Chapter 54
Nolan’s POV
I stared at Luca and Nesta, my eyes narrowing as I observed the undeniable connection between them. It was a bond that stirred a mix of loathing and indifference within me.
The way Luca looked at her, the protective stance he took, it all made me sick. Yet, at the same time.
it meant nothing to me. My purpose was clear,
I had to take Nesta with me to the palace. Rowan wanted her there to stop the rogue attacks, which our mother was convinced were a direct result of us rejecting her.
Nesta. The woman I despised and the embodiment of everything I hated about her people. But she had to come with me. This wasn’t a choice. It was a mandate.
Either Luca accepted this the easy way, or I stripped him of his alpha title and ended his life. He knew I had the power to do it, yet he stood there, definitely protecting a woman he barely knew.
“Nesta must come with me,” I stated coldly, my voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “The Alpha King himself demands her presence at the palace.”
Luca’s jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with defiance. “She’s not going anywhere with you, Alpha Prince. I won’t let you take her when she hates you.
I took a step forward, my gaze hardening. “You don’t have a choice in this, Luca. Either you let her go the
easy way, or I strip you of your title and kill you right here.”
He didn’t flinch, his stance unwavering. What the fuck. I have never been this disrespected. “You can try, but you won’t take her from me.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “So brave, standing up for a woman you barely know. But this isn’t about you or her. This is about what’s best for the entire kingdom.”
Nesta’s eyes darted between us, fear and confusion written across her face. I could see her tremble, yet there was a resolve in her eyes.
“Enough.” I growled, stepping closer. “Nesta is coming with me, and that’s final.”
Luca’s eyes blazed with determination. “Over my dead body.”
The challenge was clear, and the tension was palpable. I could feel the power thrumming through my veins, ready to be unleashed. Luca might be brave, but he was a fool if he thought he could stand against me.
“This is your last chance, Luca,” I warned, my voice low and deadly. “Step aside, or face the consequences.”
He squared his shoulders, his expression resolute. ll die before I let you take her.”
The air crackled with impending violence, but I knew how this would end. Nesta would come with me, no matter what. She had to. For the sake of the palace, and for my own twisted satisfaction. Nothing and no one would stand in my way.
iv elite
Realizing that words alone wouldn’t sway Luca, I reached out through the mindlink to my guard, an army of skilled warriors trained to respond to my every command.
They were hovering around the Crescent Moon pack, ready for this very moment. Within five minutes, they arrived, their presence a looming threat against the pack that dared defy me.
Luca’s eyes flickered with recognition and a hint of apprehension as my soldiers surrounded us, their disciplined formations a testament to their deadly efficiency.
The Crescent Moon pack members watched in tense silence, the weight of the impending confrontation heavy in the air.
“I don’t need an army for this,” I said, my voice calm but laced with menace. “But if Nesta doesn’t come with me willingly, or if you continue to obstruct me, there will be
consequences.
Nestá stood frozen, her eyes wide with fear and indecision. She glanced at Luca, who remained défiantly protective, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
His hand twitched toward her, as if to reassure her, but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
“You can’t do this,” Luca said, his voice steady despite the tremor of fear I could detect. “This is not the way.”
I took a step forward, my soldiers parting to let me pass. “This is the only way, Luca. Nesta belongs to the palace. If you care for her, you’ll step aside and let her fulfil her duty.”
He shook his head, a mix of frustration and desperation etched on his face. “She’s not a pawn in your power games, Nolan. She’s a person. She deserves to choose her own path.”
I let out a cold laugh. “Choice? There is no choice here. Only duty and survival. Nesta, come with me now, and this can end peacefully.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Nesta’s eyes darted between us, her body trembling “I… I don’t want to go,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
My gaze hardened. “Then you leave me no choice.
At my signal, my soldiers stepped forward, their intentions clear. The Crescent Moon pack members bristled, ready to defend their alpha, but they were outmatched and outnumbered.
The tension was a taut wire, ready to snap at any moment.
2/4
Luca’s face twisted in anguish, but he didn’t move. Don’t do this, Nolan. There has to be another way.”
1 raised an eyebrow, my patience wearing thin. “This is the only way. Nesta, you either come with me willingly, or I take you by force. Luca, stand down or face the consequences.”
The weight of my words hung in the air, and for a moment, everything seemed to stand still. Then, with a resigned sigh, Luca stepped aside, his eyes filled with defeat.
“I won’t let you hurt her,” he said quietly. “But this isn’t over.”
I nodded, satisfied. “It never is.”
Turning to Nesta, I extended a hand. “Come, Nesta. It’s time to go.”
Trembling, she took a step toward me, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and resignation. She glanced back at Luca, who gave her a small, reassuring nod.
As Nesta stood next to me, I felt a peculiar sensation, something that shouldn’t have been there. A heartbeat. A second one, distinct and separate from her own.
A rush of rage surged through me, hot and unrelenting. My vision blurred, tinted with a fiery red as I comprehended the implications. She is fucking pregnant. For him. For Luca.
The realization struck me like a physical blow, igniting a firestorm of anger within my chest. My grip on her arm tightened involuntarily, causing her to wince.
How could she? The very idea of her carrying his child, of their connection being deeper than I had imagined, filled me with a visceral fury. She is indeed a whore.
“You’re pregnant,” I hissed, barely able to contain the venom in my voice.
Nesta’s eyes
widened in fear and confusion, her free hand instinctively moving to her abdomen as if to shield the life growing within her.
“Nolan, 1-” She stammered trying to move away from me but I didn’t let her.
“Shut up!” I snarled, my voice a dangerous growl. “You carry his child? After everything, you let this happen?”
Her lips trembled, but she said nothing, her silence speaking volumes. The anger coursed through me, a tempest threatening to break free. I felt betrayed, humiliated, and above all, incandescent with rage.
Luca stepped forward, his expression one of protective defiance. “This isn’t her fault, Nolan. You have no right to-
Shut. Up.” I cut him off, my glare piercing through him. “Do you think this changes anything? You think I care about your pathetic bond? She is coming with me, and nothing you say or do will change that.”
He held his ground, his jaw clenched in determination. “If you harm her, if you so much as touch her or that child, you will regret it.”
I laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound, “Regret? The only regret here is that you ever crossed my path.”
Her eyes, filled with tears, met mine. There was fear there, but also something else–defiance, perhaps. A small, fragile flame that refused to be extinguished. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for the ordeal ahead.
“You don’t have to do this,” Luca pleaded, his voice softening. “There has to be another way.”
But there wasn’t. There never was. “Enough,” I snapped. “We’re leaving.”
With a final, searing glare at Luca, I turned and began to walk away, pulling Nesta along with me. The soldiers parted to let us pass, their silence a testament to the gravity of the situation.
As we moved, I could feel her trembling beside me, the weight of her fear and uncertainty palpable. But I couldn’t afford to be swayed by it.
The child she carried was an unfortunate complication, but it wouldn’t deter me. I would see this through to the end, no matter the cost. And Luca, for all his bravado, would learn just what it meant to defy me.