Page 75 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
"Holy hell," Jay whispered. "It's over."
His gaze snapped to Drew, then to me. "Some of the Cornerstone wolves surrendered. The rest…" he hesitated, then met Drew's eyes, "...they won't be a problem anymore."
Drew exhaled, a heavy, weary sound that seemed to drain the tension from his shoulders. He stood slowly, his body still stained with blood and dirt and fury, and clapped Jay on the back.
"You did good," he said.
Jay nodded once, then motioned to a medic who'd arrived behind him. Drew turned to me, crouching again, his voice softer now, still protective, still him.
"Stay here. Let them check you both," he said, gently brushing hair from my face. "You and Liora, make sure she's safe."
I reached for him, my hand trembling. "Where are you going?"
His lips curved faintly. "To see what's left of the wreckage."
"Drew…"
He leaned down and kissed my forehead, his touch assuring me, holding me together. "I'll be back," he promised, his voice a vow more than reassurance. "I swear, Ruby. I'm not going anywhere."
I nodded, too raw to speak.
As he stood and turned away, giving quick orders to those around him, I let my gaze fall to Liora. Medics were already working to free her from the machine, murmuring assessments and gentle reassurances. Her chest rose and fell, slow but steady.
My heart throbbed with pain and gratitude. The monster was dead. The betrayal was exposed, and now, my daughter was alive.
We were free.
I watched him walk across the room, tall and steady, the man I once loved in secret, now out in the open, no more shadows, no more pretending. For the first time in a very, very long time, my heart was full. I was no longer running because love had found me.
And this time, it refused to let go.
Two weeks later…
The city still hadn't caught its breath. Every station, every screen, every headline was screaming the same name.
"Authorities have now confirmed the full extent of Alfred Alfonso's underground operations, ranging from corporate fraud and forced experimentation to illegal mining and cross-border trafficking. With new evidence continuously surfacing, legal experts predict…" The voice of the newscaster trailed off as I tore my eyes off the screen.
It's been two weeks since my father's death, and more damning evidence was being uncovered. I still couldn't believe how deeply my father had been entrenched. For years, I'd seen fragments of his obsession with control and constant secrets, but I had never imagined the rot ran this deep.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the words sink in. I should've felt relieved, but all I felt was… hollow.
"Ruby?" Drew's voice rumbled gently against me, his hand stroking my arm in soft, gentle circles.
I turned my face up to him. His expression was thoughtful and unreadable, his eyes fixed on the screen but not really watching.
"I just… I knew he was capable of many things," I murmured, "but not this much, not this deep."
He exhaled slowly. "Took me eight years to trace it all, and seven years to understand how much he'd buried and how many lives he'd trampled to build his empire."
His voice was quiet and steady, and I leaned into him, letting his strength steady me, but I felt the weight behind it. He had hunted the truth while living as a ghost, carrying the pain of a murdered pack and a stolen legacy, and now justice, real, undeniable, and permanent, had taken root.
I reached for his hand, and we laced our fingers together.
"But it's over now," he added softly. "He can't hurt anyone else."
I nodded, my fingers tightening around his. "And we're free of him."
The silence that followed was tender, heavy with everything we didn't need to say.
