"I know my mate is dead!" Bethany snapped, causing Kelly to instinctively cover her mouth in shock. "That's what I know. You want to know what else I know?"
"Bethany, I'm..." Kelly started, but Bethany interrupted her as she began pacing angrily.
"I know, my son, your grandson is barely clinging on. I know that he may never see again, and he may lose a leg because of silver poisoning. He will never be Alpha now. His life is ruined. What the hell do I not know about this situation? What the fuck did I need to see by being there?" Bethany snarled. Deep down, Bethany felt regret about not going with them to the trial. Perhaps if she had, she would have been able to save them, but where they were, Bethany would have more than likely been killed along with her mate.
Kelly's heart ached at the pain in her daughter's eyes. "Bethany, I'm so sorry," she said, taking a step toward her, hoping to offer some comfort. But Bethany pushed her away, her expression fierce as she glared at Kelly.
"No, I don't need your pity. I need explanations. I need vengeance. I need blood! Tell me what we're going to do. Tell me what's going on. Tell me whose throat I need to rip out!" Bethany growled, her voice desperate.
"Matthew,"
"What?"
"Matthew did this. He got your mate killed. He is part of the reason for all of this," Kelly stated flatly, her voice heavy with the burden of the truth.
Bethany took a step backward in disbelief. "No, he would never do such a thing. Matthew would never betray us," she declared with a hint of desperation. "Is that why I can't feel him anymore? Is he dead?"
"I exiled him," Kelly responded. She felt no regret about her actions. In fact, it strengthened her resolve that she did the right thing. She would have never believed that her youngest son would betray her unless she saw it with her own eyes.
Bethany's eyes blazed with anger, and she took an indignant step closer to her mother. "Exiled? You could have been wrong! He could've been framed. You had no right to do that!"
"I had every right!" Kelly snarled, stepping closer to Bethany. "Bethany, I didn't want to exile him, but he left me with no choice. He endangered our pack and our people, all because he couldn't accept that he wouldn't get his way. He's become a self-absorbed brat who was willing to doom us all for a she-wolf who didn't even love him anymore. So, yes, I exiled him, and I would have killed him myself if I knew how many people would have been harmed because of his actions!"
In a moment of frustration and anger, Bethany raised her hand and slapped her own mother. The sound echoed through the room, a stark symbol of the rift that had torn their family apart. "You would kill your own son for your failure as a parent!" I don't even know how I can continue calling you my mother. He acted this way because you raised him to be this way. You allowed Dad to let him think that being cut throat, ruthless, and taking what he wanted was the way to be. And now, instead of fixing the issue, would you exile him or abandon him? You're pathetic and disgusting!"
"That's enough, Bethany!" Garrett's voice boomed as he entered the foyer, followed closely by Ethan and Adam. "You don't talk to Mom like that!"
"Oh, look who it is! Where's your little Omega bitch?" Bethany growled.
"Kidnapped by hunters, but that's not the point. Mom...."
Bethany cackled and said, "Of course she was. I told the little Omega she needed to stop trying to play a role that she wasn't fit for."
"And what the hell does that mean?"
"She's an Omega. She has no value. You shouldn't even waste your time looking for her."
"That Omega is one of the last she-wolves with ancient blood, so you watch how you talk about her," Garrett retorted. "We don't need to be arguing right now. We need to come up with a plan."
"Oh, wait, now you want to act like we're a happy family only because Matthew has been exiled? You just continue to be a coward. You should've put Matthew in his place a long time ago, but instead you abandoned us because you couldn't deal with grief! You weren't the only one grieving, Garrett. As the older brother, you should've been guiding Matthew. So, you stay out of this, Garrett; you're not even family anymore."
"I'm not family? I'm not family. Do you even know what the meaning of family is?" Garrett's voice was laced with anger as he shot back at Bethany. "I hated our father for a long time, and yes, I disliked Matthew, but I never wanted anything to happen to him. I was against him being exiled, but our mom is Luna here, so this is her decision, and you're abusing her for making the right decision. It hurts me to say, but Matthew is a traitor!"
Bethany scoffed. "Is he the reason why you exiled him, Mom? He just concocted some story because he hates Matthew."
"I have no reason to lie," Garrett said firmly.
"You know that Matthew wanted to be Alpha. He would never do anything like this. You were always jealous of Matthew because he was happy, and he had the guts to get what he wanted."
Ethan, who had remained silent until now, finally interjected his voice. "It's the truth, Bethany. You were not there. You did not see the evidence."
Bethany's temper flared once again, and she turned her anger toward Ethan, her frustration evident. "And you-am I supposed to believe what you say? You're the damn Alpha King, and you're hiding out in my parents' packhouse. Why are you all hesitating? What's wrong with you?"
As the tension in the room thickened, a warrior from the pack approached them, his expression grave. "Alpha King, we've found Matthew on the pack border. He's in critical condition."