+20 Bonus


    (Evelyn''s POV)


    I rushed toward my daughter and Ethan Stone, my legs trembling with each step. Despite my illness, maternal instinct propelled


    me forward with surprising strength. The moonlight illuminated them clearly enough for me to see Olivia''s subtle resistance as


    Ethan forced his lips against hers.


    My heart shattered at the sight. My beautiful, strong daughter-reduced to enduring this man''s unwanted advances because of


    1. me. Because my treatment at the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den gave him leverage over her.


    The taxi driver, Martin, called after me, but his voice faded beneath the roaring in my ears. All I could see was my child being


    manhandled by the man who had broken her heart and abandoned their daughter.


    I reached them just as Olivia managed to push Ethan away. Without hesitation, I positioned myself between them, my frail body a


    shield for my daughter.


    "How dare you touch my daughter like that?" I demanded, my voice carrying surprising strength despite my weakened state.


    Ethan''s amber eyes widened in shock. He clearly hadn''t expected to see me out of the medical center, much less confronting him


    directly.


    "Mrs. Winters," he began, his deep voice carefully controlled. "You should be resting-"


    "After everything you''ve done to her and Lily!" I continued, cutting him off. My hands trembled, but not from weakness-from


    rage. "What kind of Alpha abandons his mate and pup for another she-wolf?" Olivia gripped my shoulders. "Mom, please. You''re not strong enough for this."


    I shrugged off her hands, years of pent-up fury finally finding release. "What kind


    of father misses his own daughter''s final moments?" I spat, watching satisfaction bloom as Ethan flinched at the mention of Lily.


    "Do you even have a conscience? Or did you leave that behind along with your responsibilities to your true family?" My voice


    cracked with emotion.


    Ethan remained silent, his amber eyes unreadable as he endured my tirade. His jaw tightened, the only visible sign that


    affected him at all.


    "Mom, that''s enough," Olivia pleaded, her emerald eyes filled with concern. "Let''s get you back to the medical center."


    my


    words


    The burst of adrenaline that had carried me this far began to fade. My knees buckled as exhaustion swept through me. I swayed


    dangerously, my vision blurring at the edges.


    Ethan instinctively moved forward to catch me, but Olivia was faster. She stepped between us, her slender body a barrier between


    me and the Alpha.


    "Don''t you dare touch her," Olivia spat, her emerald eyes cold with fury. "We don''t need your false kindness."


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    She wrapped her arm around my waist, supporting my weight. "Come on, Mom. Let''s get you back to the medical center."


    I shook my head firmly. "No. I''m not going back there."


    "Mom, please-"


    "I''ve made my decision," I stated, my voice weak but determined. "I''m refusing the surgery."


    Olivia''s face paled. "What? No, you can''t!"


    "I won''t be used as leverage against you anymore," I insisted. "I won''t let him control you through me."


    Ethan stepped forward, his powerful presence impossible to ignore. "Mrs. Winters, be reasonable. Your condition requires-"


    "My condition is my concern," I interrupted. "Not yours."


    Olivia gripped my hands, her eyes desperate. "Mom, please reconsider. The surgery is your best chance."


    "At what cost?" I asked softly. "Your happiness? Your freedom?”


    “I''m fine,” Olivia insisted, her voice taking on a pleading quality I''d rarely heard


    from my strong-willed daughter. "I still have


    feelings for Ethan. I''m with him willingly."


    The lie was so transparent it broke my heart. Even now, she was sacrificing herself for me.


    "Lucas ckwood is a good man," I said, watching Ethan''s expression darken at the mention of his rival. "He respects you,


    Olivia. That''s more than this Alpha has ever given you."


    "She''s my mate," Ethan growled, his voice dropping to a dangerous timbre. "And she will always be mine."


    The possessiveness in his tone sent a chill down my spine. This wasn''t love-it was ownership.


    "A true mate cherishes his partner," I countered weakly. "He doesn''t—”


    My words died as darkness suddenly encroached on my vision. The world tilted rmingly, and my legs gave outpletely.


    I was vaguely aware of Olivia crying out, her arms reaching for me. But it was Ethan who moved faster, his supernatural reflexes


    allowing him to catch me before I hit the ground.


    Thest thing I saw before consciousness fled was my daughter''s face, twisted with fear and anguish.


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