(Olivia''s POV)
"No!"
The scream tore from my throat as I watched Lily''s remains disappear into the water below. My eyes, bloodshot and wild with desperation, tracked the crystal pendant''s arc through the air before it vanished beneath the rippling surface of the Moonlit Reflection Pool.
"Lily..." I murmured, my voice breaking on my daughter''s name.
Without thinking, I tumbled out of the hospital bed, ignoring the searing pain that shot through
my battered body. I rushed to the window, my heart pounding frantically in my chest. The
rational part of my mind knew the drop was dangerous, but I didn''t care. All that mattered was
saving what remained of my daughter.
I leaned dangerously far out, my body already halfway through the opening. The cool night air
hit my face as I stared down at the shimmering water below. I was toote. The pendant
containing Lily''s ashes had already disappeared beneath the surface.
Strong hands suddenly gripped my waist, pulling me back from the edge. Ethan''s fingers dug into my skin as he yanked me away from the window.
"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, his amber eyes zing with anger and
confusion.
He couldn''t understand. How could he? He''d never cared about Lily when she was alive. Why
would he care about her remains now?
I pushed against his chest with all my strength, surprising both of us with the force of my fury. "Get away from me!"
My eyes burned with unshed tears as I shoved past him. I had to get to the pool. I had to find Lily''s pendant before it was lost forever.
I didn''t spare Ethan a second nce as I rushed out of the room, my mind
consumed with only one thought: saving what remained of my daughter. The hospital corridor blurred around me as I ran toward the elevator.
"Olivia Winters!" Ethan''s voice boomed behind me, but I ignored him.
< Chapter 73 Shattered Memor
+8 Points>
I mmed my palm against the elevator button repeatedly, willing the doors to open faster.
When they finally did, I stumbled inside and jabbed at the ground floor button. Just as the
doors began to close, I caught a glimpse of Ethan running toward me, his face contorted with
rage.
The doors shut in his face, and I sagged against the elevator wall, my breathing in short,
painful gasps. My ribs screamed in protest with each inhale, but I pushed the pain aside.
Nothing mattered except getting to Lily.
When the elevator reached the ground floor, I burst out and headed straight for
the back exit of the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den. The cool night air hit me like a physical blow as I stumbled
outside, my thin hospital gown offering little protection against the chill.
I spotted the Moonlit Reflection Pool immediately, its surface shimmering under the pale light of the moon. Without hesitation, I ran toward it, my bare feet pping against the cold ground.
My mind was clouded by grief, all reason abandoned. All I knew was that Lily had fallen into the water, and I had to get her back. Nothing else mattered.
I reached the edge of the pool and climbed over the decorative railing, preparing to jump in.
The water looked ck and bottomless in the moonlight, but I didn''t care about the danger. I
had to find Lily.
"Olivia Winters!"
Ethan''s voice cut through the night just as I was about to leap. Before I could jump, his hand mped around my wrist, yanking me backward with such force that I fell against his chest.
His arms wrapped around me like steel bands, trapping me against him. I could feel his heart
hammering against my back as he held me tightly.
“Let me go!” I screamed, struggling against his grip. “I need to find her!"
Ethan''s hand pressed against my back, his fingers feeling the protruding bones through my thin hospital gown. I felt his body stiffen as he realized how much weight I''d lost.
I trembled violently, my lips turning blue with cold in the moonlight. Without warning, Ethan opened his ck Alpha Overcoat and wrapped it around me, ignoring my struggles.
"Are you crazy?" he growled, his face darkening with anger. "Do you know what you''re doing? In this weather? Jumping into the water?" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he added, "Do
you think you''re too healthy?"
I didn''t care about his concern or his anger. All I cared about was retrieving Lily''s ashes.
< Chapter 73 Shattered Memor
+8 Points>
"Ethan Stone, my business is none of your business, let me go!" I twisted in his arms, trying to
break free. The warmth I once craved from him now felt suffocating. "Ethan Stone, I told you to
let me go, do you hear me?!"
My voice rose to a shout, my eyes shing with desperation and fury. I needed him to
understand that nothing mattered more than finding that pendant.
Ethan''s anger seemed to intensify with each passing second. His fingers dug painfully into my
wrist as he began dragging me back toward the medical den.
"Back to the ward," hemanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Stop this
madness."
I resisted with every ounce of strength I had left, biting and kicking like a wild animal. But my
weakened state was no match for his werewolf strength.
The Silvercrest Pack Medical Den was quiet at this hour, but ourmotion attracted attention. Patients and their families peeked out from their rooms, whispering among themselves as they watched the Alpha King dragging his struggling mate through the
corridors.
Ethan''s face darkened further as he sensed the attention we were drawing. "Olivia Winters, are you done?" he hissed through clenched teeth. "For that piece of
junk-"
"Ethan Stone, shut up!" I couldn''t bear to hear him call Lily''s pendant junk one more time. My chest heaved with anger as I cut him off. "I won''t let you insult that pendant again. It''s not
junk, it''s..."
The words “made of Lily''s ashes" caught in my throat. I couldn''t bring myself to say them, to make myself that vulnerable to him again.
Suddenly, the world tilted around me. Thebination of emotional distress and physical injuries overwhelmed my system. My vision blurred, then darkened at the edges. I stumbled, my knees buckling beneath me.