Chapter 107: Olivia’s Grief and Accusation
Chapter 107: Olivia’s Grief and Accusation
(Olivia’s POV)*
The fluorescent lights of the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den’s morgue cast a harsh glow over Matriarch Evelyn’s peaceful face. My legs nearly gave out beneath me as I approached her body, each step heavier than the last.
“Grandmother,” I whispered, the word catching in my throat.
Her hands were folded neatly across her chest, her silver hair arranged with dignity. She looked smaller somehow, the formidable presence that had commanded respect throughout the pack now diminished in death.
I reached out with trembling fingers to touch her hand. The coldness of her skin sent a shudder through me, bringing back the devastating memory of touching Lily’s lifeless body. Two losses, so similar, both tearing pieces from my heart.
“Why did you break your promise to stay alive?” I asked, tears streaming freely down my face. “You promised you’d help me get justice for Lily.”
The silence that answered was deafening. First my daughter, now the only person who had believed me about Victoria’s role in Lily’s death. The two people I loved most, gone.
Dr. Marcus Fletcher stood respectfully in the corner, giving me space to grieve. “I’m sorry, Luna` Winters,” he said softly, using my formal title. “We did everything we could.”
I nodded numbly, unable to form words through the tightness in my throat. My fingers traced the delicate veins on the matriarch’s wrist, wondering what had happened in her final
moments.
“Was she in pain?” I managed to ask.
Dr. Fletcher approached, his expression compassionate. “No. From what we can determine, her heart simply stopped. It would have been quick.”
The door to the morgue swung open, and I didn’t need to turn to know who had entered. Ethan’s scent–pine and winter air–filled the room, along with the unmistakable aroma of
grief.
(Ethan’s POV)
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The sight of my grandmother’s body hit me like a physical blow. After losing Lily, this second
death felt like the universe was determined to strip away everyone I loved.
My legs carried me forward automatically, my mind struggling to process the reality before
- me. Grandmother looked peaceful, as if she might wake at any moment to scold me for some
transgression.
Olivia stood beside the body, her slender frame shaking with silent sobs. I reached out
instinctively to comfort her, but she flinched away from my touch, her emerald eyes hardening
as they met mine.
“Don’t,” she said, her voice barely audible.
Bernard Sheppard stepped forward from where he’d been waiting by the wall. My family’s loyal butler looked decades older today, his usually impeccable posture now stooped with grief.
“Alpha King,” he said formally, though we’d known each other since my childhood. “I feel I
must inform you of the circumstances preceding Matriarch Evelyn’s passing.”
I nodded for him to continue, noticing how his hands trembled slightly.
“After this morning’s… incident at the cemetery, the matriarch checked herself out of the medical den against Dr. Fletcher’s advice,” Bernard explained. “She instructed the Shadow
Guard to take her to Rosewood Haven.”
My blood ran cold. “Victoria’s residence?”
Bernard nodded gravely. “Yes, sir. The Shadow Guard brought Ms. Frost to Matriarch Evelyn’s
villa. I wasn’t present for what transpired, but I understand the matriarch had Ms. Frost
restrained.”
Olivia’s head snapped up, her grief momentarily eclipsed by fierce attention. “Victoria,” she said, her voice hardening with suspicion. “She’s behind this.”
I turned to her, seeing the accusation blazing in her eyes. “Olivia, we don’t know what
happened yet.”
“Don’t we?” she challenged, her voice rising. “Your grandmother confronts Victoria about Lily’s
death, and hours later she’s dead? You can’t possibly be that blind!”
Bernard cleared his throat uncomfortably. “If I may continue, Alpha King. The Shadow Guard
reported that Matriarch Evelyn instructed them to wait outside while she spoke privately with
Ms. Frost. Some time later, they heard Ms. Frost screaming that the matriarch had collapsed.”
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to make sense of the situation. “And Victoria? Where is
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“Still at the matriarch’s villa, I believe,” Bernard replied. “The Shadow Guard has kept her there, awaiting your instructions.”
The morgue door opened again, and my father, Elder Richard Stone, entered with several other family elders. Their faces were solemn, eyes red–rimmed with grief.
My father approached the body slowly, his usual commanding presence diminished by sorrow. He placed a weathered hand on my grandmother’s forehead in a traditional gesture of respect.
“My mother,” he said simply, his voice rough with emotion.
I stepped back, giving him space with his grief. “Father, I need to go to Grandmother’s villa. Victoria is still there, and I need to understand what happened.”
He nodded without looking at me, his attention fixed on his mother’s face. “Go. We will prepare the ceremonial arrangements.”
I turned to leave, noticing that Olivia was already heading for the door. Despite our estrangement, we were united in our need for answers.
In the corridor outside the morgue, Olivia pulled out her phone and dialed a number. I caught the name on her screen: Chief Walter Garrison.
“Chief Garrison,” she said, her voice steady despite her tear–stained face. “This is Olivia Winters. I need to report a murder.”
(Olivia’s POV)
The drive to Matriarch Evelyn’s villa was tense with unspoken accusations. Ethan drove in silence, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. I sat beside him only because we were heading to the same destination, not because I wanted his company.
“You really believe Victoria killed my grandmother?” he finally asked, his amber eyes briefly meeting mine before returning to the road.
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “Just like she killed our daughter.”
His jaw tightened. “Lily died from kidney failure, Olivia. Victoria had nothing to do with that.”
I laughed bitterly. “Keep telling yourself that. Maybe if you repeat it enough times, it will become true.”
We lapsed back into silence until we reached the imposing gates of Matriarch Evelyn’s villa. Police vehicles were already parked outside, their lights flashing silently in the evening gloom.
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Chief Walter Garrison stood waiting, his uniform crisp despite the late hour. He was a tall man with graying hair and the confident bearing of someone accustomed to authority.
“Alpha King,” he greeted Ethan with a respectful nod before turning to me. “Luna Winters, I came as soon as I received your call.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly at the chief’s use of my formal title. Few in the pack still acknowledged me as Luna since our estrangement.
“Chief Garrison,” Ethan said, his voice carrying the unmistakable weight of his Alpha status. “I appreciate your prompt response, but this is a pack matter.”
The chief remained professional. “With respect, Alpha King, a death under suspicious circumstances falls under my jurisdiction. We will, of course, coordinate with pack authorities.”
I stepped forward. “Thank you for coming, Chief. I believe Victoria Frost murdered Matriarch Evelyn Stone to prevent her from revealing Victoria’s role in my daughter’s death.”
Ethan’s expression darkened. “Olivia, these are serious accusations without evidence.”
“Then let’s find the evidence,” I replied coldly.
We entered the villa, where members of the Shadow Guard stood at attention. Their faces were impassive, but I could sense their unease. These elite wolves had failed in their duty to protect the matriarch, and that knowledge weighed heavily on them.
The leader of the Shadow Guard stepped forward. He was a massive wolf with a scar running. down his left cheek, his eyes downcast with shame.
“Alpha King,” he said, his deep voice resonating in the marble foyer. “We await your judgment for our failure.”
Ethan raised a hand. “Later. First, tell me exactly what happened.”
The guard straightened his shoulders. “Matriarch Evelyn instructed us to bring Ms. Frost here.
We bound her as commanded and brought her to the matriarch’s private study. The matriarch
then ordered us to wait outside.”
“And you left them alone?” I asked incredulously.
The guard’s expression remained stoic. “We follow the matriarch’s orders without question.
That has always been our way.”
“Continue,” Ethan prompted.
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“We heard raised voices, but nothing alarming. Then, approximately forty minutes later, we heard Ms. Frost screaming for help. When we entered, the matriarch was on the floor, unresponsive. Ms. Frost was still bound.”
Chief Garrison made notes as the guard spoke. “And where is Ms. Frost now?”
“In the basement holding cell,” the guard replied. “The matriarch had it constructed for interrogations. We thought it best to keep Ms. Frost there until the Alpha King arrived.”
Ethan’s voice was rough with emotion when he spoke. “Take us to her.”
(Ethan’s POV)
The basement of my grandmother’s villa had always been off–limits during my childhood. Now I understood why. The stone walls and reinforced door spoke of a purpose far removed from
the elegant living spaces above.
The guard unlocked the heavy door, revealing a sparse room with a single chair in the center. Victoria sat there, her wrists bound behind her back, her ankles secured to the chair legs.
Her face was still bandaged from her injury at the cemetery, but fresh tears had streaked through her makeup. When she saw me, her blue eyes widened with relief.
“Ethan!” she cried, straining against her restraints. “Thank the Moon you’re here! Is she alright? Your grandmother–she just collapsed in front of me. I tried to call for help!”
I approached her slowly, aware of Olivia’s burning gaze on my back and Chief Garrison’s
watchful presence.
“Victoria,” I said, my voice barely recognizable to my own ears. “My grandmother is dead.”
