Chapter 137


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    Axel descended the stairs and was greeted by a familiar silhouette waiting for him. He halted, his eyes


    widening in disbelief, blinking repeatedly. The dark, wavy hair, the slender frame–it couldn’t be. With


    hesitant steps, his heart raced, and he approached cautiously.


    “Jasmine,” Axel whispered, his voice tinged with shock as he confronted the unexpected sight.


    She turned to meet his gaze, and his lips parted, unable toprehend the reality before him.


    “Jasmine?” He repeated, his voice h oa rse, dropping the items in his hands in astonishment.


    A smile graced her lips, tears welling in her eyes as she rushed towards him.


    “It was Be. It’s all Be. She was there that night, she killed those men and tried to take Nathan’s


    wife as well. Nathan’s wife died because of me,” she cried out, her anguish pouring forth trying to warn


    him.


    Axel enveloped her in his embrace, still grappling with the surreal notion of her being alive.


    “I thought I lost you forever. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I left that night, Jasmine. I’m sorry for what you had


    to endure,” he whispered, holding her close, his heart heavy with


    remorse.


    “How?” he murmured, pulling away slightly to study her features. His eyes roaming all over her.


    “I received your note. It was your handwriting and everything. I didn’t want to believe it. Then that man


    imed he had disposed of you. I truly thought you were gone,” he admitted softly, brushing her hair


    from her face.


    “But it’s really you,” he whispered, disbelief etched across his features.


    “Axel, wait. Just wait,” she implored, squeezing his hands and cupping his face.


    “You asked if I recognized that woman the other time. And I did. She was there that night, she rammed


    into our car, driving it off a cliff. She killed people. You have to get her right now. That’s why she tried to


    kill me…” she said anxiously.


    “It’s okay, it’s fine now. I got rid of them,” he told her gently and firmly.


    “Wait, you did?” she questioned.


    07:50 Tue, 30 Jan Kis


    “We already caught her. She was working with someone who was trying to hurt Ethan’s kids.”


    “Derrick,” Axel spat.


    “Axel, wait. He saved me,” she exined to him.


    “You don’t understand, Jasmine,” he told her, brushing it off. It was personal; the man was practically


    behind all of the misfortunes that had befallen them recently.


    “But he found and saved me. Thest thing I remembered was drowning. I couldn’t breathe, I lost


    consciousness. When I woke up, that man was there, covered in scars, and he brought a child. That


    was Liam,” she exined.


    “We need to find them,” Axel sighed, cupping her face gently. The feeling of relief and happiness was


    overwhelming. Jasmine wasn’t gone; she really was here, in front of him.


    “Wait,” she told him, her face bing grim.


    “I think you should find Ethan. I don’t know what Derrick is up to, but he said something about this


    being the end, Axel,” she told him anxiously.


    “The end?” he repeated.


    “He’s dying, and he’ll probably take Ethan with him,” she warned.


    “I can’t reach Ethan,” Hazel’s voice broke through the phone her voice trembling lightly.


    “Daisy had another seizure and she needs to be wheeled in for surgery right now. I don’t know where


    Liam is or Ethan.” She took I’m a deep shaky breathe. Ethan promised to bring back her son; that it


    was his


    fault, but she hadn’t seen him since he left.


    Daisy’s condition is critical. She wants to see her brother; she’ll be wheeled in an hour’s time,” Hazel


    said, passing the message across.


    “Please tell Ethan,” she whispered, her voice cracking. Her two kids, Daisy and Liam, she felt like she


    was about to lose them.


    **


    ***


    “Why Derrick? How was I supposed to know?” Ethan struggled to stand upright, his eyes beginning to


    sting.


    “Darlene was mine?” he questioned, his voice trembling as he tried to process the revtion.


    “How are you sure? How did she know and I didn’t?” he asked, his chest heaving heavily.


    “You’re lying,” Ethan muttered, his mind reeling from the bombshell. “It had to be a lie. You’re looking


    for justifiable excuses to have me ruined.”


    Darlene was always around as kids growing up, but she never liked hanging out with her twin brothers’


    friends, Ethan could recall trying to make sense of it all.


    “It couldn’t be!” he eximed. “How was she so sure? How did she find out, and I didn’t?”


    “Same way I knew Hazel was mine. She felt the first stage of recognition. She said she felt an


    electrification when she brushed against you and that she could scent you. She was going to tell you


    that day. That was why she began trying to spend time around you, but


    you were so oblivious,” Derrick exined calmly.


    Werewolves could feel a connection with their mates from adolescence. When they were eighteen, the


    two could then be officially mated.


    “That was your reason for ruining people’s lives? You realize you ruined not just mine but Hazel’s as


    well, right?” Ethan yelled, his voice cracking with emotion.


    “I know,” Derrick replied calmly, almost soberly, acknowledging the gravity of his actions.


    “I really didn’t know. She didn


    Ethan cried out, grappling with the unfairness of it all. Hazel had ended up being punished for


    something she knew nothing about.


    **


    “You really had no right, Derrick! No reason!” Ethan shouted, his eyes turning a bright color as his


    anger red.


    “And now, you took my kid! Where is Liam?” Ethan demanded, his grip tightening on Derrick’s cor.


    “Howe you aren’t affected yet?” Derrick asked, stunned by Ethan’s resilience. Ethan should have


    been incapacitated by now, writhing in pain on the floor.


    Rather than bing weaker Ethan had stag gered to his feet and now Ethan was standing to his full


    height his hand was shaking gripping Derrick’s cor. His chest heaving heavily fumes exiting from his


    nostrils. Rick was on Edge raging madly, Ethan’s eyes turned a light shade of yellow. He was furious.


    Everything was and had been a lie, his real mate was never Be. His mate had died and it was


    partially his fault. He’d pushed Hazel away and had been manipted by this man.


    “Where is Liam?” He bellowed again.


    His senses became open like a gush of fresh wind. Just then he caught a familiar scent. in the air


    III


    Liam.


    He could smell Liam. His son’s scent and he was close by.


    I wouldn’t leave if i were you.” derrick muttered puzzled as to why ethan wasn’t reacting the way he had


    imagined. he should have been scrimimg in pain on the floor.


    For years ethan had been without a real connection without rick, after that day darlene died, rick has


    be almost quiet, he felt an ache in his chest that day, everything had be confusing. then


    be came in and even her wasn’t his mate, she was a fake. now hearing the truth had infruirated his


    wolf. he waspletely out for blood


    He had an overwhelming urge to grab derrick and squeeze the life out of him.


    But liam’s scent was near, he was going to find him. he would take care of derrick muchter. shoving


    the pain and inconvenience aside, he turned to move outside.


    “You Don’t actually know what danger the child is in and you leaving might just endanger him.” Derrick


    drawled his calm voice reaching Ethan and making him stop right in his tracks.


    From his tone and stance it was clear that he wasn’t joking.


    Ethan forced his wolf back down, his chest heaving heavily as he approached Derrick. “It’s time to put


    an end to this madness now, Derrick!” he dered, his voice steady despite the storm raging within


    him.


    “I never knew about Darlene, about Hazel. But for what it’s worth, I’m not sorry I married Hazel. I made


    mistakes, didn’t know she was yours either, but I don’t regret it. The few months together were the best


    years of my life with her, and I never even realized it,” Ethan confessed, his voice tinged with regret.


    “And I’m sorry my father took your life, but this isn’t the way to go about it!”


    “You don’t get to leave, Ethan. None of us do this time,” Derrick muttered, his resolve unwavering.


    “Haven’t you done enough? You ruined me too. I never got to watch my kids grow up or hold them as


    babies. I never even got to hear them call me dad. And now, it appears I would die without any of that,”


    Ethan mumbled sadly, his heart heavy with the weight of his own losses.


    “That’s revenge enough, isn’t it? But not Liam or Daisy. They have nothing to do with this. It’s me you


    want, it’s me you hate. I left you there, and… my mate, she died too,” Ethan acknowledged softly, the


    pain of his past mistakes etched in his eyes. “My father, he did all of that,” he added, his voice heavy


    with sorrow.


    “But if ending me would solve it, so be it. I got to live, and you didn’t, and you thought I


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    betrayed you. Just don’t harm any other person, not Liam or Daisy or Hazel. Please, they’re innocent.


    This is between us and only us. Let Liam go,” Ethan demanded, his voice a little shaky, but resolute.


    “Me dying would be enough for you, right? It should be,” Ethan muttered, his tone tinged with


    resignation. Derrick remained silent, his gaze fixed on Ethan.


    0


    “Hazel’s worried. Have Liam sent back,” Ethan pleaded, recognizing Derrick’s leverage. Liam should go


    back, and whatever Derrick wanted to do with him didn’t matter. Ethan wasn’t about to risk Liam’s


    safety.


    “Let’s end this, then their life goes on, okay?” he pleaded, his voice earnest.


    “My kids did nothing wrong, Derrick,” Ethan reminded him, his voice firm with paternal concern.


    “You’re my Daddy?” A small voice interrupted the tense exchange. Both men turned immediately, their


    attention drawn to Liam, who stood there with a questioning look on his small face.


    “Liam,” Ethan whispered in relief, his eyes running over Liam’s small body. “You’re okay,” he breathed


    out, relieved to see his son unharmed.


    “You’re not supposed to be here,” Derrick seethed, rm shing in his eyes. Liam’s presence had


    disrupted Derrick’s ns. He had left Liam asleep in the van just a short distance away. Somehow,


    Liam had found his way to them, his innocent curiosity now in the center of their confrontation.


    “Are you my uncle?” Liam asked, his round, curious eyes searching Derrick’s for answers. Derrick took


    a step backwards, his expression softening as he looked between Ethan and Liam. He took a deep


    breath, then made a decisive choice.


    “Ethan, take him and get out. Right now,” Derrick ordered, urgency evident in his voice. “You and I are


    not done yet, Derrick,” Ethan muttered, his gaze unwavering.


    “Leave, Ethan, right now!” Derrick yelled, his tone urgent andmanding. “He shouldn’t be here. Take


    him out, Ethan! Leave right now!” Derrick implored, looking at Ethan with a mixture of desperation and


    resolve.


    Without another word, Ethan grabbed Liam’s small body and headed out the door. “Goodbye, Ethan,”


    Derrick mumbled, his voice tinged with finality.


    As Ethan stepped outside, there was a sudden, deafening explosion, sending shockwaves through the


    air. Ethan instinctively shielded Liam, his heart pounding with fear and adrenaline. Turning back to look


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    at the crumbling and now burning building, Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. He had narrowly escaped


    being engulfed by the explosion.


    07.50 Tue, 30 Jan


    Derrick was still inside. Dropping Liam gently to safety, Ethan turned back, determined to help his friend


    escape the inferno. He wouldn’t leave Derrick behind for the second


    time.