey understood what I meant.
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“I think you should give a sanction to back Casey up so they can arrest Ramsey,” Hardy said, and Casey shook his head.
“I want to watch him. He might be a pawn or might be playing at something else entirely. Let us not limit our resources. The man has damaged the cast already. If you did not send the people who joined you back to me, the east would have been in shambles. We almost went to war, Hardy, remember?” Casey said, and I realised they were suffering almost the same as me.
“War?” I asked, and Casey nodded.
“When some eastern Alphas joined with Hardy, they said Hardy would attack me to take the rest of the east by force, so he could build an army to march to the north. We would have been at war if I had not decided to have a peaceful conversation with Hardy,” Casey said, and Hardy cleared
his throat.
“I know this might be hard, Casey, but you should send Lori back to her father’s house. The man wanted her in your home for a reason, and knowing all that he had done so far, she might be in on it too,” Hardy told Casey what I was uncomfortable telling him.
Casey looked reluctant, but his eyes showed he was thinking the same thing.
“I will work with you, Hand. If Zora’s life is in danger, I will work with you, but I will advise you to be open with us so we won’t be walking blind. I know you withheld some information because you are too smart to share everything with us on our first sitting. I will do the same, but I hope we cross that bridge eventually. All I want is peace in our world and for everyone to mind their regions while you keep us safe and stabilise our world. Really that is all I want, and I hope we can achieve that,” he said, and I heard the sincerity in his voice.
We stood up, and we exchanged handshakes. Promising to stay in touch
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I was worried about Casey the most and hoped he would have the heart to control his wolf and send Lori to her father.
I knew what the bond was like, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to send Zora away like that.
While I went to join Marcel and Raphael where they were handling the card matter, I heard Vino’s voice in my head.
“Lord Hand, I would like to see you briefly,” he said, and I wondered what it was about.
I wondered what Vino wanted to discuss with me. The guy honestly gave me the creeps, but I knew I needed to be polite, so far, he had sided with me most of the time during the council hearings, and he had let Zora get away with a lot. The least I could do was hear him out.
