The lost mate

Chapter 157: Confronting the Alpha

The heavy wooden doors to the Alpha’s office swung open with a resounding crash, startling Liana. Her sharp eyes darted up, narrowing as Damien strode in. His usual calm replaced by a simmering anger that radiated off him like heat.

"Damien," Liana said, her voice measured but edged with caution. "You are back."

Damien stopped in front of her desk, his golden eyes piercing.

"Yes, mother, I am back. And I need answers."

She straightened her posture, adopting the cold, composed demeanor of the Alpha.

"Whatever you think you know," she said smoothly, "I can explain."

"Explain?" Damien’s voice rose, his frustration boiling over. "Explain how you lied to me for years." How did you let me believe you were my mother when you weren’t? How you stole me from Jennifer and built my entire life on a foundation of lies?"

Liana’s gaze hardened, but she didn’t flinch. "I did what I had to do," she said firmly. "Jennifer wasn’t fit to raise you. She was human—weak, incapable of understanding what it meant to be part of this pack. I took you in because I knew what you needed, Damien. I raised you as my own because I loved you."

"You loved me?" Damien repeated, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "No, you controlled me. You decided what was best for me without ever giving me a choice. You made me your pawn in whatever game you’re playing."

Liana stood, her palms flat on the desk as she leaned forward, her voice low and sharp. "Watch your tone, Damien. I am still your mother, and you owe me respect. Everything I did, I did for this pack—and for you."

Damien stared at her, his jaw tightening. "For me? Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night? That you’re the hero in all this?" He took a step closer, his eyes boring into hers. "Then tell me this, Mom. Did you order Jackson to imprison Anne? Did you order him to kill her?"

Liana’s eyes flickered with something that might have been guilt, but her expression remained impassive. "The situation was different then."

Damien’s hands clenched into fists, his anger flaring. "So, that’s a yes," he said, his voice cold. "You tried to have Anne killed because she was a threat to your lies."

Liana stepped out from behind her desk, her chin held high. "I won’t apologize for protecting this pack," she said evenly.

Damien shook his head, his expression one of disbelief. "You acted as someone desperate to hold on to control. You’re not protecting the pack, Mom. You’re protecting yourself."

Her lips tightened, but she said nothing, her silence more damning than any words could have been.

Damien turned away, his shoulders tense. "I trusted you," he said quietly, his voice heavy with emotion. "I believed in you. And now... I don’t know what to believe anymore."

Liana took a step toward him, her tone softening. "Damien, everything I’ve done was for you. For the pack. You’re my son—"

"I’m not your son," Damien interrupted, his voice sharp. "Not by blood, and not by bond. You broke that the moment you decided I didn’t deserve the truth."

He glanced back at her, his golden eyes filled with pain and resolve. "You’ve lost me. And when the rest of the pack sees you for what you are, you’ll lose them too."

For the first time in years, Liana felt something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel: uncertainty. Damien had always been her strongest ally, her greatest accomplishment. Now, he was slipping through her fingers, and for the first time, she wasn’t sure how to stop it.

"Alright! You can believe whatever you want; you can hate me, despise me. But remember one thing: you still have the responsibilities of the Alpha king."

Damien paused mid-step at Liana’s words, his broad shoulders stiffening. Slowly, he turned to face her again, his golden eyes gleaming with a mixture of anger and cold determination.

"Responsibilities of the Alpha King?" he repeated, his voice low but cutting. "You mean the responsibilities of cleaning up the mess you’ve made? Those responsibilities are yours. But the role of Alpha?" He straightened, his towering presence more commanding than ever. "That belongs to me now."

Liana’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing into slits. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, her voice sharp and commanding.

"I’m challenging Alpha Richard," Damien declared, his voice unwavering. "I’m claiming the position of Alpha and taking control of this pack. No more lies. No more schemes. This pack needs real leadership—leadership that isn’t poisoned by deceit."

For a moment, silence engulfed the room. Liana’s composure cracked, her expression flickering with shock before settling into a mask of defiance.

"You have no idea what you’re doing," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "Do you think you can just walk in here and take over? Being Alpha isn’t about brute strength, Damien. It’s about strategy, loyalty, and understanding the weight of every decision you make. You’re too emotional, too reckless—"

"Too reckless?" Damien cut her off, his voice rising. "The only reckless decisions here have been yours. You gambled with the truth, manipulated the people closest to you, and nearly destroyed this pack from within. I won’t let it continue."

Liana stepped closer to him, her gaze fierce. "And what do you think will happen when you challenge your father? Do you think he’ll just hand over the title? You will end up killing him. Your own father!"

"Then so be it," Damien shot back, his voice resolute. "Because this pack deserves better, and so do I."

Liana’s lips pressed into a thin line, her mind racing.

"You’re making a mistake," she said, her tone softening, almost pleading. "Damien, this isn’t the way. I’ve made decisions you don’t agree with, but I’ve done everything to protect this pack—to protect you."

"You keep saying that," Damien replied, his voice laced with frustration. "But protecting someone doesn’t mean lying to them. It doesn’t mean stripping away their choices. You raised me to be a leader. Now, I’m stepping into that role."

Liana’s jaw tightened, her silence betraying the turmoil roiling beneath her cold exterior.

"Gather the pack," Damien ordered, his voice cutting through the room like steel. "The challenge will take place at dawn."

"You can’t do this," Liana said, her voice faltering.

"I can," Damien replied, his golden eyes burning with resolve. "And I will."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode out of the office, his footsteps echoing through the hall.

Liana stood frozen, her mind spinning. For the first time in her life, she felt the weight of losing everything she had built—and the terrifying realization that she might be powerless to stop it.