Ian’s POV
It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense.
Mike? My chest tightened, and my thoughts blurred as the weight of Jacob’s words pressed down on me. Mike, the friend who had fought beside me, had advised me through the worst times, had been part of my life for centuries… He’d betrayed me.
I stood there, numb, as the truth settled into my bones.
“Ian?” Sophia’s voice broke through the fog, gentle but laced with worry. She was sitting on the couch, one hand protectively cradling her stomach, the other resting on the armrest, her eyes searching mine for an answer I didn’t have.
I swallowed hard, trying to push the bile rising in my throat back down. “I—” My voice cracked. I couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. Mike had betrayed us. Betrayed me.
I walked to the window, staring out at the vampire realm stretching beneath the dark sky. A kingdom that, up until now, I had believed was under control. But the reality was that everything I’d thought was safe had been crumbling right in front of me. And I had missed it. I’d been so blind.
“Ian, we need to talk about this,” Sophia said, standing up slowly. “We need to figure out what we’re going to do.”
I turned to her, feeling the weight of it all crushing me. Her face was etched with worry, but there was something else there, too—determination. She’d been through hell, and now, pregnant with our child, she was trying to hold it together. But I knew her fears were the same as mine.
“We can’t run from this,” she added, her voice steady despite the fear I knew she was feeling. “We have to confront him.”
“Confront Mike?” I echoed, my voice hollow. “The man who’s been plotting against us for God knows how long? The man I’ve trusted with my life?”
Sophia stepped closer, her gaze never leaving mine. “Yes, Ian. Because if we don’t, he’ll come for us again. For me. For our child.” Her hand moved over her stomach, and I felt my heart squeeze painfully.
The child. Our child.
Everything I had been doing—fighting, leading, ruling—it was all for this family I had now, for the life I was trying to build with Sophia. And Mike had been trying to tear it apart.
“I don’t know if I can face him,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. It was the truth. The betrayal had gutted me, left me unsure of everything I’d thought I knew.
Sophia’s eyes softened, but she remained resolute. “I know it’s hard, but we don’t have a choice. We have to keep our child safe. And to do that, we need to put an end to this.”
I clenched my fists, trying to channel the fury that simmered beneath the surface, but all I felt was the sting of betrayal. The sting of losing someone I had considered family.
“He’s been playing us,” I muttered, my voice hardening as the anger began to take over. “This whole time, he’s been playing us like puppets.”
“And now we know,” Sophia said softly. “Now we can stop him.”
I stared at her, my beautiful, strong Sophia. She had been through so much already—turning into a vampire, being hunted, losing her humanity, and now carrying our child in a world that was dangerous and uncertain. And still, she was standing here, telling me we needed to face the man who had betrayed us.
She was right.
I couldn’t hide from this. We couldn’t. Mike needed to be dealt with before he tore apart what little we had left. Before he made another move that would put our family in even greater danger.
“I can’t let him get away with this,” I said, my voice firming as I finally found my resolve. “We need to confront him. Now.”
Sophia nodded, though I could see the worry in her eyes. “But how do we do that without walking into a trap? He’s probably expecting us to come after him.”
“I know,” I muttered, pacing the length of the room as I tried to think. “We’ll need to be careful. Mike’s been playing this game for a long time, and he knows how to manipulate people. He’ll be ready for us.”
“We’ll need help,” Sophia said, her voice quieter now. “People we can trust.”
I stopped pacing and looked at her. Trust. The word seemed so foreign right now. Who could I trust after this? How many more were working with Mike behind the scenes, waiting to stab us in the back the second we made a wrong move?
“Who can we trust?” I asked, more to myself than to her.
Sophia came to stand beside me, placing a hand on my arm. “Lyanna. Jacob. There are still people who believe in you, Ian. You’re not alone in this.”
I let out a slow breath, trying to clear my mind. She was right. I wasn’t alone, not completely. But it was hard to shake the feeling of isolation that came with this kind of betrayal.
“We need to gather everyone,” I said after a moment. “Lyanna, Jacob… the council members who are still loyal. We need to confront Mike, and we need to do it soon.”
Sophia nodded, her hand slipping into mine. “We’ll face this together.”
The warmth of her touch grounded me, bringing me back to the present. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to find comfort in the fact that no matter what happened, I still had Sophia. And our child.
But the moment passed quickly, and the gravity of what needed to be done settled heavily on my shoulders again.
“We should move now,” I said, my voice hardening. “We can’t give him any more time to plan or strike.”
Sophia squeezed my hand gently. “I’m with you.”
I pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll protect you,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. I had to. Whatever it took, I had to protect them both.
The gathering in the council chamber was tense. Lyanna stood to my right, her face impassive but her eyes filled with concern. Jacob was next to her, his usual cockiness replaced with a somber expression. There were a few others, council members I knew I could still trust, but their numbers were fewer than I would’ve liked. I could believe that Viktor was standing beside me though. He had always acted like he was against me but this came as a huge surprise.
Sophia stayed close to my side, her presence giving me all the strength and support I needed. She didn’t need to say anything—I knew how much she was risking by being here. But she wouldn’t have stayed away even if I’d begged her to.
Mike arrived shortly after, strolling into the chamber with his usual calm demeanor, as if he hadn’t a care in the world. His eyes flicked to me, then to the others, and I could see the slight shift in his expression—he knew something was off.
“Ian,” Mike said, his voice casual. “What’s going on?”
I took a breath, forcing myself to remain calm. “We need to talk.”
Mike raised an eyebrow. “About?”
I didn’t mince words. “We know you’re behind the attacks.”
For a moment, Mike’s face was unreadable, but then his lips curved into a small, condescending smile. “Is that what this is about? Some rogue vampire’s confession?”
I stared at him, waiting for the denial, the excuses. But he didn’t offer any. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and let out a sigh.
“Ian,” he began, his tone almost patronizing, “I always knew you were too soft. Too human, even after all these centuries. This kingdom needs strength, real leadership. And you’ve failed to provide that.”
“Strength?” I echoed, my voice low and filled with fury. “You think orchestrating attacks on your own people is strength?”
Mike’s smile disappeared, replaced with a cold, calculating look. “I’ve been doing what needed to be done. You’ve let the humans in, let them weaken you, and now you’re going to bring a child into this world? A child that will be a target from the moment it’s born? You’re a fool, Ian.”
I could feel the rage boiling inside me, but I forced it down, keeping my voice steady. “That’s not your decision to make.”
Mike stepped closer, his eyes flashing with anger. “You’re weak. And if you won’t step down, then I’ll make sure this kingdom has the leader it deserves.”
The tension in the room was palpable, but I didn’t back down. “You’ve already lost, Mike. You just don’t realize it yet.”
“Lost?” He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “You really think you can stop me? Look around, Ian. How many of these people truly follow you? They follow power. And right now, I have that.”
I took a step closer, meeting his gaze head-on. “This isn’t about power. This is about family. And I’ll do whatever it takes to protect mine.”
Mike’s eyes flicked to Sophia, then back to me, and I saw the cruel smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Let’s see how far that loyalty takes you, then.”
With a snap of his fingers, the doors to the chamber burst open, and rogue vampires flooded the room, guarding him. “I’ll give you just one day to surrender,” he added and all of them cleared out with him just as fast as they came in.