Chapter 106: A Death and a Departure
Chapter 106: A Death and a Departure
(Victoria’s POV)
Blood trickled down my face as I knelt before Lily’s grave, my designer clothes torn to shreds from Olivia’s lashing. The pain was excruciating, but I refused to show weakness.
“I would never harm a pup,” I declared, widening my eyes with practiced innocence. “Where is
your proof of these wild accusations?”
Matriarch Evelyn’s withered face contorted with rage. “You dare ask for proof when you stand at the grave you desecrated?”
I met her gaze steadily. “I loved Lily as if she were my own.”
The lie tasted sweet on my tongue. In truth, I had celebrated when that sickly child finally died,
removing the last obstacle between Ethan and me.
“You redirected her kidney donor,” Olivia spat, her emerald eyes burning with hatred. “You
made sure Emma got the treatment meant for Lily!”
I allowed my voice to tremble with feigned outrage. “How could you suggest such a thing? I
would never-”
“Enough!” Matriarch Evelyn raised her walking stick, her frail body vibrating with fury.
She swung the stick toward my face with surprising strength for someone her age. Ethan
moved quickly, catching her arm before the blow could land.
“Grandmother, please,” he urged, positioning himself between us.
His intervention inadvertently pushed me closer to Olivia. I saw the opportunity and took it,
allowing my lips to curl into a subtle smirk only Olivia could see.
“Your daughter was weak,” I whispered, my voice too low for Ethan to hear. “She deserved to
die.”
Olivia’s control snapped. With a primal scream, she lunged forward, her foot connecting with
my chest in a powerful kick. The force sent me tumbling backward down the cemetery’s stone
steps.
I felt myself falling, the world spinning around me. Then came the impact–a sickening thud
as my body hit the ground. Sharp pain exploded across my face as I landed on a broken
< Chapter 106: A Death and a D…
moonstone vase, its jagged edge slicing deep into my cheek.
+15 Points >
Warm blood gushed from the wound, soaking into the earth beneath me. Through the haze of
pain, I heard Ethan’s panicked voice.
“Victoria!”
His strong arms gathered me up, cradling me against his chest. I allowed myself to go limp,
playing up my injuries.
“Ethan,” I whimpered, “it hurts…”
He turned to Olivia and his grandmother, his amber eyes blazing with fury. “This has gone too
far!”
Without waiting for their response, he carried me swiftly toward the Silvercrest Pack Medical
Den, my blood staining his expensive shirt.
Despite the pain, I felt a surge of triumph. Once again, Olivia had lost control, proving herself
unstable and dangerous. And once again, Ethan had chosen me.
At the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den, Dr. Harold Bennett examined my facial wound with a
grave expression. His fingers probed gently around the deep gash that ran from my temple to
my jaw.
“The cut is deep,” he said, reaching for a specialized healing salve. “And there are fragments of
moonstone embedded in the wound.”
I winced dramatically as he applied the salve. “Will it… will it leave a scar?”
Dr. Bennett hesitated, his eyes flickering to Ethan who stood anxiously at my bedside. “I’m
afraid it might, Ms. Frost. Moonstone injuries can be difficult to heal completely.”
Tears welled in my eyes–real ones this time. My beauty had always been my greatest
weapon. Without it, my power over Ethan might wane.
“Ethan,” I whispered, reaching for his hand. “Will you still love me when I’m no longer
beautiful?”
His fingers tightened around mine, but I noticed his hesitation. “We’ll find the best healers in
the Northern Territories, Victoria. Don’t worry about that now.”
He hadn’t answered my question. The realization sent a chill through me.
I quickly changed tactics, turning my face into the pillow as if overcome with emotion. “At least Emma still has me,” I murmured. “I only wish I could have done more for Lily. If I could
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< Chapter 106: A Death and a D
have given my life for your daughter, I would have.”
+15 Points >
I watched him carefully through my lashes, gauging his reaction. His face softened with the
mention of Lily, pain and regret evident in his amber eyes.
Suddenly, Ethan swayed on his feet, his face alarmingly pale. Before I could react, his knees
buckled and he collapsed beside my bed.
“Ethan!” I cried out, genuinely alarmed.
Dr. Bennett rushed to his side, checking his pulse. “He’s exhausted and his wounds from the Shadow Guard haven’t fully healed. The stress of today’s events was too much.”
As they moved Ethan to a nearby bed, I lay back against my pillows, my mind racing. Matriarch Evelyn Stone had emerged as the greatest threat to my ambitions. The old woman
clearly suspected the truth about my role in Lily’s death.
She would have to be dealt with–permanently.
(Matriarch Evelyn’s POV)
The Silvercrest Pack Medical Den bustled with activity as Dr. Marcus Fletcher completed my
examination. Despite the morning’s confrontation, my vital signs remained strong.
“Your body is strong, Matriarch,” Dr. Fletcher said, removing his stethoscope. “But even the
strongest need rest.”
He adjusted my IV drip with practiced hands. “I’m concerned about your heart. Emotional stress could trigger your condition.”
I waved away his concerns with a wrinkled hand. “My heart has endured worse than this
morning’s events, Doctor.”
Olivia sat beside my bed, her emerald eyes clouded with guilt. She hadn’t spoken since we’d arrived, her shoulders hunched with the weight of her actions.
“Child,” I said, reaching for her hand. “You mustn’t blame yourself.”
Her fingers trembled in mine. “I lost control, Grandmother. I could have killed her.”
“Victoria Frost deserved worse than she received,” I replied firmly. “What she did to Lily-”
“But I shouldn’t have acted that way,” Olivia interrupted, her voice breaking. “Not at Lily’s grave.
It was disrespectful to her memory.”
I squeezed her hand gently. “Lily would understand a mother’s rage. Now go, get some rest. I’ll
be fine.”
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< Chapter 106 A Death and a D
She hesitated, reluctant to leave my side. “Are you sure?”
I nodded, feeling fatigue settle into my bones. “I need to sleep, child. We’ll continue this
discussion later.”
+15 Points
After Olivia departed, I closed my eyes, allowing my body to relax into the hospital bed. Sleep
came quickly, pulling me into its depths.
I don’t know how long I slept before a slight noise woke me. Through half–lidded eyes, I
observed a figure in medical scrubs enter my room. The face was obscured, but the
movements were purposeful as the figure approached my IV.
My instincts, honed through decades as pack matriarch, screamed danger. I remained motionless, feigning sleep as the figure injected something into my IV drip. The clear liquid
turned subtly darker.
The intruder departed as silently as they had come, leaving me alone with the contaminated
medication flowing into my veins.
Margaret Shepherd entered moments later, her kind face creased with concern as she
checked my vital signs. Her nose twitched, catching an unfamiliar scent.
“Is everything alright, Matriarch?” she asked, examining my IV with suspicion.
I considered telling her about the intruder but decided against it. If Victoria was behind this, as
I suspected, I needed to handle the situation carefully.
“Everything is fine, Margaret,” I assured her. “Just an old woman’s restless sleep.”
She didn’t look convinced but nodded respectfully. “Call if you need anything.”
After she left, I lay awake, my mind consumed by thoughts of Victoria and Lily’s death. The
evidence I’d gathered over the past months pointed clearly to Victoria’s involvement in
redirecting Lily’s kidney donor to Emma.
I needed to act quickly before Victoria could cause more harm to my family. With determination born of decades of leadership, I made my decision.
When Bernard Sheppard arrived to check on me, I dismissed him with a firm command. “I
need some time alone, Bernard.”
His bushy eyebrows rose in surprise. “Matriarch, after this morning’s events, I don’t think-”
“That was not a request,” I interrupted, my voice carrying the authority that had led the Silvercrest Pack through countless challenges.
<Chapter 106 A Death and a D
+15 Points >
He bowed reluctantly and departed, leaving me with only the Shadow Guard–wolves whose loyalty to me was absolute.
Against Margaret’s advice, I rose from the bed, disconnecting the IV with steady hands. “Prepare the car,” I instructed the Shadow Guard. “We’re going to Rosewood Haven.”
The drive to Victoria’s residence was silent, my guards understanding the gravity of our
mission without needing explanation. As we approached the elegant property, I issued my
command.
“Bring that woman to me.”
The Shadow Guard moved with military precision, surrounding the house before forcing their way inside. Dorothy Lawson’s protests echoed from within, followed by Emma’s frightened
cries.
Moments later, they emerged with Victoria, her face bandaged from her earlier injury. She struggled violently against their grip, her designer clothes contrasting sharply with the brutality of the situation.
“You can’t do this!” she screamed, her blue eyes wide with genuine fear. “I’m under Alpha King
Ethan’s protection!”
The Shadow Guard remained impassive, their faces masks of cold determination as they
dragged her toward the waiting vehicle. Emma clung desperately to her mother’s legs until one of the guards gently but firmly separated them.
Dorothy reached for her phone, but a guard crushed it beneath his boot before she could
complete the call to Ethan.
Victoria’s struggles intensified as they forced her into the car beside me. “You crazy old
woman! Ethan will destroy you for this!”
I regarded her coldly, seeing beyond her beautiful face to the darkness beneath. “You killed my great–granddaughter. Justice will be served.”
(Olivia’s POV)
I sat in my cottage at Maple Grove, staring at Lily’s Memorial Portrait. Her sweet smile, frozen
in time, both comforted and tormented me.
“I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered, tracing her face through the glass. “I lost control today. I
shouldn’t have fought at your grave.”
The confrontation at the cemetery replayed in my mind–Victoria’s smug face, Ethan’s defense
<Chapter 106 A Death and a D
+15 Points >
of her, the satisfying thud as my foot connected with Victoria’s chest. I shouldn’t have taken pleasure in her pain, but I couldn’t deny the momentary satisfaction it had brought.
My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. Bernard Sheppard’s name flashed on the screen.
“Mr. Sheppard,” I answered, surprised by the late call.
His usually composed voice broke with emotion. “Luna Winters,” he said, using my formal title for perhaps the first time since my estrangement from Ethan. “I regret to inform you that Matriarch Evelyn Stone has passed away.”
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