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Chapter 73
Casey’s POV
When Dustin rushed to enter my office, I was sitting on my chair. It seemed that he ran from his home to the office. Since I already asked him to take a week off because his mate just gave birth to his pup, I realized that whatever issue he might bring with him to my office was definitely very important.
“The north had already dispatched their delegates. They already passed Hill Valley. Now, they’re coming here, Alpha. Those delegates told us that it was the Dark Lord who dispatched them,” Dustin reported to me in an anxious tone, making me know the reason why he rushed to enter my office.
Ever since Darius managed to overtake our pack and took most of our she–wolves as his trophies, we had been waiting for the Dark Lord to bring his people. Initially, I thought that he already thought again because nothing had happened as the time went by. It seemed I was wrong to believe in that.
“Are they officials?” I asked Dustin who quickly nodded as a
response.
“Marlo told us that these officials looked as if they were prepared to fight. It seems that the north is thinking that we‘ re probably going against whatever news they’ll bring here. That’s why they’re ready to use violence if they have to,” Dustin continued on his report, sounding clearly anxious about what he said.
I couldn’t help but wonder what Darius wanted more from me.
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After all, that man already took everything from me. So, what else did he want to get from me? As I sat in my office, I asked Dastin to go home just in case my encounter with the delegates from the north had turned into a battle. This way, my Beta wouldn’t be involved in it.
“I’ll never leave you to face those assholes alone. Cruz’s action to us is obviously inexcusable. It was him who sparked Darius‘ interest in the east,” my Beta complained angrily.
Both of us were sitting there as we couldn’t help but fear what would happen to us. Not long after, those delegates from the north eventually came to my office. Immediately, I tried to offer them to sit down in my office. However, they didn’t look like they wanted to stay for long. It made me not even try to ask them. Instead, I just let them talk to the point.
“Alpha Casey, my name is Bryce Golubev. I’m the lead enforcer for the Northern Council. In fact, I was chosen and approved by the Dark Lord, Darius Hand, himself,” Bryce Golubev proudly introduced himself.
When I heard him, I just nodded and greeted that man respectfully. Still, I wondered why a lead enforcer would be dispatched to me. The fact really disturbed me.
“We’re here under the order of the Northern Council led by the Dark Lord himself to get the expanding tax from the east region,” he told the reason he was here.
The moment I heard him, I couldn’t help but frown. After all, I had no idea what he was talking about.
“What taxes are you talking about?” I asked Bryce, he then showed me a document that had the Dark Lord’s seal on it. “Why do we have to pay these taxes?” I asked this man again.
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“This tax is imposed on the regions that are under the Dark Lord now. Well, the east has been defeated by the north,” he calmly replied as he rose from his seat.
“I’m not here to have some sweet talk, Alpha Casey. I’ll go back in a week to get the taxes. Please give us what’s available here,” the man then said before he and the other delegates excused themselves.
Obviously, I felt offended. Darius seemed to test how patient I could be. While I might be unresisting and hated war, this was still too much. First, that man took my wife from me. Now, he imposed this tax on me. There was only so much a man could actually bear. Even though I was still broken hearted over how I lost my Luna, the Dark Lord dared to do this to me. How much further he wanted to destroy me? It seemed that Hardy was indeed right about Darius who acted like a bully.
“What should we do, Alpha?” Dustin asked me, but I could only sigh.
“We must hold a meeting. It seems that it’s time to have a serious discussion with our people to get their opinions about what I should do. There’s no way I’m paying that goddamn expanding tax to give to the north,” I responded, making my Beta sigh.
“I propose to you that you’d better talk to the Dark Lord, Alpha, before you make a hurried decision. I don’t want us to make any mistake,” Dustin told me, which made me frown at
him
“After all, the Dark Lord didn’t attack us when both Hardy and Shepherd attacked the north. It might be that the Northern council was the one who tried to abuse their power. Let’s be
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more careful. Instead of sending a letter, I think you should talk to the Dark Lord directly this time. Then, we can choose what we must do from his response,” my Beta explained to me that made me know that he was right.
I couldn’t help but hit my head for being too rash. It seemed that I was still troubled over the fact that Darius was now in a relationship with Zora. That fact made me respond rashly.
“Excellent, get me his office number. Tomorrow, I’ll call him to ask him directly from him or anyone in charge,” I informed Dustin who quickly nodded.
The one thing that made me thankful was the fact that Bryce who became the lead enforcer didn’t choose to attack me immediately. If that happened, it would be terrible. That man looked as if he munched silver for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It made me wonder what they give the Northern
warriors.
When I returned home, I found out that Lori was cleaning Zora’s room off. It made me enraged.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing in there?” I angrily asked her.
After that, I rushed to enter Zora’s room before I checked the closet to make sure that my former wife’s scent was still there. The moment I left the room, Lori was in tears. Her hands were also shaking hard.
“I just wanted to clean and air the room,” she tried to explain herself, but I couldn’t care less.
“Didn’t I just warn you to not enter this room? Why did you enter Zora’s room?” I questioned Lori as I closed the door and
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locked it with a key.
“This room will always be hers, so you’re not permitted to enter!” I shouted as the woman started to cry.
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“Zora’s not coming back, Casey. I’m sure she has already moved forward with her life, so why can’t we do the same as well?” she angrily questioned me, but I just shook my head.
“If she didn’t sacrifice herself, we would never have a life to move forward with,” I gloomily responded as I took a seat on the couch in the room.
“I despise you, Casey. Ever since they took Zora, all you did was sulking! Not only that, you’ve been distant to me. It’s not my fault that they brought her. It’s also not my fault that we were fated to be mates!” Lori angrily yelled, which made me angry at her in turn.
“But you also lied to your father so that he could bring you into my home by force. There’s no way I can forgive myself because I’ve hurt my wife,” I firmly told Lori who immediately- shook her head.
“Don’t put the blame on me for hurting Zora, Casey. You should’ve rejected me instead of frolicking with me on the balcony at that time. You should’ve shown her how much you‘ ve loved her and rejected me. Yet, you kept making out with me. The lack of rejection from me gave me hope which made me force my way in. It caused me to believe that you craved for me and she was the one who made you hesitate. You can say what you want, but you must know that it was your actions that gave me hope to fight for what’s mine. Don’t you dare blame me for her grief or what you did to her. It’s your fault, Casey. All of that is on you, so I don’t want to pay for
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your crimes,” she angrily spoke as she brushed away her tears.
