Chapter 13 - THE FEAST OF WOLVES
Sebastian changed Adrian’s plan.
Not because he believed he was smarter.
Because he no longer trusted plans built around predictable rage.
He invited everyone.
Not soldiers.
Family.
Helena.
Chad.
August.
Victor.
Nicholas.
Clara.
Anthony.
Father Michael refused.
He had spent enough years inside Moretti rooms.
The gathering began at the first Moretti house.
Vittorio’s old estate.
The dining table was set.
No food.
No servants.
Only thirteen chairs.
Rocco had expected a private confrontation.
Sebastian turned it into a family reckoning.
Helena entered first.
Then Chad.
August arrived irritated.
Victor looked ill.
Nicholas looked like a stranger invited to his own bloodline.
Sebastian sat at the head.
Leo remained at home.
Mia did not exist in this branch.
No children.
That was deliberate.
Sebastian looked around.
“My brother spent fourteen months pulling threads.”
Nobody spoke.
“He left clues because he did not trust any one person with the truth.”
Helena looked down.
Victor swallowed.
August remained calm.
Sebastian continued:
“I helped create that.”
August raised an eyebrow.
“A confession?”
“No.”
Sebastian looked at him.
“A fact.”
Chad leaned back.
“What now?”
“Now nobody leaves until everyone says what they hid.”
August laughed.
“You sound like Vittorio.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Difference is I’m starting with myself.”
That silenced him.
Sebastian looked toward Nicholas.
“Twenty-six years ago I loved Rebecca Hale.”
Helena’s eyes sharpened.
“You knew her?”
Sebastian looked at her.
“You didn’t?”
“No.”
Interesting.
“Vittorio drove her away.”
Nicholas watched.
“She had my son.”
Sebastian paused.
“I did not know.”
Nicholas’s face tightened.
Sebastian continued:
“My brother found him.”
“Adrian protected him.”
“Victor helped hide him.”
Victor looked ashamed.
Sebastian turned toward Helena.
“Your turn.”
She said:
“I helped condemn Adrian knowing he did not betray the river yard.”
Chad looked down.
“Why?”
“To protect Chad.”
Chad whispered:
“And revenge.”
Helena nodded.
“Yes.”
Victor’s turn.
“I helped Rocco take Adrian.”
Nicholas stared.
“You traded him for me.”
Victor said:
“He asked me to.”
“That does not make it right.”
“No.”
August looked bored.
Sebastian noticed.
“August.”
“What?”
“Your secret.”
“I have many.”
“The one Adrian died for.”
August’s eyes sharpened.
“You assume death again.”
Sebastian stopped.
Interesting word choice.
“Is he alive?”
August smiled faintly.
“Maybe.”
Chad stood.
“You know.”
August looked toward him.
“Sit.”
Chad almost obeyed automatically.
Then stopped.
“No.”
August’s expression changed.
Small.
Important.
Chad remained standing.
Sebastian noticed.
Fear losing power.
August looked at Sebastian.
“You want my secret?”
“Yes.”
“I knew Adrian survived.”
“We know.”
“I knew Rocco took him.”
“We know.”
“I knew Nicholas existed.”
Sebastian stared.
“That’s new.”
August smiled.
“Your father told me.”
“Why?”
“Because Vittorio wanted me to kill him if Rebecca ever brought him back.”
Nicholas went pale.
Sebastian’s face became lethal.
August lifted one hand.
“I did not.”
“Heroic.”
“No.”
August’s voice hardened.
“I simply understood a hidden son could be useful later.”
There it was.
Not mercy.
Leverage.
Nicholas looked disgusted.
August continued:
“Adrian discovered I knew.”
“And?”
“He threatened to expose me.”
“So you framed him.”
August smiled.
“No.”
Sebastian felt something change.
“If not you…”
August looked toward Helena.
Then Victor.
Then Nicholas.
Then finally toward the empty chair beside Sebastian.
“The person who framed Adrian is not here.”
Silence.
Sebastian stared.
“I invited everyone.”
August smiled.
“No.”
He pointed toward the chair.
“You forgot the person your family never counts.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed.
Then the main door opened.
Clara entered.
Late.
Chad turned.
“Where were you?”
She looked at him.
“Making sure Leo was safe.”
Sebastian watched her.
Something in August’s expression shifted.
Fear.
Not of Chad.
Not of Sebastian.
Clara.
Sebastian slowly stood.
“Clara.”
She looked at him.
“Yes?”
August whispered:
“There.”
Chad frowned.
“What?”
August’s voice dropped.
“The Shadow.”
The room went completely still.
Clara smiled.
May you like
Not kindly.
“Finally.”
