Chapter 199: 199 - is hiding
199
~Rowan’s POV
We followed Damon back to his chamber, Kael and I silent, the air heavy with his rage. His boots struck the stone like thunder, his shoulders rigid. The moment we entered, he slammed the door so hard the walls shook.
He seized the heavy table and hurled it against the wall. Wood cracked, glass shattered. His chest rose and fell like a beast’s.
"Damon..." I began carefully.
"Don’t you dare, Rowan!" he roared, cutting me off. His eyes blazed as he turned on me. "Don’t you dare try to soothe me now!"
Kael leaned against the wall, arms folded, but tension rippled through him. Damon grabbed a vase and smashed it to the floor, shards scattering across the stone.
"She dared!" he growled. "She dared to threaten what is ours! Lisa. Our child. And why? Because you two..." he jabbed a finger at us like a blade "...keep indulging her, letting her think she is untouchable, when she is poison!"
Kael pushed off the wall, anger flashing in his eyes. "Don’t twist this, Damon. You think we’re not furious? You think we’d stand here if we believed Belinda tried to hurt Lisa or the child? Never. They’re ours too. Ours. Do not speak as if only you care for them."
I stepped forward, my voice low but firm. "Damon, listen to yourself. We know Belinda. She is proud, but she is not a murderer. She would not risk everything to strike at Lisa, not like this."
Damon barked a laugh, cruel. "Not a murderer? Her guard was caught with a blade at Lisa’s chamber door! He carried her name tied to him! And you..." he pointed at me, then at Kael "...you still defend her? She has twisted you blind!"
Kael’s jaw tightened. "You mistake loyalty for blindness. We see her flaws, Damon. But this? This reeks of something else. Belinda would never send a knife against Lisa. She knows we would destroy her for it."
I held Damon’s glare. "You’re letting fury speak for you. If you strip her title and brand her guilty without proof, you will not be seen as just...you will be seen as cruel. And the pack will whisper."
Damon’s voice dropped, sharp as a blade. "You two are fools. She has wrapped herself around your necks, and you choke on her lies. While you choke, she tries to kill my heir."
"Your heir?" I snapped, my own temper rising. "Not just your child! Lisa and the child belong to all three of us. Do not stand there and pretend your anger is greater than ours. We all want Lisa safe. We all want our child safe."
Kael’s voice was hard. "We are not defending Belinda. We are defending truth. If you punish her on suspicion alone, you will regret it when the truth proves different."
Damon slammed his fist into the table again, splintering the wood further. "You speak of truth, yet ignore the evidence before your eyes. She is guilty. And if you weren’t still bound by her charms, you’d see it."
Before Kael could fire back, the door opened.
Uncle Fridolf stepped inside with that slow, easy smile of his. His presence filled the room like a shadow.
"Ah," he said, voice calm as silk. "So much noise tonight. Boys, settle. Sit. Let us speak."
Damon’s hand moved toward his sword hilt. "Not now, uncle. This is no time for your riddles. We have a pressing matter to attend to deal."
Fridolf only smiled, unshaken. He came closer, his eyes sharp though his voice stayed smooth. "I know the news. Belinda. That is why I am here."
Damon’s snarl was hot and raw. "She sent a man to kill our mate and our child. She will be punished. She will be stripped of her title."
Fridolf looked at me, then Kael. "And do you both agree this is beyond doubt?"
"No," Kael said flatly. "We don’t. Belinda is many things, but she is not foolish enough to order this. We will not condemn her yet."
I added, steady, "We know her. She pushes, she schemes, but she would never strike at Lisa. She knows that child is sacred to all three of us. She knows the price."
Uncle Fridolf inclined his head slightly, eyes glinting. "Wise. Truth before fury. Damon, listen. Rage is quick, but justice must be patient."
Damon growled. "So you side with them. With her."
Uncle Fridolf’s smile thinned. "I side with truth. Lock her in her chamber, yes. Confine her. But don’t destroy her yet. Let evidence speak, not rage."
For a long moment, Damon glared at us, his breath ragged. His fists opened and closed at his sides like he was holding back the urge to smash something. Then he spat the words like fire.
"Fine. Confine her. Lock her doors. But mark me, if a shred of proof comes, she dies. No mercy." His voice shook with fury.
I could feel the weight of his anger filling the hall, pressing against my chest.
"I have no idea why all of you keep siding with her!" Damon shouted again, louder this time. His eyes burned, his jaw tight, and he looked like he might break the floor if he stomped his foot. "You make me look like a fool for seeing the truth!"
I took a small step toward him, raising my hand. My voice was low, but steady. "Brother, calm down. We are not siding with her. We only ask that you slow down before judging. That is all."
Kael came beside me, his tone firm but not sharp. "Yes, Damon. Anger clouds the mind. If you rush, you might miss what’s really going on. That is dangerous."
But Damon only scoffed, his lips curling bitterly. He looked between us like we were strangers. "Oh, so I should shut my eyes and pretend she’s innocent? After all the signs? After all I’ve seen? You would have me play the fool?"
The silence after his words cut like a blade.
Then Uncle Fridolf leaned forward from where he sat, his hands clasped on the table. His voice was smooth, calm, but heavy in the air. "Damon," he said slowly, "I know what Belinda is capable of. I have known for years."
The room shifted at his words. Damon’s head snapped toward him, confusion and anger flashing across his face. "Then why do you..."
Uncle Fridolf cut him off with a cool smile. His tone was steady, almost too steady. "Were you not childhood friends with her? Did you not grow up under the same roof, running through the same halls?" His eyes narrowed slightly. "You, of all people, should know her better than me."
My voice was soft, almost careful. "Uncle, what are you saying?"
Uncle Fridolf leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving Damon. "I am saying Belinda has always been clever, far too clever to be read at a glance. Damon sees something because something is there. He is not blind. But still... judgment should be made with care."
Kael frowned, shaking his head. "Then we are all trapped in a circle, but we cannot condemn her without proof."
Damon’s fists tightened again, his voice rough. "I don’t need more proof. I see her for what she is."
Fridolf smiled faintly, his eyes sharp. "Then perhaps the real question is not what Belinda is hiding... but what you are refusing to admit, Damon."