The Alpha's Unwanted Bride

Chapter 481: SEED OF DESTRUCTION (VI)

The room stood still for a breathless moment.

There had been a dead silence.

”How can you say such a thing?!” Nanny Nia gasped in horror.

Anna smirked.

A smirk that only she and Nanny Nia understood.

And then Nanny Nia understood what Anna had meant the previous night that it will be too late for Jasmine.

Nanny Nia clenched her teeth. ”Jasmine’s baby is Alpha Xaden’s how and where did she even meet someone else to get pregnant?”

Anna glared at her. ”You’re calling me a liar? You don’t know Jasmine as much as I do. You don’t know what she is capable of.”

”This is ABSURD!” Nanny Nia said.

Xaden said nothing for a while and then Anna chipped in.

”I’m sorry you had to find out this way,” she said gently. ”I truly am.”

No one still said a word.

Then Xaden stood up slowly, pushing his chair back with a groan.

His eyes—darker than storm clouds—locked on Erik’s.

”Search her room.”

Erik blinked. ”Xaden—”

”Now.” His voice left no room for argument.

Anna lowered her gaze, hiding her wicked smile behind a mask of sisterly sorrow. She had done it.

The match was lit. Now all that was left was to let it burn.

Erik hesitated. He turned toward Fiona, who looked ready to stand up and fight.

”This is ridiculous,” Fiona snapped. ”You can’t honestly believe this? We all know Jasmine. She—”

”I know Jasmine,” Xaden cut in, voice harder than steel. ”But I also know something is wrong. And if there’s even a chance—”

Nanny Nia was already on her feet. ”Then I’m coming with you.”

Anna got up.

”But I won’t come with her my lord.” Nanny Nia said her eyes wary of Anna.

Anna frowned.

”She is the one who dropped the allegations. She shouldn’t come with us.” Nanny Nia stated.

”I’ll stay waiting with her.” Fiona interjected.

Anna started to speak. ”But I want-

”You should stay.” Xaden said firmly and Anna knew BETTER than to disobey.

Anna sat back down, calmly picking up her goblet as though nothing had happened.

Lily looked pale beside her.

Fiona remained frozen at the edge of her seat, fists clenched.

Don’t follow them, Anna silently prayed. You’re too late.

She hoped to herself that she had dropped the letters somewhere they will find them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inside Jasmine’s Room

Xaden stepped into the room first, the scent of jasmine and rosewood washing over him like a memory.

His chest tightened.

Nanny Nia and Erik followed behind him. She moved straight to the wardrobe like a hawk, checking everything. Erik began combing through the bookshelves, desk drawers, linen boxes.

And then Xaden knelt near her bed.

He reached beneath the pillow and pulled out a folded parchment.

Erik walked over just as he unfolded it.

Nanny Nia leaned closer, frowning.

”My lord the maids change the beddings every day when Jasmine was here, I’ve never seen that before.” She said.

He ignored her and read aloud

Xaden read the first line aloud, his voice hollow.

”I can’t keep pretending. Every night I dream of you, not him. I never stopped missing you.”

He dropped the letter like it burned.

”What the hell is this?” Erik asked, grabbing it and reading further. ”This... this sounds like a confession. To Hunter?”

Nanny Nia’s hands trembled. ”This can’t be right. She never wrote this. I taught her letters. She wasn’t fluent.”

”Isn’t this Jasmine’s handwriting?” He asked as he held up the paper.

Nanny Nia swallowed. ”But my lord-

”IS IT HER FUCKING HANDWRITING?!” He barked so much Nanny Nia Jumped.

”Yes my lord.” She replied hastily.

Xaden’s face fell cold.

He opened the drawer beneath her nightstand.

More letters. All folded. Some sealed with wax. A few torn at the edges.

He opened one—and there it was again. The same shaky writing. The same name at the bottom: Hunter.

”She wrote to him...” he whispered. ”Again and again.”

”No,” Nanny Nia said, voice rising. ”This is planted. I didn’t see any of these before—none of them. This room was clean. Jasmine didn’t write these—”

Xaden’s hands closed tightly over one of the pages. ”Then explain this.”

He pulled out the half-burned letter from beneath her cloak.

Nanny Nia stepped forward and snatched it from his fingers, inspecting the burn marks. ”Someone did this. This isn’t her. She doesn’t even have access to fire near her bed. I’ve never seen a candle this close!”

Erik turned to Xaden, more cautious. ”I don’t know, Alpha. This feels... too clean. Too convenient.”

”I need air,” Xaden muttered. He turned and walked out, shoulders tense, mind spinning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the Hall

Anna stood by the window now, arms folded neatly across her chest. She didn’t even turn when she heard his footsteps return.

Xaden walked in with slow, calculated movements.

He said nothing.

Anna turned to him slowly. ”Did you find anything?”

Xaden said nothing for a moment, then lowered himself into the chair with a heavy breath.

His hand clenched around the burned letter.

Erik and Nanny Nia followed. Nanny Nia’s lips were pressed into a thin, furious line.

”We found letters,” Erik said finally. ”A lot of them.”

Anna sighed and looked away. ”I wish it weren’t true.”

Fiona stood up. ”You believe this? You think she betrayed you?”

Xaden didn’t answer.

Fiona moved to him. ”You said she’s carrying your child.”

Xaden still made no response.

”No,” Nanny Nia snapped. ”My lord I know this is not my place but don’t you dare!”

They all now turned to look at her and her newfound audacity. ”That girl bled for you. She would have died for you. I would stake my life—my soul—on her loyalty.”

”Then someone is lying,” Anna answered . ”Because these letters didn’t write themselves.”

”They were planted!” Nanny Nia’s voice cracked with fury. ”Don’t you see how well this was timed?!”

Anna gently touched Xaden’s shoulder. ”Don’t blame yourself. She fooled all of us.”

Nanny Nia lunged forward, pointing a wrinkled finger at Anna. ”You. I see you. You think no one notices, but I’ve seen your kind before. And I swear to the moon goddess, if Jasmine suffers for your lies—”

”That’s enough,” Xaden said, standing again.

Nanny Nia stared at him, heartbroken. ”You don’t even realize it yet. But they’re pulling you away from her.”

Xaden looked at the crumpled letter again. At the way her name was written. At the words.

Was this... really Jasmine?

Or had someone taken everything he knew and twisted it?

He turned to Erik. ” Send word to the moonlight pack and confirm what Anna said. And keep an eye on Nanny Nia Someone’s trying to hide something—and I want to know who.”

Nanny Nia gasped.

But Xaden didn’t look at her. His eyes had already darkened again, like a man walking straight into a storm of his own making.