With a dominant growl, I typed: "Lucas ckwood, Olivia is mine. She was before, and she can only be mine in the future. Stay away from her."
I hit send without hesitation, watching the message deliver with satisfaction. My
wolf rumbled with approval at marking our territory so clearly.
Several iing messages shed across the screen - Lucas''s angry
responses. I didn''t bother reading them. Instead, I blocked his number, turned off Olivia''s phone, and tossed it
aside.
My attention returned to the woman sleeping in my arms. Her chestnut hair spilled across the pillow, her face peaceful in sleep – a stark contrast to the hatred that filled her eyes when
awake.
My fingers moved of their own ord, tracing the delicate outline of her face. I followed the
curve of her cheekbone, the slope of her nose, finally stopping at her slightly parted lips.
Something primal and instinctive took over. I lowered my head and pressed my lips against
hers in a light kiss.
It wasn''t a iming kiss – though my wolf certainly wanted that. But the time wasn''t right.
She needed toe back to me willingly.
I carefully adjusted her position, pulling her closer against my chest. Her scent that unique
blend of moonflowers and something distinctly Olivia filled my senses.
My wolf felt content for the first time in months. She was alive, safe, and back in my territory where she belonged.
The steady rhythm of her breathing lulled me into a peaceful sleep, my arms wrapped
protectively around her.
I was awakened by the distinctive ringtone of my Alpha Phone. Victoria''s special tone.
Carefully extracting myself from the bed, I moved silently to avoid disturbing Olivia. She
stirred slightly but didn''t wake.
I stepped into the hallway before answering. "What is it?"
Chapter 133 Come Here
+8 Puntos >
Instead of Victoria''s voice, I heard Emma''s tearful one. "Alpha King? It''s Emma. Mommy is really sick. She has a high fever and keeps calling for you."
My wolf immediately responded to the distress in the young pup''s voice. "I''ll be right there, Emma. Try to keep herfortable."
I dressed quickly, casting onest nce at Olivia''s sleeping form. My wolf was reluctant to leave our mate, but the pull of a distressed pup was strong.
I left a note on the nightstand exining my absence, though I doubted Olivia would care. Then I slipped out into the night, heading for Rosewood Haven. (Victoria''s POV)
I heard Ethan''s heavy footsteps approaching my bedroom door. Emma had yed her part perfectly the concerned daughter calling for help.
The door opened, and Ethan''s imposing figure filled the doorway. His amber eyes immediately assessed the situation, taking in Emma''s worried face and my feverish state.
"Mommy''s really sick," Emma whimpered, clutching my hand. "I tried to help, but she keeps getting hotter."
Ethan approached the bed, his expression concerned as he ced his hand on my forehead. I leaned into his touch, making sure he felt the unnatural heat radiating from my skin.
"50.2 degrees," he muttered, checking the thermometer Emma had ced beside the bed.
I had deliberately induced this fever with abination of herbs, but the temperature was higher than I''d intended. The difort wasn''t entirely an act anymore.
I gripped Ethan''s hand with trembling fingers, forcing tears to well in my eyes. "Ethan," I whispered, my voice deliberately weak. "Do you really not want Emmy?"
I saw his expression shift at the childhood nickname. His wolf recognized its significance –
the name only his childhood sweetheart would use.
His grip on my hand tightened slightly. "Don''t talk. Save your strength."
I was gambling everything on Emma''s position in Ethan''s heart. I didn''t believe he
would truly abandon her - not the child he''d raised as his own for years.
When I felt his grip loosening, I murmured through my tears, "Don''t give up on Emmy. Please don''t give up on her."
Ethan picked up a cloth from the bedside table and gently wiped the tears from my face. "No,"
he whispered.
That single word was all I needed to hear. He would never ignore us.
+8 Puntos >
Even in my feverish state, I felt triumph surge through me. I was his childhood sweetheart. How could he bear to make me sad?
As long as I maintained that connection, Ethan would never abandon me for anyone else especially not Olivia.
I knew exactly what leverage I had. The real childhood sweetheart had better remain dead. If she wasn''t dead, she''d better stay away forever.
Otherwise, she would be courting death. I would never allow Ethan to discover I wasn''t his true childhood love, that I was an imposter.
Once I lost that identity, that special connection... I didn''t dare think about it! I would never allow that day toe.
Ethan stayed by my side all night, just as I knew he would. My n was working perfectly.
(Olivia''s POV)
I woke with a gasp, my heart pounding from a nightmare I couldn''t quite
remember. My wolf
immediately scanned for threats, alert and wary.
The unfamiliar bedroom came into focus. Ethan''s bedroom.
I sat up abruptly, checking myself for any signs that he had imed me during the
night.
Relief washed over me when I found none.
The space beside me was empty, the sheets cold. He''d been gone for some time.
A note on the nightstand caught my eye: "Emergency with Emma. We''ll discuss your mother''s
surgery when I return."
I crumpled the note and tossed it aside. I had no intention of being here when he returned.
Quickly gathering my things, I dressed and slipped out of Moonlight Manor. The morning air
was crisp against my skin as I walked briskly toward themunity entrance.
At the gate, I turned on my Evidence Phone. It immediately began buzzing with notifications -
missed calls and messages, mostly from Lucas.
As I scrolled through them, an iing call from an unknown number appeared
on the
screen. My wolf''s caution made me decline it.
< Chapter 133: Come Here
A sleek ck Armored SUV pulled up beside me. The window lowered to reveal
Lucas
ckwood''s concerned face.
"Get in," he said, his gray eyes scanning the area around us.
+8 Puntos >
I hesitated only briefly before climbing into the passenger seat. Thomas Griffin
was behind the wheel, nodding respectfully as I entered.
"You stayed outside all night?" I asked, noticing the coffee cups and food wrappers that suggested a long wait.
Lucas''s expression was unapologetic. "My wolf wouldn''t leave you unprotected in
rival
territory."
Something warm unfurled in my chest at his words. "Thank you," I said softly. "But
I''m fine.
Nothing happened."
His eyes searched mine, looking for the truth. "Did he force himself on you?"
"No," I assured him. "He didn''t touch me."
Lucas''s jaw tightened, and I realized he didn''t entirely believe me. "Your wolf," he
said carefully.
"Is it beginning to respond to him again?"
I didn''t answer directly. The truth wasplicated - my wolf had remained
stubbornly neutral
"You don''t have to answer," Lucas said, correctly reading my hesitation. "But remember, Olivia
you deserve better than a mate who abandoned you and your daughter when you
needed
him most."
His gray eyes held mine, intense and sincere. "I would never do that to you."
The SUV pulled away from Moonlight Manor, heading toward the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den. Lucas''s words hung between us, heavy with implication.
"I know you still feel the mate bond," he continued. "But bonds can change. They
can weaken
or strengthen based on actions, not just instinct."
He reached over and squeezed my hand gently. "I believe one day your wolf will
recognize me
as the better Alpha."
At the medical den, Dr. Harrison Fletcher was waiting for us in the lobby. His
expression was
carefully neutral as we approached.
"Miss Winters," he greeted me. "I wanted to inform you that your mother''s surgery
has been
Chapter 133: Come Here
postponed indefinitely."
My wolf bristled with protective fury. "What? Why?"
+8 Puntos >
Dr. Fletcher avoided my gaze. "The surgical team feels that her condition needs to
stabilize further before proceeding."
"That''s not what you said yesterday," I challenged, stepping closer. "You said the surgery was
urgent."
Lucas moved to stand beside me, his tall frame imposing. "Dr. Fletcher," he said,
his voice
carrying the subtle authority of an Alpha. "Is this medical decision, or was it
influenced by Alpha King Stone?"
The healer''s silence was damning.
"Answer her," Lucas pressed, his wolf''s dominance seeping into his tone.
Dr. Fletcher straightened his shoulders. "I have a duty to my patients and to my Alpha-"
"Your duty is to save lives," I interrupted, my voice shaking with anger. "My mother could die
without this surgery!"
The tension in the lobby was palpable, drawing the attention of staff and patients
alike.
"What''s going on here?"
Ethan''s deep voice cut through the argument. He strode toward us, his amber eyes shing
with territorial anger at finding Lucas with me.
"You''re interfering with my mother''s treatment," I used, turning to face him. “Dr. Fletcher was ready to perform the surgery until you ordered him not to." Ethan''s gaze shifted between me and Lucas, his wolf clearly agitated by the other Alpha''s presence. "This is pack business, ckwood. You have no ce here."
Lucas stepped forward, positioning himself slightly in front of me. "Olivia asked for my help.
That makes it my business."
The two Alphas faced each other, their wolves bristling beneath the surface. The
air crackled
with tension.
Without warning, Lucas lunged forward and struck Ethan with a powerful blow to
the jaw. The
impact echoed through the lobby.
“That''s for using her mother''s health as leverage,” Lucas growled.
< Chapter 133: Come Here
Ethan recovered quickly, his amber eyes darkening with rage. He moved to
retaliate, but I stepped between them, instinctively shielding Lucas.
+8 Puntos >
My action surprised everyone, including myself. My wolf had made a choice,
protecting Lucas instead of my mate.
Ethan''s eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice dropping to the unmistakable tone
of an Alphamand as he ordered, "Olivia Winters,e here."
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