Beneath the Alpha's Moon
Chapter 131: Second Chance

Chapter 131: Second Chance

ADRIAN’S P.O.V.

Lucian’s expression was unreadable as he leaned back in his chair, fingers tracing the armrests. His gaze, felt piercing, as if he could see straight into my soul. It unnerved me how calm he seemed when I had just poured out such a harrowing piece of my past. Finally, he spoke, his voice laced with his signature sarcasm.

"Well, Adrian, I have to say I now understand why you despise Margaret so much. Can’t say I blame you. What I don’t understand," he added with a tilt of his head, "is why you seem to dread seeing her again. Shouldn’t she be the one quaking in her boots?"

The room stilled, all eyes snapping to me. The unspoken question hung in the air: Why would the great Adrian Daegon fear anyone?

I chuckled softly, the sound bitter in my throat. "You’re right, Lucian. She should be the one dreading it. But my story with Margaret didn’t end that night."

"What do you mean?" Juliette asked, her brows furrowing.

I sighed deeply, leaning forward as I rested my elbows on my knees. "I did something stupid. Again."

The collective gasp from everyone in the room would’ve been comical under different circumstances.

"Wait. Again?" Leonard’s voice cut through the air like a whip. "Adrian, you’ve got to stop with this ’I did something stupid’ thing. It’s bad for my nerves. What did you do this time?"

"Well," I said, dragging my gaze across the room, "Margaret came back to me ten years later."

Juliette’s sharp intake of breath was audible. "She came back? After what she did?"

"She did," I confirmed, my voice low. "She apologized—again. She claimed she had been an empty shell since she left that night, haunted by guilt and by... me. She said she couldn’t stop her feelings for me, no matter how hard she tried. And she swore—on everything she held dear—that she would never betray me again."

"Please tell me you didn’t believe her nonsense," Teresa said, her tone halfway between a plea and a warning.

I didn’t answer right away, and the silence was damning. Teresa groaned, throwing her hands in the air. "Adrian! Seriously?"

Juliette shook her head, her disappointment clear as day. Even Leonard, who usually had a sarcastic quip for every situation, looked like he wanted to shake me.

"Look, I know it was stupid," I admitted, raking a hand through my hair. "But at the time... I knew what guilt felt like. I thought—maybe—she deserved a chance at redemption."

Juliette scoffed, shaking her head. "Redemption? She didn’t deserve redemption; she deserved a stake to the heart."

Lucian’s expression remained unreadable, his head tilted slightly as he listened. "And did she redeem herself?"

"No," I said bitterly. "She became crazier than I ever knew her to be."

Juliette frowned. "Crazier how?"

I hesitated, the memories clawing at the edges of my mind. "The time she had been away, she had acquired... new abilities. Mind control. And not just the kind where you can plant suggestions. Margaret could reach into someone’s mind and make them do her bidding—without even being near them. Her control was more potent than mine ever was, and she used it without hesitation."

Leonard, ever the joker, tried to lighten the mood. "Great. Mind control Margaret. That’s not terrifying at all."

But no one laughed.

"Since we were back together again, I had trusted her with my coven. I asked my coven to treat her as they treated me but I didn’t know her requests of them would turn ridiculous," I continued, my voice tightening. "And if anyone refused, she’d use her power to force them to carve out their own hearts as punishment. It was a warning to others—do as she says, or face the consequences."

The room was silent, the gravity of my words sinking in. Teresa’s eyes were wide, her lips parted in shock.

"And it didn’t stop there," I said. "Margaret caused havoc everywhere she went. She drank from anyone she wished, including children barely two years old. She didn’t care whether they survived or turned into vampires. My coven was terrified of her. Soon, the humans in the valley caught on, and they were just as terrified."

"Humans can be... creative when they feel unsafe," I added, my voice taking on a darker tone. "They started hunting vampires with tools I’d never seen before. Wooden bullets coated in silver, flamethrowers, even explosives. They became relentless, and we lost many of our own."

"Why didn’t you stop her?" Juliette asked, her voice rough with frustration.

"Oh, I tried," I said bitterly. "I confronted her many times, but Margaret had an answer for everything. She claimed she was doing what was best for me—for my coven. But the truth was, she wanted my coven. For some reason, she couldn’t create or control one of her own, so she tried to take mine."

"And when you didn’t let her?" Juliette prompted.

"She tried to manipulate me, of course. And when that didn’t work, she resorted to her mind control. But luckily for me, it didn’t work. Not on me."

Leonard snorted. "Of course, it didn’t. You’re Adrian Daegon. You’re like... un-mind-controllable."

I allowed myself a small smile before continuing. "When she realized she couldn’t control me, she tried to use Elizabeth as leverage. Elizabeth was only thirteen at the time. Margaret thought she could take her hostage, but Elizabeth... she was too powerful. Margaret couldn’t hold her."

"Goddess," Juliette whispered. "That woman makes me so mad."

"Yes," I said, my voice softening. "On seeing Elizabeth’s powers for the first time, Margaret realized something. She started wondering if Elizabeth was the child she’d been searching for all along. After that, I knew she would try to get Elizabeth at all cost, that’s when I knew I had to end things."

"And did you?" Lucian asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.

"I broke up with her," I said simply. "I realized my parental love for Elizabeth was stronger than any guilt I felt for Margaret, so I told her to leave. But Margaret being Margaret... she refused. She started following me everywhere, like I had once done with her."

Teresa snorted. "Sounds like poetic justice."

"Maybe," I said, my lips twitching. "But I couldn’t risk her hurting Elizabeth—or anyone else in my coven. So, I made a plan. Elizabeth used her magic to create a cover for us, and we escaped the valley without Margaret knowing."

"Where did you go?" Teresa asked.

"Everywhere," I said. "For years, we traveled the world, always staying one step ahead of her. I wasn’t afraid of her for myself but for my coven... I couldn’t take any chances."

"And now?" Lucian asked, his head tilting again. "You’re back in the valley. Isn’t that... risky?"

"It was," I admitted. "But Elizabeth created a cloaking barrier around the entire valley. I thought we were safe. I even built my castle here, after the last of my siblings passed away."

"And Margaret?" Juliette asked.

"I hadn’t seen or heard from her since the day we escaped," I said. "Until now. Thanks to Leonard—though I can’t truly blame him—Margaret knows where I am."

All eyes turned to Leonard, who raised his hands defensively. "Hey! In my defense, I didn’t know she was a psycho ex-girlfriend with mind control powers!"

Despite the tension, a few chuckles broke the surface, the room lightening just slightly.

Lucian leaned forward, his blank gaze piercing. "So, what are you going to do now, Adrian?"

I let out a slow breath, my mind already turning over possibilities. "What I should have done a long time ago."

"And that is?" Teresa asked.

I smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach my eyes. "If she dares seeks me out, I’ll make sure Margaret never hurts anyone again."

The room fell silent again, the weight of my words settling over us like a heavy shroud. But this time, it was a silence of understanding.

A few minutes later, the heavy silence was broken by Elizabeth. She strode into the room, her tone calm but firm, "The barrier is secured," she said with a confidence that steadied my nerves. "Not even the smallest pixie could slip through now, let alone Margaret." Her gaze locked onto mine, softer this time. "Don’t worry. To the outside world, this valley no longer exists."

Relief rippled through the room, breaths exhaled in unison. I gave her a grateful nod, and she returned it with a quick smile—one that quickly faded into a more serious expression.

"There’s something else," Elizabeth said, her tone dropping to a near whisper, heavy with unspoken concern. "Eldur’s been restless. No matter what Katrina or I do, he won’t calm down." Her eyes flickered with worry as she glanced at Juliette then back at me, "I think it’s best you both come and check on the baby." Juliette and I exchanged uneasy glances but nodded and got up immediately, following Elizabeth out.

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