Broken Bond: Claimed by My Ex-Husband's Alpha Billionaire Uncle-Chapter 103: The Elder of Hamary

"Most politicians were already rotten," Damon continued. "Ronan didn’t even have to work that hard. A few bribes here, some favors there, and they were ready to protect him."

Charlotte’s brows furrowed. "So, no one dared to stand against him?"

Damon let out a bitter chuckle. "When one person makes a mistake, the others will usually gang up to take them down. But when everyone is guilty? Then the one who dares to expose them becomes the real enemy."

Charlotte’s heart clenched. No wonder Ronan had remained untouchable for so long. In a world where corruption was normal, anyone brave enough to call it out would be the first to be silenced.

No wonder Ronan had risen so high.

And no wonder so many people were too afraid to speak up.

"But why did they have to cause chaos in Northbridge?" Charlotte asked quietly. "Is it because ... of me?"

She didn’t want to believe the world revolved around her. That would be foolish. But deep down, she couldn’t shake the thought. After all, the rogue werewolves only started making trouble after she moved to Northbridge.

At first, she brushed it off as bad luck or coincidence. But now, knowing Julian and his father were behind it, she couldn’t help but wonder — was she the reason they targeted the town?

Damon gently squeezed her hands. "I don’t think it’s that simple," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Let’s not jump to conclusions yet, not until we see the full picture."

Charlotte let out a soft sigh, trying to push down the guilt rising in her chest. "Yeah ... you’re right. We’ll just have to investigate it properly."

Damon leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "And we’ll do it together."

After an hour, the towering building of the Nocturnal Order’s central government in the capital finally came into view. It was located in a private area, completely off-limits to ordinary humans.

The helicopter slowly descended onto the rooftop helipad of the building. The structure itself was grand and traditional, standing out sharply against the modern cityscape of Hamary’s capital.

As the door opened, the cold breeze of the capital brushed against Charlotte’s face, making her pull her coat tighter. Damon stepped out first, then reached out to help her down.

The moment they entered the building, they were greeted by a few members of the Nocturnal Order, all dressed in formal black uniforms with silver badges pinned to their chests.

"Alpha Damon," one of them said with a respectful nod. "The Elder is expecting you."

Damon had sent an email to the Elder last night, so the Elder was already informed of the Alpha’s arrival.

Usually, people had to wait for a reply from the Elder before they could meet him, but Damon was different.

He hadn’t even received a formal response or scheduled an official appointment, yet none of the staff stopped him. Instead, they personally escorted him straight to the Elder’s office.

Diana wasn’t lying when she had bragged to Charlotte about her brother’s influence within the organization.

Charlotte followed closely behind Damon, keeping her steps quiet as they walked through the grand halls of the building. The walls were lined with old paintings and artifacts, each telling a story of the Nocturnal Order’s long and complicated history.

Finally, they stopped in front of a large, double-door entrance. One of the staff members gave a respectful nod before gently pushing the doors open. novelbuddy.cσ๓

Inside, sitting behind a wide, dark wooden desk, was the Elder of Hamary Country.

The room was vast, with tall windows letting in the soft glow of the sun. The Elder, a man who appeared to be in his late sixties, had sharp eyes that immediately fixed on Damon and Charlotte as they entered.

Fortunately, the Elder of Hamary was a werewolf, someone who could surely understand Damon’s problem well.

The Elder’s name was Alderic Vaughn, a name well-known among the older generations of the Nocturnal Order. He was known not just for his strength, but for his wisdom and strict sense of justice.

Elder Alderic leaned back slightly in his chair, his silver-streaked hair catching the sunlight.

"I’ve been informed briefly about your visit," Alderic said, folding his hands on the desk. "But I assume you are here to provide me with details regarding something far more serious than what was mentioned."

Damon nodded firmly. "Yes, Elder Vaughn. It concerns Julian Warren and ... potentially, Ronan Warren."

At the mention of the name, Alderic’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t interrupt. Instead, he gave a small nod, signaling Damon to continue.

They sat down across from the Elder. Damon, clearly familiar with the setting, was completely at ease, his posture relaxed, his expression steady. It was obvious he’d been here before, and he wasn’t fazed by the formality of it.

Charlotte, on the other hand, felt like she had just walked into a royal courtroom.

The room was so quiet and dignified, it made her heart pound a little faster. She sat beside Damon, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her back perfectly straight, so straight that her spine was starting to ache.

But she didn’t dare slouch, not in front of someone with such authority.

She glanced at Damon from the corner of her eye, silently wishing she could borrow just a bit of his calm confidence.

On the other side, Damon wasted no time.

He calmly but firmly laid everything out from the very beginning.

He told Elder Alderic about Julian’s crimes: how he had kidnapped Charlotte, poisoned Haven, and maintained a secret underground prison beneath the city. There, dozens of werewolves had been held captive, only to be turned into rogue werewolves by force.

He used a dangerous serum called Nightshade, a substance Damon knew could destroy a werewolf’s mind, stripping away their humanity until nothing was left but a beast.

Moreover, it could also weaken a werewolf’s healing ability and even cause the victim’s wounds to melt like molten iron.

Charlotte had been somewhat lucky because she couldn’t transform into a werewolf, which meant the Nightshade wasn’t able to affect her mind or turn her into a rogue werewolf.

However, its ability to destroy a werewolf’s natural healing power was still something to be feared, even for someone wolfless like her.

"There’s more," Damon said, his voice tightening. "Julian wasn’t working alone. There’s strong reason to believe his father, Ronan Warren, the current governor of Suncreast City, has been involved."

Alderic’s sharp eyes narrowed. His fingers tapped the desk slowly, but he said nothing, letting Damon continue.

Damon explained about the broken watch he had found at the hideout. The scratches on the wall that hinted at a struggle. How Priscilla, Julian’s own mother, might have been locked up with Ronan’s knowledge or even with his direct involvement.

"And it wasn’t just about covering up his son’s crimes," Damon added. "I believe Ronan has been using this operation to create chaos not only in Northbridge but beyond, manipulating rogue werewolves for his personal gain."

The room fell silent.

The weight of the accusation wasn’t something to be taken lightly, especially against a powerful governor with strong ties to both human politics and the Nocturnal Order.

Elder Alderic’s expression remained stoic, but his eyes were sharp. He finally leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "This," Alderic said, "is far more serious than I expected."

"And this Julian Warren ... isn’t he the same man who abused your current Luna?" Elder Alderic turned his gaze to Charlotte. "How are you doing now?"

Charlotte stiffened a little under the Elder’s gaze, but Damon gave her hand a reassuring squeeze beneath the table.

"I’m ... fine now," Charlotte answered softly. "Thank you for asking."

She hadn’t expected the Elder to ask about her well-being instead of judging her.

The Elder nodded slowly, his sharp eyes softening just a little. "You are strong, child. I’ve seen many who would have broken under less."

Charlotte’s lips curved into a small, shy smile. "Thank you."

She wasn’t the only one who had suffered abuse from her own mate, and she knew that. However, Alderic had seen many others who weren’t as fortunate as her. Many had chosen to end their own lives, while others still struggled just to stand on their own feet.

Honestly, if it hadn’t been for Damon and the support from her family, Charlotte might have ended up just like them.

Damon kept holding her hand firmly, silently thankful that the Elder acknowledged her strength instead of looking down on her.

Elder Alderic turned back to Damon. "Now, tell me everything you know about this Nightshade serum and what exactly you want from the Order."

Damon began, "I need the Order’s help to shut this problem. Not just Julian, but anyone involved, including his father, Governor Ronan Warren. I believe he’s helping cover this up, maybe even funding it."

"This is far bigger than just a criminal Alpha," Alderic finally said. "If what you’re saying is true, this touches both the Order and human politics."

Damon nodded. "That’s why I’m here. I can’t handle this alone."