Chapter 404
Her words hit me like silver bullets to the heart. Each syllable was a dagger twisting in my chest.
“You don’t mean that,” I whispered, refusing to believe it.
“I do,” she said firmly. “Leave me alone and stop bothering me.”
But I refused to give up. I held her tighter, pressing my lips to the top of her head.
Then I noticed something that shocked me to my core. Streaks of silver ran through her chestnut hair.
My breath caught in my throat. Silver hair was a sign of profound grief in werewolves, a physical manifestation of unbearable pain.
“Your hair,” I whispered in horror.
Seizing the moment of my shock, Olivia pushed me away with unexpected strength. I stumbled backward, my injured leg nearly giving out.
She instinctively touched her hair but said nothing. Without another word, she turned to leave.
“Wait!” I called out, trying to stop her.
But I was interrupted by Evelyn Winters‘ voice. She had just awakened from her healing sleep.
“Olivia, dear,” Evelyn called softly from her bed.
Olivia immediately went to her mother’s side. “Mom, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, thanks to both of you,” Evelyn said, glancing between us. “But you should go check on Lucas. He was injured helping us.”
Olivia’s face filled with concern. “Is he badly hurt?”
“Go see for yourself,” Evelyn said gently. “You need to thank him properly.”
Olivia nodded and headed for the door. I tried to follow, but Evelyn’s voice stopped me.
“Ethan, please sit down,” she said firmly.
Desperate to understand about Olivia’s silver–streaked hair, I was held back by Evelyn. She gestured for me to sit down beside her bed.
Reluctantly, I limped over and took the chair next to her. My burns throbbed with each movement.
“How are your injuries?” Evelyn inquired. “I know you saved us from the fire despite everything between you and Olivia.“.
I brushed off her concern. “I’m fine. But Olivia’s hair–when did it start turning silver?”
Evelyn’s expression grew sad. “It began the night after Lily’s funeral.”
My heart clenched. “The grief did this to her?”
“Overnight,” Evelyn confirmed. “The immense grief and her inability to seek justice for her daughter caused it.”
She looked at me with disappointment. “Your actions and neglect caused Olivia too much pain for a werewolf to bear.”
The weight of her words crushed down on me. I had done this to my mate.
“Silver hair appears when a werewolf’s heart breaks beyond repair,” Evelyn continued. “You broke her, Ethan.”
13
Evelyn continued, her voice heavy with accusation. “Do you remember the deep hurt you inflicted on Olivia and your daughter?”
I flinched at her words, but she wasn’t finished.
“How can you ask for forgiveness when you’re responsible for so much of their pain?” she demanded. “When you chose Victoria and Emma over your own mate and pup?”
Her words struck deep into my heart like silver daggers. Each accusation was true, and that made them hurt even more.
“Lily died believing her father didn’t love her,” Evelyn said quietly. “And Olivia watched it happen, powerless to change your mind.”
Helt my world crumbling around me. The full weight of my failures crashed down like an avalanche.
“I never meant-“I started, but Evelyn cut me off.
“Intentions don’t matter when the damage is done,” she said firmly.
I left the room in a daze, my physical pain from the burns overshadowed by the anguish in my heart. The silver in Olivia’s hair was proof of what I had done to her. Maxwell Chen witnessed my deteriorating condition. He rushed to support me as I collapsed in the hallway.
“Alpha King!” he called out in aların.
Chapter 404
+25 Bonus
My legs gave out completely. The combination of my injuries and emotional devastation was too much to bear.
Maxwell caught me before I hit the ground. “Get him back to his recovery room immediately,” he ordered the nearby medical staff.
(Third Person’s POV)
Dr. Marcus Fletcher examined Ethan, noting the severity of his burns. They had been aggravated by Olivia’s struggles during their confrontation.
“The burns are serious but treatable with werewolf healing abilities,” Dr. Fletcher reported to Maxwell. “However, the most concerning issue is his left leg.”
Maxwell leaned forward anxiously. “What about his leg?”
“Silver content from the burning furniture has slowed his natural regeneration,” the doctor explained. “Silver poisoning can have lasting effects, even on an Alpha King.”
Maxwell’s face paled. “Will he recover fully?”
Dr. Fletcher hesitated. “Time will tell. The silver needs to be completely purged from his system first.”
The doctor continued his examination, noting Ethan’s weakened state. “His emotional distress is also hindering the healing process.”
Maxwell anxiously asked about the leg’s prognosis, knowing that silver poisoning could have lasting effects even on an Alpha King.
D
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