Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession-Chapter 115: One of us

Mrs. Maggie stood at the threshold, her posture stiff with anger, her lips pulled tight. Her son hovered behind her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched, both of them visibly exhausted, both from the sudden visit of Williams and Roman, and also from their long argument.

Just as they were about to step back inside, the loud hum of engines echoed down the gravel road, followed by the sharp crunch of tires against stone. Maggie turned sharply toward the sound, her eyes lighting up with relief. Finally.

The sleek, black official vehicles came to a halt in front of the house, kicking up dust. The doors opened almost in unison, and out stepped three figures. Not just any officials, but the highest-ranking members of the Witches Council. Her heart skipped with glee at the sight.

"Oh, that was very fast," she breathed out, her voice a mixture of surprise and satisfaction as she marched toward them. "Thank you for coming at such short notice, Mr. Zealot." Her face beamed with a wide, radiant smile that couldn’t be mistaken for anything but joy.

Zealot, the towering figure leading the trio, gave her a brief nod. His gray robes fluttered in the breeze, and his sharp eyes, black as night, scanned the surroundings with methodical precision. Every crack on the wall, every broken piece of wood, every sign of disturbance, he noted it all in silence.

"We were in the area when you called," he said, his voice deep and unreadable, like a locked chest of secrets. "What is going on?"

With him stood Cornelius, the assistant head, tall and lean with a perpetual sneer on his lips, and Bartholomew, the chief council officer, a stout man whose round face rarely revealed emotion. Their presence was enough to put any normal citizen on edge.

Maggie immediately seized the moment. She stepped forward, face contorting dramatically to reflect just how serious this was. "Williams broke my door and barged into my house without my permission! I think he wants to steal something!"

Her son threw her a disbelieving look, but decided to shut his mouth just as she had asked him to.

Cornelius blinked at her, his brow arched. "Which Williams are we talking about?"

Maggie’s nose wrinkled. "The one who is neither here nor there," she said sharply.

Cornelius exchanged a look with Zealot, who now lifted his head and looked at her directly, his brows drawing in with a sharp pull.

"Williams Xander?" Zealot asked, his tone taut with disbelief.

"Yes! That’s his name!" Maggie confirmed quickly, nodding her head several times in quick succession.

Zealot’s expression turned incredulous, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sure of what you’re talking about? Williams broke into your house... to steal something? Do you even know who Williams Xander is? What could you possibly have in there that would be of so much importance to him that he has to break into your house to take?"

His questions came rapid-fire, his voice rising slightly with each one, his expression openly skeptical. He knew Williams. The man had everything he needed. Power, resources, influence, name it. And the house standing in front of them was not a place likely to house anything of value, let alone something Williams would desire.

Maggie’s smile had long vanished, her eyes now blazing with indignation. "What are you insinuating? You are council leaders! The welfare of the people is supposed to be your number one priority! Why are you siding with the enemy? Is he beyond the law?"

Her voice cracked with emotion, hands trembling at her sides. The way Zealot was questioning her, it made no sense. She had expected immediate action, not an interrogation.

"Nobody is beyond the law, Maggie," Zealot said evenly, a hard edge slipping into his voice. "And I hope you also know it is against the law to accuse someone falsely."

Maggie let out an exasperated sound. "What do you mean, accuse someone falsely? Look at my door!" She pointed towards the door which had been pulled off its hinges. "Is it not evidence enough? The culprit is still inside my house!"

Zealot sighed and stepped forward, the hem of his robe brushing the dusty ground. He moved toward the entrance with the others following behind, their faces solemn. But the moment they crossed the threshold, they came to an abrupt halt. freēwēbnovel.com

From the shadows of the hallway, Williams emerged, walking toward them with calm, measured steps like he owned the place. And just behind him... came Roman.

Zealot’s heart dropped. His jaw clenched so hard it made his teeth ache. Roman. The King. The one person you didn’t surprise with questions. You bowed and prayed you weren’t on the wrong side of his favor.

Zealot’s spine stiffened and he quickly lowered his head into a bow. "Your Majesty," he greeted, his voice nearly swallowed by the thundering silence. Cornelius and Bartholomew followed suit, their heads bowed as well, but neither dared speak.

Roman’s gaze slid over the three men. "Long time no see, Zealot," he said, his tone smooth, deceptively mild, but everyone in the room knew that even his calm held power.

"It’s truly been a long time, Your Majesty," Zealot responded, forcing a tight-lipped smile before turning his eyes on Maggie.

"Maggie," he said, his voice cold, sharp, "you denied His Majesty entry into your house?"

Before she could stammer out a reply, Williams raised a hand. "No, it’s me she denied entry, not His Majesty," he interjected coolly, his voice like wind through gravel. "She wouldn’t have been alive to tell the story if she had tried that nonsense with him."

The statement hit hard and landed heavier than a blow. Zealot swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "Why did you forcefully enter into her house, if I may ask?" he managed, his voice quiet but firm, focused entirely on Williams.

"To confirm my suspicion that she and her husband are into the business of selling humans off to werewolf buyers," Williams answered in one breath, not even blinking.

"What?!" Zealot’s voice boomed in utter disbelief.

"What?!" Maggie echoed, her voice cracking. She staggered back a step as if physically struck by the accusation. "He’s talking nonsense! I have never done anything like that!" she shrieked, her face ashen and drained of color, her heart thudding erratically in her chest.

"That is a very serious allegation, Williams," Zealot pointed out, his tone now grave, lined with the weight of the accusation.

"Exactly," Williams replied, nodding once. "That’s also the very reason I cannot spend one more minute in this party. I have to find the human they sold off. If you need proof, you should ask her husband. I believe he’s ready to spill everything he knows."

He turned momentarily toward Cornelius, who was glaring at him like he wanted to set him on fire with just a look, then returned his attention to Zealot. "He’s dying. And she has dumped him in the basement to spend his last days because he’s of no use to her anymore. You should question him before he takes his last breath."

"He’s lying! I swear he’s lying! I didn’t do anything like that! He must have manipulated my husband!" Maggie’s voice climbed into hysteria, tears threatening to spill from her bloodshot eyes. Her body trembled as she pointed accusing fingers, her head shaking violently in denial.

Cornelius’s voice rang out, low and venomous. "Why should we believe you over one of ours?"

The bite in his words didn’t even phase Williams. He merely smirked, unfazed. But Roman, standing silent at Williams’ side, narrowed his eyes at Cornelius, his entire body radiating a warning.

"Yes! That is the question you should be asking!" Maggie yelled, pointing toward Cornelius. "He’s only trying to twist the narrative!"

Williams chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "Ahh... Cornelius. I’ve been waiting for when you’d say something. I’ve missed our little chit-chats."

His casual tone made Cornelius’s sneer deepen, his knuckles whitening from the fists he had formed at his sides.

But before he could retaliate, Zealot intervened.

"Cornelius," Zealot said, his voice a stern reprimand, "I hope you have not forgotten our code of conduct. Especially when we are on the field."

Cornelius didn’t hesitate. "Of course not. I apologize for misstepping," he said, his tone flat, his teeth grinding behind closed lips.

"Williams is one of us, just the same way Maggie is," Zealot declared, turning his gaze from one to the other. "We are going to begin a proper investigation on this matter immediately."

With those words, the council’s decision had been made. The matter wouldn’t be swept under a rug, but neither would it be judged in haste. The air was thick with tension as Roman and Williams turned to leave the house.

As Roman approached his car, the wind picked up slightly, rustling the branches of the nearby trees. He paused, his hand on the door.

"Where is she?" he asked, not turning around.

"Agrapha," Williams answered, his voice firm.

Roman slid into the driver’s seat, settling in, the leather creaking softly under his weight.

"When will you set out?" Roman asked again, his voice low, steady.

"First thing in the morning," Williams replied, stepping back toward his car. "I’ll keep you updated. Please don’t do anything until I return."

Roman only smiled, then started the car and zoomed away from there. He wanted revenge, and he wanted it to be satisfying. If waiting for Williams would ensure he achieved that, then he was willing to wait.