Alpha’s Regret: My Rejected Mate Is A Healer novel Chapter 43

“It’s a message, Lucas,” Sebastian Draven said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. His voice carried an air of triumph, a rare moment of satisfaction breaking through the brooding bitterness that usually cloaked him. “A message to Valen that his reign is crumbling, piece by piece.”

Sebastian Draven, Valen’s older brother, sat in his luxurious penthouse, the city’s glittering skyline stretching before him. he’s handsome with a chiseled face and high cheekbones, a strong, angular jawline, and a thin scar running from his left temple to just above his cheek, a reminder of past conflicts. His ash-gray eyes were cold and calculating, framed by thick, dark brows that gave him a perpetually intense expression. His straight nose and thin lips added to his stern demeanor, while his neatly combed jet-black hair, streaked with faint silver, highlighted his sharp features. With his tall, broad-shouldered frame and commanding presence, Sebastian exuded a mixture of elegance and menace.

Lucas, Sebastian right hand man and friend shifted uneasily in his seat. He had followed Sebastian for years, but this new plan of his working with him-felt dangerously reckless. “Victor Kane,” he said cautiously. “You’re really putting your faith in a human? A hunter, no less?”

Sebastian smirked, the dim light catching the sharp angles of his face. “Faith? Hardly. Victor Kane is a blunt weapon, and I’m simply aiming him in the right direction.”

Lucas frowned. “And you’re… working with him?”

Sebastian raised a finger. “Correction. Using him. Kane doesn’t even know I exist. As far as he’s concerned, he’s just acting on some anonymous tip. A very helpful, very detailed tip.”

“You gave him information?”

“Of course,” Sebastian said, as if it were obvious. “How else do you think he managed to wipe out the Southern Clan so easily? Their defenses were impenetrable, or so they thought. Kane’s good, but even he isn’t that good. He had help. My help.” Lucas stared at him, his expression a mix of disbelief and concern. “The Southern Clan… they were Valen’s strongest allies.” “Exactly,” Sebastian said, snapping his fingers. “And now they’re gone. Poof. Just like that.” He leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face. “Valen’s probably tearing his hair out, trying to figure out how the hunters pulled it off. But the best part? He’ll never know it was me.”

Lucas hesitated, his brow furrowed. “But isn’t this dangerous? If Kane finds out you’re a vampire-“

Sebastian waved him off. “Kane’s too blinded by his own hatred to dig that deep. He doesn’t care who’s feeding him information, as long as it gets him closer to his goal.”

Lucas frowned. “Do you even know what kind of man he is? He’s not some mercenary for hire; he’s driven by vengeance. He’s dangerous, my lord.”

Sebastian leaned back, his gray eyes glinting with amusement. “And that’s exactly what makes him useful. Let me paint you a picture, Lucas.”

He gestured toward the window, as if the bustling city below somehow mirrored the chaos he intended to unleash. “Victor Kane isn’t just a hunter. He’s the hunter. Intelligent, methodical, and utterly ruthless. The kind of man who doesn’t just kill; he eradicates.”

Lucas’s throat tightened, but he remained silent, allowing Sebastian to continue.

“Years ago, Kane had a family-a wife, a daughter. A quiet, happy little life,” Sebastian said, his tone mocking. “Until one fateful night, when a rogue vampire slaughtered them in cold blood. He came home to a blood-soaked living room and found his daughter’s lifeless body in her mother’s arms drained of blood.”

Lucas inhaled sharply, the weight of the story settling over him.

Sebastian’s smirk deepened. “Tragic, isn’t it? And so perfectly motivating. Since that night, Kane has made it his life’s mission to rid the world of our kind. He doesn’t see vampires as individuals, Lucas; to him, we’re all abominations. Monsters.”

Lucas nodded, his unease growing. “And that’s why he’s dangerous, my lord. He’s not driven by greed or power-he’s fueled by hatred. That makes him unpredictable.”

“Hatred,” Sebastian echoed, his voice darkening. “It’s the most reliable motivator. Kane hates us, and I hate Valen. A shared enemy makes for a convenient alliance, don’t you think?”

Lucas hesitated. “But why now? Why bring Kane into this now?”

Sebastian’s expression darkened further, a flicker of pain flashing behind his eyes before being swallowed by his usual bitterness. “Because the elders chose him-the illegitimate son-over me. The one who should have inherited our father’s legacy. The one who earned it.” His voice was low and venomous, every word dripping with resentment.

He clenched his glass tightly, the amber liquid trembling within. “I was the legitimate son. I carried our father’s name with pride. But when the time came, the elders said I was ‘rash,’ that my judgment was too impulsive. They called me a liability. And then, they handed everything to Valen. Valen! The bastard they once whispered about in shame. Do you know what that feels like, Lucas? To have your birthright stolen from you by someone who shouldn’t even exist?”

For Kane, this wasn’t about strategy or politics. It wasn’t even about survival. It was personal. The image of his family-his wife’s laughter, his daughter’s bright eyes-haunted him every night. And every time he closed his eyes, he saw the monster that had taken them away.

Vampires.

To Kane, they weren’t individuals with lives or families of their own. They were predators, unnatural creatures that had no place in the world. Their existence was an insult to everything he had lost.

He picked up a photo from the desk-a worn, faded picture of his wife and daughter, their smiles frozen in time. “I’ll finish what I started,” he whispered. “For you.”

His gaze shifted to the map before him, marked with red circles and Xs. Each mark represented a clan, a group of supernatural creatures he had either destroyed or planned to target. The Southern Clan had been his latest triumph, and the anonymous tip he’d received had made it almost too easy.

Kane didn’t question the source of the tip. He didn’t care. As long as it led him to more vampires, it didn’t matter who was pulling the strings.

He reached for a stake, running his fingers over the polished wood. “One by one, I’ll wipe them out. Until there’s nothing left of their kind.”

Back in his penthouse, Sebastian poured himself another drink, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. He didn’t need to see the aftermath to know his plan was working. Valen would be reeling from the loss of the Southern Clan, scrambling to figure out how the hunters had outsmarted them.

And Sebastian? He was already planning his next move.

“Cheers, Valen,” he murmured, raising his glass to the empty room. “Enjoy your little throne while it lasts. It won’t be yours for much longer.”