<b>Chapter </b><b>159 </b>
<b>Adnan’s </b><b>POV </b>
Maxwell’s eyes gleamed with ciuri amusement as I held him by the cor. He didnt struggle ar try to break free.
Instead, heughed.
“Your father?” He shook his head slowly. “You want to know if I let him die? Thats the wrong question, boy. The question you should be asking is why a Supposed Alpha midn’t handle a simple pack of regu
1 tightened my grip. “You were supposed to send reinforcements. You were his brothert
“Brother?” Maxwell spat the word like it tasted boul. “Your father never now me at a leather, I was always post the happened to the golden son. Well, something di happen, dida ( AF
My mother stepped forward, cing her hand on my arm. “Adrian, please. Let him go.<fnd91f> This text is hosted at f?ndnovel</fnd91f>
I shrugged her off, keeping my focus on Maxwell. ‘Ile trusted
d you. The pack trusted you to protect them?”
the backup n if something
The <b>pack </b>needed a strong <b>leader</b>,” Maxwell said, his voice dropping to a growl. “Not some port who spent more time reading books than training weerrion Your father was weak, Adrian. Too weak to survive in our world.”
My wolf surged forward, and I felt my ws extending.
“Take that back.”
The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” Maxwell’s smile widened, “Just like it hurt when those rogues tore through his defenses. I heard he called for help three times before <b>they </b><b>finally </b>brought him down. <b>Three </b>times, Adrian. A real <b>Alpha </b>would have handled it himself”
I mmed him against the wall, the wooden boards creaking under the impact. “You let him die. You wanted his position, so you let rogues <b>kill </b>him?”
Maxwell’s expression shifted to <b>mock </b>sympathy. “Speaking of letting people die, I heard about that girl who followed you when you left Stormhoel. What
My blood turned to it.
<b>“</b><b>Such </b>a waste,” he <b>continued</b>, watching my reaction with satisfaction “She was an excellent warrior, Strong, loyal, beautiful. I had ns for her, you <b>know</b>. Alpha Leon needs strong females for breeding stock. ”
“Shut up.” I growled, but he kept talking
“If she’d stayed in Stormbowl, if she’d epted my arrangement, she’d be alive right now. Comfortable, protected honored as the mother of future Alphax Instead, she followed <b>you </b>into the desert to <b>build </b>your little <b>refugee </b>camp. And where <b>is </b><b>she </b>now, <b>Adrian</b>? Oh, that’s right, She’s dead.”
The rage
e that had been building inside me exploded. I released Maxwell and shifted partially, my ws fully extended, Eangs dropping.
“Don’t you dare speak her name!
Maxwell shifted <b>too</b><b>, </b>meeting <b>my </b><b>attack </b>head on. We crashed through the kitchen table, sending dishes flying. The small cabin shook with the force of our
<b>I </b>was faster than him, stronger than I’d been four years ago when I’d left Stormbowl. My ws raked across his chest, drawing blood. He stumbled back, surprise flickering in his eyes.
“You’ve grown stronger,” he admitted<b>, </b>circling me warily. “<b>But </b>strength without wisdom is just destruction waiting to happen.”
He <b>urged </b>at me, aiming for my throat. I <b>judged</b><b>, </b>spinning to <b>strike </b><b>at </b>his exposed side. But suddenly my mother <b>was </b>there, moving with supernatural speed to block my attack
Time seemed to slow na my <b>ws</b>, already in motion, met flesh that shoulde ive been there.
The sound was soft, almost gentle. <b>Like </b>puncturing wort paper. My ws slid through her cheat at if he were made of mist
But the blood that sprayed across niy face was het. <b>Real</b>. <b>The </b>
metallic taste filled my
stared in horror at what Ed dute.
My mother looked down at the ws protruding from her chest, then op at me. Her eyes held in anger, only a deep, infinite sadness.
“Adrian,” she whispered, bloed bubbling from her lips.
I yanked my hand back, and she crumpled to the font. The blood spreading beneath her was too bright, to real to be an feel its warmth on my skin.
“LILLIAN!” Maxwell’s rear shook the cabin. He dropped to his knees beside her, gathering her into his arms.
illusion. I could smell it, faste it,
1 stood froten, staring at my bloodstained <b>ws</b>. This couldn’t be real. The maze treated illusions, not reality. But the blood was in warm, and my mother’s eyes were already ring over.
-Mom? I fell to my
<b>to </b>my knees beside them. “I didn’t mean to, I wasn’t aiming for you. Please, this isn’t real. This can’t be real!!
She reached up with a trembling hand, touching my face. Her fingers left bloody streaks on my cheek<b>. </b>
“My boy,” she breathed. “My sweet boy.”
Then her hand fell limp, and the light faded from her eyes.
“You killed her,” Maxwell said, his <b>voice </b>hollow with shock. Then louder, filling with rage. “You killed your own mother!”
1 shook my head frantically, pressing my <b>hands </b>against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding that had already stopped.
“No, this is the maze. This is just an illusion. She’s not really <b>dead</b>. She can’t be!”
Maxwell stood slowly, my mother’s blood staining <b>his </b>clothes. His eyes burned with hatred. “First you got Nadia killed with your foolish dreams. Now you ve murdered your own mother. How many more people will die because of you, <b>Adrian</b>?”
“I didn’t kill Nadia,” I said, but <b>my </b>voice shook. “I tried to save her!”
“<b>You </b><b>led </b>her into danger. You convinced her to leave the safety of Sturmhoud for <b>your </b>pathetic desert pack. Her blood is on your hands, just like your mother’s.” He gestured at the body between us “Look at what you’ve done. Look at her!”
I couldn’t look away. My mother
y still, her chest no longer rising and falling. The blood had stopped flowing, pooling dark and thick around her body.
“You’re just like your father,” Maxwell spat. “Weak Reckless. Destroying everything you <b>touch</b>. He got himself killed, and you’ll do the same. But not before you take down everyone foolish enough to care about you”
-Your mate, your <b>pack </b>members, anyone who gets close to you,” Maxwell <b>continued </b>relentlessly. “They’ll all die <b>because </b>of your ipetence. You can protect anyone. <b>You </b>can’t even control yourself!”
I felt myself breaking. The carefully constructed walls I’d built around my guilt and <b>grief </b>crumbled. Nadia’s face shed before my eyes, the way she’d buked in those final moments. Nok my mother joined her, another ghost to haunt me.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to my mothers still form so sorry.”
The cabin <b>door </b>creaked open.
Through my tears and the haze of grief, <b>I </b>saw a figure silhouetted in the doorway. Salver <b>hair </b>caught the light <b>as </b>Skye stepped inside, her green eyes taking in the camage before <b>her </b>