Chapter 409

Noah straightened his tie, taking one last deep breath to calm his nerves. This was it—the moment of truth. He grabbed the handle and turned it.

The single hanging light in the otherwise dark interrogation room was almost blinding as it gleamed off the polished metal table. But the moment Noah's eyes adjusted, they immediately locked onto Scott. Noah felt his blood boil anew.

His Beta, his half-brother, the man who had betrayed him in unimaginable ways, sat there looking small and defeated. He wore a gray prison uniform and looked as if he hadn’t slept in days, dark circles ringing his eyes—eyes that, through fear or guilt or both, refused to meet Noah's.

Noah took his seat opposite Scott. The metal chair scraped against the floor as he pulled it back, unbuttoning one button on his suit jacket before sitting. Every movement was slow, deliberate, painstaking. He said nothing for several long moments, simply letting the silence speak for him. He could see Scott growing increasingly uncomfortable, fidgeting in his seat. His red hair hung in his eyes as he dipped his head even further, straining his neck.

“Why, Scott?”

Noah hated how pained he sounded, how vulnerable despite his attempt at cold, unfeeling determination. Noah and Scott had never had the closest of relationships, but still… Scott was his brother. How could he have betrayed him like this?

Scott shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the room, avoiding Noah's gaze. He remained silent. Infuriatingly silent.

Noah felt his anger rising, bubbling beneath his skin like a pot about to boil over. He couldn’t take it anymore. He’d been holding back his emotions this past week, focused solely on Hannah and Melody, but…

In a sudden burst of fury, he slammed his hands on the table, making Scott jump. Noah’s fangs flashed as he leaped to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor.

“WHY?!” he roared, his voice reverberating off the walls.

Scott visibly paled, terror etched onto his features. Then, like a dam breaking, the words spilled out.

“It… it was all part of the plan,” Scott stammered, his voice shaking. “From the very beginning, Zoe and I… we were working to get you two together.”

Noah’s eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Scott took a shuddering breath. “All those years ago, Zoe… she…” He swallowed hard. “She had to have you. Not you, but Nightcrest. She tried to seduce you, but you had just realized that Hannah was your mate, and you were head over heels. That’s when she recruited me.”

“Go on…”

“We managed to wipe your memories of Hannah,” Scott continued, “to make you think Zoe was your mate, not Hannah. Zoe said it was an ancient spell, a special… potion. It clouded your mind, and then we severed your mate bond with Hannah.”

Noah frowned. “But why make me believe it was my bond with Zoe being cut if she wanted me for herself?”

Scott shrugged. “Zoe said it would make you desperate for her if you thought she didn’t want you. That you’d be eating out of her hand.” He glanced up at Noah, his eyes flicking down to Noah’s hands, which were trembling with rage. “And you did.”

“But then…” Scott shook his head. “Then your parents decided to go through with that arranged marriage anyway, even though you were in love with Zoe. And Zoe got married off to Drake, and everything fell apart.”

Noah felt like he had been punched in the gut. “All these years…?”

Scott nodded miserably. “We kept trying to break you and Hannah up. But no matter what we did, you two kept… kept sticking together somehow. I think we didn’t fully sever your mate bond, or something. I don’t know. All I know is that every attempt we made to ruin your relationship—the lies, the hidden cameras and rumors, me doing a poor job as Beta to frustrate you both—it all kept backfiring.”

Noah’s mind reeled. Hidden cameras… That goddamn unicorn and the fucking forum post. He should have known.

Noah let out a low growl of annoyance. “And the contraceptives in Hannah’s diet pills,” he said, leaning forward. “I assume that was you two as well.”

Only then did Scott’s eyes finally meet Noah’s. “Contraceptives…?”

Noah blinked, surprised. Scott didn’t know… No matter; there was no doubt in Noah’s mind that Zoe had been the one to supply the pills in an attempt to keep Hannah from having a Nightcrest heir.

“But why?” Noah muttered. “Why would you do this to me, Scott? You’re my brother, for fuck’s sake!”

“Half-brother,” Scott corrected, eliciting another growl from Noah. He looked away and continued, “Zoe and I… We slept together when we were teenagers. She got pregnant.”

Noah’s eyes widened.

“Yes,” Scott said, noticing Noah’s realization. “Adam is my son, not Drake’s. Once we realized she was pregnant, we knew what we had to do. The plan was for her to marry you, get Adam named as Nightcrest’s heir, and then…” Scott’s voice trailed off.