Chapter 211

Garland let out a slow, tired sigh, like he’d been waiting for this question. “It has always been about the strongest taking everything,” he began, his voice bitter but resigned. “Before Nikolay, conquest wasn’t just a way of life-it was survival. Your parents, if they had lived longer, would have taught you the same. That’s what Valkin alphas do. They maintain power by gaining more of it. Packs that fail to produce Valkin are destined to lose. Nikolay…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

“That bastard wanted peace. He believed he was created to bring balance and stability, and he pursued it with ruthless determination. Even your parents didn’t agree with his vision entirely. The lands they acquired were won through conquest. But Nikolay decided conquest was done. He wanted everyone to stay in their regions, to settle, to ‘give peace a chance.’ And so here we are.”

He exhaled again, the weight of history and his own mistakes evident in his voice. I watched him closely, his broken demeanor a stark contrast to the man who had once stood so confidently. Scarlett had stripped him bare, and now there was nothing left but a husk of the ambition he once carried.

“I didn’t like it, and neither did your parents,” Garland began, his voice carrying a note of reluctant reflection. “But I must admit, over time, I started to see the benefits of what Nikolay was trying to achieve. For once, packs weren’t raiding and plundering each other. Women weren’t taken and sold off like livestock. People could live in peace, trade with one another, and focus on their own lives without fear of constant war. Packs stayed in their regions, minding their business. I liked that,” he admitted, though his tone hinted at the bitterness of long-held grievances.

He paused, his gaze hardening as he continued, “With that peace, I was able to turn my attention to building up my home, my land. I achieved so much, even without the advantage of magic. Then there was Keith Harold… blessed beyond reason, untouchable in every way. But after Nikolay died, the order he brought with him unraveled. Criminal groups-the ones built by the late Alpha Thomas Grisham and Alpha Dean McCain of the South-started to rise again. They came into the East like vultures, looting and plundering, taking women and children, restarting the nightmare we thought was over.”

His fists clenched as he spoke, his voice thick with frustration. “And what did you do? Nothing. The three of you gained the South by marriage, but you didn’t lift a finger to deal with these groups. I suspected you wouldn’t, given that the notorious Grisham and McCain were your cousins. And their ring leader, Japhet? Alpha Lucian’s own brother-in-law. Convenient, isn’t it?”

His gaze shifted to me, the accusation hanging heavily in the room. “Someone had to restore stability. They wouldn’t dare bring their chaos to the West because they feared what Keith might do to them. So they targeted my land, my people. I had no choice but to root out the spies in the East, eliminate them, and seal my borders. I believed you three were behind it all, pulling the strings. And if I could take over the North and the South, I could stop it. I