CADE
I felt sick.
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It was the kind of disgust that crept into your bloodstream and lingered, eating away at everything in its path.
The video playing in front of us featured Honey–my beloved sister. She was surrounded by a room full of men, the camera capturing every agonizing angle. Beside her, unable to move at all, was Elijah–her mate back then. He was shackled, forced to endure the horror. His mouth was bloodied, his face twisted in pain, restrained like some deranged experiment. The intensity of his suffering echoed as loudly as hers.
I couldn’t watch.
I wouldn’t.
I closed the screen and pushed the laptop away so forcefully that it skidded across the table, nearly hitting the floor.
Arden said nothing, but her arms were already wrapped around me, hugging me from behind. She pressed her cheek to my back, her fingers gripping the fabric of my shirt. She tried her best to hold back tears. Her body trembled slightly, but she remained still and strong–for me.
Her voice was soft and hoarse. “So… this is what he’s doing?”
I didn’t respond immediately. My hands were clenched into fists, my jaw so tightly clenched that I feared my teeth might crack.
“This is Winters‘ idea of control?” she murmured. “Of pleasure?”
I turned to face her, not caring that my voice shook. “He’s selling it. Watching it. All of it–just for his own damn fantasies.”
My voice broke. “I hate him, Arden.”
Her eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite name.
“I’ll kill him,” I said. “He can’t win.”
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She looked up at me and nodded, just once.
We sat there, drowning in silence. In grief. I couldn’t stop imagining Honey–how scared she must’ve been. How much pain she had hidden, even from me. And Elijah… what had they done to him afterward.
Suddenly, as we wallowed in our agony, there was an unmistakable click.
The front door opened, and our bodies went rigid.
I turned my head sharply to the side. Arden gasped and stepped back slightly.
The only other people with keys to this house were-
The door creaked fully open.
Alpha Nathan and Luna Mirage.
My parents.
I bought this estate with my own money, but I still welcomed them every time.
My mother’s eyes scanned the room, while my father took in the scattered clothes, the laptop, and the screen we had just shut seconds before.
“Cade,” my father began. “Where did you go? Mr. Winters was looking for you after the meeting-”
my
They both halted the moment they spotted Arden standing next to me, clad in clothes. Her hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and her face was pale from what we had just witnessed.
Luna Mirage’s mouth parted, but no words emerged.
Alpha Nathan’s jaw tightened.
Arden instinctively moved slightly behind me.
We remained silent.
The stillness wrapped around us like a trap.
My parents stood in the doorway, my mother’s hand lightly resting on the knob, as if she
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hadn’t decided whether to stay or leave.
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“You didn’t tell us you’ve met your mate,” my father stated, his tone wary rather than angry.
“I didn’t,” I replied plainly.
He glanced between Arden and me, brows furrowing. “Then this woman…?”
“My lover,” I declared with conviction. “Arden.”
Nathan’s eyes flared. “What?”
His voice cracked sharper than I expected, but before he could say anything further, my mother gently touched his arm, calming him with just a glance.
“What’s your name, darling?” she asked Arden instead.
“Arden,” she answered softly and politely. “I’m sorry we have to meet this way. I truly am.”
“It’s fine,” my mother replied, offering her a faint smile. “We’ve dealt with worse,” she added, glancing at Nathan. He sighed in response.
“I know only your most trusted ones are aware of this estate,” my father began. “So, she must mean a lot to you.”
I nodded, reaching over to hold onto Arden’s hand. “I know I haven’t met my mate yet. But I want it to be Arden,” I continued. “No one else.”
My mother tilted her head. “Then… do you have a mate, darling?”
“Yes,” Arden replied, a small knot of hesitation in her voice. “But we’ve broken up. I’ve been rejected.”
“Oh,” Mirage murmured, her expression softening. The two of them exchanged glances before my mom smiled.
“Then let’s allow them to be. If they feel this strongly for each other, they might just be second-chance mates.”
I turned to Arden just as she turned to me.
“Is that really possible?” I asked softly.
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“Yes,” my father responded after a long moment. “It takes time after a rejection. It’s a process. But it can happen.”
I nodded slowly, clutching Arden’s hand. “That’s what I want.”
Arden was still a bit shocked, unable to respond right away, but I sensed her grip on my hand tighten slightly.
But then my dad’s tone shifted, becoming stern again. “Now, why did you disappear right when we were about to pledge our support for your headmaster?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Because I don’t want to support him,” I said, straightening my spine. “In fact, I won’t let you.”
“You don’t even know what’s at stake,” Nathan said. “You’re young; you don’t understand the weight-”
“I do,” I interrupted, my tone resolute. “More than you think.”
They stared at me in disbelief.
“I’ve been quiet all these years. I’ve followed the rules. I’ve played the perfect heir. But you’ve never once asked why I avoid Winters. Why I keep my distance from the academy when I’m not required to be there. It’s because that place–Elite–it’s not a school. It’s a machine. A business. A trap.”
Nathan’s brows lifted in surprise.
Mirage blinked, clearly taken aback. “Cade…”
I turned to face them fully, my voice rising, filled with urgency. “They’re running a system— one that sells the students. Videos. Surveillance. Even high–ranking council members are complicit. They’re buying this footage, funding this corruption. And Winters is at the head of it all.”
They fell silent.
“Arden and I found a drive,” I continued. “It’s all on there.”
“But-” Mirage began.
“I need your help,” I cut her off gently but firmly.
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They fell quiet once more. I could see the slight resistance in their expressions. I knew it wasn’t because they didn’t believe me; it was because believing me meant unearthing wounds. they had struggled to bury.
Honey.
They were scared I might end up with the same fate as her. I understood they had tried to look into Elite before, but time after time, they had failed to catch a culprit.
But this wasn’t something we could ignore any longer.
Arden stepped forward. “Cade’s doing this not just for himself. He’s doing this for Honey. For the students still being watched. For the victims who were silenced.”
They turned their gazes toward her.
“You raised a good child,” Arden continued, pride evident in her tone. “He has grown into a good man.”
My throat tightened at her words.
She looked at me, offering a soft smile. “And you should be proud of him.”
I walked over to the laptop and opened it again, clicking through the folders to show them what we had discovered. It was enough to silence any remaining doubt.
My mother’s hand flew to her mouth in shock.
My father’s face drained of color; he clenched his jaw and turned away, muttering a quiet curse under his breath.
“Please,” I implored. “Help us.”
I looked at them both, my gaze steady. “Help me.”
My voice cracked slightly at the end, filled with emotion.
Because it had been a long time since I had called them that.
“Mom. Dad.”
I was never theirs by blood, but I had been theirs long enough to mean it–despite how strange it still felt.
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They turned to each other, the room thick with silence once again. They communicated with mere glances, as Alphas did. Finally, Nathan nodded, determination on his face.
“Alright,” he said, meeting my gaze with fire in his eyes. “We’ll withdraw our support. The entire North will. Winters won’t get a single vote from our faction.”
But my mother’s voice remained softer, tinged with concern. “But it won’t be an easy fight.”
I met her gaze, unwavering. “I know.”
“He’s been headmaster for years,” she added. “He’s woven himself into the council and into every corner of the academy. He’s built his power with patience and secrets. Tearing him down won’t be simple.”
“I know,” I reaffirmed, my resolve unyielding. “But we’ll do it anyway.”
Nathan stepped forward, gripping my shoulder with a firm and solid strength.
“We’ll be with you,” he said, his voice steady. “Until the end.”
E
