Chapter 298
(Ethan’s POV)
The darkness of exhausted sleep enveloped me completely. My wolf had finally surrendered after the blood donation, our shared energy depleted to dangerous levels.
I hadn’t felt this weak since my first full moon transformation as a pup. Every muscle in my body felt heavy, my wolf curled up deep inside me.
A sharp knock jolted me awake. Before I could fully register consciousness, the door swung open with urgency.
James Knight stood in the doorway, his normally playful expression replaced with unusual seriousness. His hazel eyes were alert, his russet–brown wolf clearly visible beneath his skin.
“Alpha Stone,” he said, his voice low but urgent. “Evelyn Winters is asking for you.”
My amber eyes snapped open instantly. My wolf, despite its weakened state, surged forward with renewed alertness, pushing
aside the exhaustion.
“Evelyn?” I questioned, already pushing myself upright. “What does she want?”
James shook his head, his stance tense. “She wouldn’t say. But she was insistent–said it couldn’t wait. Something about
Victoria.”
At the mention of Victoria, my wolf growled with concern. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, ignoring the wave of
dizziness that threatened to topple me.
“How is Evelyn’s condition?” I asked, reaching for my shirt, my fingers fumbling slightly with the buttons.
“Stable. Better than expected after such major surgery,” James replied, his eyes tracking my unsteady movements. “But she
seems… determined.”
I straightened my clothes, running a hand through my disheveled hair. Even in my weakened state, I couldn’t appear before
others looking anything less than the Alpha King.
“Lead the way,” I commanded, my voice regaining some of its natural authority.
The short walk to Evelyn’s ward felt like miles. My wolf strained beneath my skin, pushing energy into my muscles despite our
depleted state. Each step required concentration.
Outside Evelyn’s door, I paused to gather myself. I drew in a deep breath, forcing my spine straight and my shoulders back. Whatever this was about, it was important enough for a woman who had just undergone life–threatening surgery to demand my
presence.
I entered the room with as much of my Alpha presence as I could muster Olivia sat beside her mother’s bed, her emerald eyes.
widening slightly at my appearance
+30 Bonus
Her wolf’s scent carried notes of surprise–she hadn’t expected me to come so quickly. Or perhaps she was surprised by my
haggard appearance.
Evelyn Winters looked frail against the white hospital sheets, but her eyes were sharp and alert. The moment she saw me, something shifted in her expression–the usual hostility giving way to something more complex.
“Alpha Stone,” she greeted, her voice surprisingly strong for someone in her condition.
I nodded respectfully, moving closer to the bed. “Mrs. Winters. I’m glad to see you recovering well.”
“Come closer,” she commanded, with an authority that belied her physical state. Her eyes burned with an intensity that
reminded me of Olivia when she was determined.
aware o
ied notes of
1 approached the bed, of Olivia’s nervous gaze shifting between us. Her wolf’s scent carried of anxiety and confusion.
“Mom, what’s this about?” Olivia asked, her emerald eyes searching her mother’s face. Her hands fidgeted with the edge of the hospital blanket.
Evelyn reached for her daughter’s hand, squeezing it gently. “It’s about you and Ethan, dear. About what really happened with
Victoria Frost.”
Olivia’s breath caught, her wolf whining softly beneath her skin. The mention of Victoria’s name caused her scent to sharpen with
pain and anger.
“What about Victoria?” Olivia whispered, her voice barely audible. Her emerald eyes darted to me, then back to her mother.
(Evelyn’s POV)
I looked up at Ethan Stone, the Alpha King of the Silvercrest Pack. Despite his obvious exhaustion, his amber eyes burned with
intensity.
The truth I was about to reveal would shatter everything he believed. But he needed to hear it–for Olivia’s sake, for Lily’s
memory, and for his own.
My surgical wound throbbed with each heartbeat, but the pain medication couldn’t dull my resolve. This truth had waited too
long already.
D
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