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(Olivia’s POV)
“It wasn’t Victoria,” Officer Daniel Brooks’s voice came through James’s Wolf–Linked Cellphone, his tone formal and detached. “It was a rogue wolf named Connor Blackthorn.”
My fingers tightened around the phone as I exchanged a skeptical glance with James. His hazel eyes mirrored my disbelief.
“The two were old acquaintances, and the driver owed Blackthorn a favor,” the officer continued. “Blackthorn instructed him to
target Mr. Knight.”
James shifted uncomfortably in his hospital bed, his jaw clenching at the mention of his attacker’s name.
“We also interrogated Blackthorn; he confessed,” Officer Brooks added. “Because Mr. Knight changed his mind at the last minute and refused to donate his blood to Emma Frost, Blackthorn developed a hatred for Mr. Knight, seeking revenge.‘
My wolf stirred beneath my skin, her emerald eyes narrowing with suspicion. The story sounded rehearsed, too convenient.
“He hired a human to run him down to ensure he would suffer and miss the Crystal Competition,” the officer explained. “He stated he wanted Mr. Knight to experience pain.”
I remained silent, processing this information while my wolf’s instincts screamed that there was more to this story than what we were being told.
After ending the call with Officer Brooks, I set the phone down on James’s bedside table. My heart was already filled with
certainty about the truth: behind everything, pulling the strings, was Victoria Frost.
The pack investigation had wrapped the case up with confessions and motives that sounded plausible. But my wolf could sense
the deception.
“It was her,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Victoria orchestrated all of this.”
James didn’t argue. He simply watched me with understanding in his eyes.
I knew the real manipulator was Victoria. To make me suffer and force James to donate his rare blood type to Emma, she would destroy his future without hesitation.
The realization suffocated me with guilt and sorrow, especially as I looked at James’s injured hand. My own hands clenched so
tightly that my nails dug into my palms, drawing tiny crescents of blood.
My wolf whined with shared pain beneath my skin, feeling responsible for the suffering of our friend.
“I need to go,” I said suddenly, pulling myself together. “I’m going to visit my mother at the Healing Chamber.”
James reached out with his good hand, gently touching my arm. “Be careful on the road, Liv,” he said, his hazel eyes reflecting
genuine concern.
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I nodded, squeezing his hand before turning to leave. Even if there was no direct evidence, I would not let Victoria off so easily. My wolf’s protective instincts drove me forward, urging me to confront the she–wolf who had caused so much pain.
Instead of heading to see my mother, I drove straight to Rosewood Haven. I knew Victoria would return there after Emma’s successful treatment. My wolf’s senses were heightened and alert as I navigated the familiar roads to Victoria’s residence.
Meanwhile, Victoria Frost was consumed by jealousy and frustration. Her schemes had failed, and she had witnessed Ethan’s concern for me firsthand.
After being sent home by Maxwell Chen, who believed she just needed rest after Emma’s successful surgery, Victoria’s carefully constructed mask dropped as soon as she was alone.
In the Rosewood Haven Recreation Area, she furiously smashed her carefully cultivated moonflowers, venting her rage.
“Olivia Winters, you bitch!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the empty garden.
Her wolf snarled and snapped beneath her skin, its agitation matching her own as she destroyed the delicate blooms with her bare hands.
(Victoria’s POV)
Suddenly, someone grabbed my hair from behind and yanked it hard, nearly tearing my scalp. Before I could react, a sharp slap landed on my face–the force ringing in my ears.
I turned and saw Olivia Winters, her emerald eyes blazing with her wolf’s fury. Her face was contorted with rage, her chest heaving with each breath.
“Olivia Winters, you dare hit me?!” I shrieked, lashing out with my nails to scratch her face.
Olivia quickly caught my wrist and slapped me again–one after another, relentless, as if all her pent–up hatred was pouring out through each strike.
“I wish I could beat you to death, Victoria Frost!” she snarled, her voice ragged with rage and pain, her wolf’s growl rumbling beneath her words.
The force of her blows sent me stumbling backward, my cheek burning from the impact. No one had dared to touch me like this
since I’d become Ethan’s favorite.
“Have you gone mad?” I screamed, trying to shield my face from her assault. “Stop hitting me!”
Olivia’s emerald eyes were wild with fury as she continued her attack. “Why do I hit you? Because you’re the one who orchestrated James Knight’s accident–you destroyed him! You’re a vicious she–wolf!”
The accusation only fueled her rage, and she kept striking as I tried to escape. Each blow carried her wolf’s strength, making them more painful than a human’s could ever be.
I was momentarily stunned by the beating, but a realization began to dawn on me. Olivia’s depression must have relapsed. I recalled the madness she displayed two years ago when I taunted her with her daughter Lily’s ashes.
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A twisted delight grew within me. If Olivia’s condition worsened, Ethan would never choose her as Luna again. This could work in
my favor.
“So what if it was me?” I taunted, a sneer forming on my lips. “What can you do about it? You have no proof.”
Olivia’s hand paused mid–strike, her emerald eyes widening slightly at my admission.
“You have only yourself to blame for James Knight’s misfortune and suffering,” I continued, my wolf’s scent deliberately
projecting smugness. “If you had just let him donate his blood to Emma, none of this would have happened.”
I watched with satisfaction as Olivia’s face contorted with rage. Her hands trembled at her sides, and I prepared myself for another onslaught of blows.
Yet, as I continued my cruel provocation, I suddenly noticed a change in Olivia’s demeanor. The madness in her eyes vanished,
replaced by a cold, lucid hatred.
Realization dawned–Olivia had been feigning instability to lure me into a confession.
Panic flickered across my face as I spotted something in her pocket. I lunged forward, trying to seize what I now recognized as
Olivia’s Hidden Audio Recorder.
Instead of grabbing it, I stumbled and fell to the ground, my paralyzed legs failing me at the worst possible moment. I cursed my weakness as I sprawled on the garden path.
“Even if you have a recording, it’s useless,” I scoffed, trying to maintain my composure despite my vulnerable position. “You
can’t send me to the Shadow Hold. What can you do?”
Olivia’s response was chillingly calm. “Maybe I can’t send you to a detention center, but if the Northern Territories know you destroyed an athlete’s career, you’ll be ruined.”
For a moment, my self–assurance wavered. The thought of losing my social standing, of becoming an outcast in werewolf
society, sent a chill down my spine.
But I quickly recovered. Ethan would always protect me as long as I remained ‘Little Orange‘ in his eyes. Our history together was too deep, our connection too strong.
“He’ll never let you destroy me,” I said smugly, my wolf puffing up with false confidence.
“Is that so?” James Knight’s voice suddenly echoed from outside the iron gate of Rosewood Haven.
I whirled around, and my face turned pale as I saw not only James Knight but Alpha King Ethan Stone standing beside him. Ethan’s amber eyes were icy and unreadable, his wolf’s energy pulsing with barely contained rage.
James watched with satisfaction as I realized I had been trapped, his russet–brown wolf rising triumphantly beneath his skin.
