Page 184 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

I’m lost for words because I don’t feel like I’ve done much for him. I am just here, nothing else. We’re both feeling anxious, not saying much beyond a bit of random chit-chat here and there. I’m relieved to see Silverlake’s borders come into view. The guards already expecting us and letting us through without asking any questions.

It’s evening, and most pack members are either having dinner at the pack house or spending time in their homes. It’s the perfect time for us because our arrival goes unnoticed. No one knows except for those who need to know.

Elden and Beta Vincent greet us, and I can immediately see the conflicted feelings in Elden’s eyes. I can’t even fathom how guilty he must be feeling for having all of this happen beneath his roof without noticing anything. But men like Calvin know exactly what they are doing, and when. Ever since I discovered what happened to Marius, I’ve tried to educate myself on child abuse. I’ve read some books on how to talk to victims, about potential triggers, and what words to avoid—the last thing I want to do is hurt Marius further.

I’ve read how most cases of sexual abuse towards children happen with people the child knows, and it’s so sickening.

Elden pulls Marius into a hug. “Are you sure about this, Marius?”

Marius nods, suddenly looking far more confident than he did in the car. He looks at me before confirming, “I need to do this.”

Vincent has been quiet throughout our greeting. I haven’t seen much of him recently, but now that I see him up close, he looks quite drained and ragged. “I should have noticed,” Vincent begins. “I spent so much time with him. I can’t believe it… I thought he was my best friend. If anyone… I should have noticed…”

“No,” Elden says sharply. “I should have noticed.”

“It’s always easier said in retrospect,” Marius says.

“I think so too,” I decide to back him up. “We all know how cunning and strategic Calvin was. That’s why he was beta in the first place, right?”

Elden nods. “Yes,” he growls.

“He used his talents for a lot of shady stuff,” Marius points out. “Celine is right. I don’t blame anyone aside from him. He breached everyone’s trust. I realize now, had you found out, you would have killed him on the spot.”

“What was his gift?” I want to know. “He must have been gifted as a beta for such a strong lycan alpha.”

Elden’s face hardens even more. “He is able to diffuse his scent, cut the mind-link without anyone noticing, and he can even change his body temperature.”

“Like a chameleon,” Vincent explains. “He is able to remove any traces of his presence, making him nearly undetectable. That’s why he is… was the perfect spy.”

I’m shocked. So that’s why no one ever smelled him on or around Marius.

“He is a monster,” I mutter. “A real monster, without any empathy.”

Elden nods bitterly. “It was all a game to him.”

“How did you first get to know him?” Marius suddenly asks. “I never asked… mostly because I never wanted to talk about him,” he admits sheepishly. “But now I realize, I don’t even know how he came into our lives.”

Elden clenches his fingers, there is turmoil in his eyes. “He was a teenager when we met, and I was still a child. My parents assigned him as my protector because of his gifts.”

That’s like what happened with Dante and Liam! But Dante is one of the most kind-hearted people out there. He’s loyal, smart, empathetic and full of love for those close to him. Calvin was the exact opposite; taking advantage of his brotherly bond with Elden, he knew exactly how to pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He is a true psychopath.

“To add insult to injury,” Vincent adds. “It seems like he also had something to do with the attack on Annie last year.”

Marius and I exchange a surprised gaze. “What?” Marius presses out. “You mean the incident when Annie was abducted?”

“We found out today,” Elden says. His voice is calm now, but I can see his eyes turning black in anger. “Flora questioned him. She always gets the best results.”

“But… how… what?” Marius exclaims.

“He knew the humans would be coming, so he made sure they would gain entry onto the pack grounds, and that Annie would be close to the borders at that time,” Vincent explains. “To think, Alpha Elden and I were wondering all this time how they managed to get through our defenses, especially with a genius like Calvin in charge of most of our defense strategies, and it was that bastard all along.”

Elden’s jaw tightens at his words.

“Why would he do that?” Marius asks in disbelief.

“Maybe he was scared of Liam’s gift,” I hear myself say. “Abducting and killing off his mate would weaken Liam tremendously. We all know Liam can detect lies.”

“He can also invade someone’s mind,” Elden explains. “And he didn’t like Calvin. He was getting weird vibes from him. I know they argued a lot. Calvin was probably afraid that Liam would use his gifts on him one day.”