Chapter 187: Retribution
Chapter 187: Retribution
(Olivia’s POV)
“Ethan Stone, do you have any humanity left at all!” My voice trembled with hatred as my wolf surged beneath my skin, demanding release.
My emerald eyes flashed dangerously, claws threatening to emerge from my fingertips. If I could, I would have torn the Alpha King apart with my bare hands. Was Emma Frost really so important to him, important enough that he could cast everything else aside–including James Knight, who had been crippled for refusing to donate his kidney?
The rage that had been building since I’d seen James in that hospital bed consumed me entirely. My wolf howled for justice–for Lily, for James, for all the pain this man had caused.
In a blur of werewolf speed, I rushed toward Ethan, who had one arm cradling Emma and the other holding a bowl of steaming venison broth.
Reacting with Alpha instincts, Ethan shielded Emma in his embrace. The scalding liquid cascaded down his own back and arm, leaving his skin red and raw beneath his rolled–up sleeves. His wolf growled at the pain but remained protective of the pup in his arms.
He ignored his discomfort, checking Emma anxiously. “Emma, are you alright? Did you get
burned?”
Emma, pale and shaken, cried harder with concern for her father figure. Her wolf whimpered
as she blew on his burned arm. “Ethan, does it hurt?”
Ethan stroked her head tenderly. “I don’t hurt.”
Yet when he turned to me, his amber eyes were sharp with accusation, his Alpha pheromones filling the room with warning. “Liv, don’t you know what Emma’s going through? She’s already suffering so much–what are you doing?”
The old wound of his favoritism for Emma reopened in my heart. A fresh wave of anger and resentment surged as I remembered the injustices Lily had suffered in this same pack. Did he ever spare a thought for Lily, the daughter he’d neglected?
Unable to contain myself, I slapped Ethan across the face with werewolf strength, leaving red
marks that would have broken human bones.
“How dare you ask what I’m doing? You know exactly what you’ve done!” I shouted, my voice
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breaking with emotion. “For Emma’s life, you’ll do anything–you even tried to trade James
Knight’s life for hers. Ethan Stone, you deserve the worst!”
Ethan was stunned, his wolf recoiling in confusion, not understanding my reference. Before he could question me, Emma intervened.
“Luna Olivia, you don’t like me. If you don’t like me, just hit me, but don’t hit Ethan.” She spread
her arms protectively in front of him, her young wolf rising to defend her Alpha despite her
weakened state.
At that moment, a commotion from the adjoining room signaled Victoria Frost’s arrival. She
wheeled herself in, voice trembling with accusation.
“Olivia Winters, what are you trying to do? Hurting me over and over isn’t enough for you want to hurt Emma too? Will you only be satisfied if she dies?”
you–now
With the pretense of motherly love, she wheeled herself at me, hoping to knock me into the shards on the ground and ruin my face. However, I swiftly kicked the wheelchair, sending Victoria sprawling, my wolf snarling in satisfaction at the sight of my enemy on the floor.
Emma immediately broke into fresh sobs, her wolf crying out in distress as she worried for her
mother and tried to get out of bed to help.
Ethan comforted Emma with gentle pheromones that calmed her inner wolf. “Stay in bed,
princess. I’ll help your mother.”
Seizing this moment, Emma grabbed my arm, her little fingernails digging in as she shrieked, “Get out! You’re a bad wolf! You hit Ethan and hurt my mommy! I hate you! You’re not welcome
in our pack!”
I was disgusted by the manipulative behavior so similar to Victoria’s. With a growl, I flung Emma’s hand away.
Yet, in a move I’d seen her mother perform and learned from observation, Emma deliberately threw herself backward, hitting her head against the bed with a loud thud and blacking out.
Her wolf retreated deep within her in apparent shock.
Ethan, about to help Victoria, heard Emma’s cry of pain and rushed to her side. His Alpha instincts compelled him to protect the vulnerable pup.
Abandoning Victoria on the floor, he gathered Emma into his arms, his wolf rising protectively as he shot me a look of icy fury. His eyes briefly glowed with Alpha power. “Liv! You’ve gone
too far!”
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Emma’s breathing grew rapid, her wolf’s distress evident in her scent. Ethan pressed the call
button anxiously.
“You’d better pray Emma is alright,” he threatened, his Alpha voice rumbling with warning.
Unmoved, I retorted coldly, my emerald eyes hard as jade, “If anything happens to her, she brought it on herself!”
Victoria, nearly hysterical, screamed from the floor. “If anything happens to my daughter, I’ll never forgive you, Olivia Winters! Never!”
I looked down at her with icy detachment. “If anything happens to Emma, it’s just retribution
for all the evil you’ve done.”
With that, I left, my wolf holding its head high despite the tension in the room. I had said what
needed to be said. I had stood up for James, for Lily, for myself.
(Ethan’s POV)
The pack healers arrived within minutes, rushing to Emma’s bedside. Dr. Simon Harper checked her vitals with practiced efficiency, his expression grave.
“She needs rest,” he advised, adjusting the IV drip. “And remember, Alpha Stone, she needs
that kidney transplant as soon as possible. Her organ is failing rapidly.”
I nodded, my wolf pacing anxiously beneath my skin. The burn on my arm throbbed, but I
ignored it. Physical pain was nothing compared to the fear of losing Emma.
Victoria sat by her daughter’s bedside, eyes brimming with distress, her wolf projecting
protective pheromones. She stroked Emma’s blonde hair with trembling fingers.
“She’ll be okay,” I assured her, though my own heart was heavy with worry.
Olivia’s accusation about James Knight echoed in my mind. What had she meant? Had
something happened to James that I wasn’t aware of?
I stepped outside to make some calls, determined to get to the bottom of this. Daniel Reed,
my Beta, answered on the first ring.
“Alpha, what can I do for you?”
“James Knight,” I said without preamble. “What happened to him?”
There was a pause on the other end. “He was in a car accident yesterday evening, Alpha. His
hand was severely injured–permanent damage. His racing career is over.”
My blood ran cold. “Was it an accident?”
< Chapter 187: Retribution
“The police are investigating. The driver claims it was, but evidence suggests otherwise.”
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Understanding dawned on me. This was why Olivia had been so furious. She believed I had orchestrated the attack on James because he refused to donate his kidney to Emma.
“I want a full investigation,” I ordered. “Find out who’s behind this. And Daniel–I had nothing to do with it.”
“Of course, Alpha,” Daniel replied, though I detected a note of uncertainty in his voice.
I ended the call, my mind racing. I needed to find Olivia and explain that I wasn’t involved in the attack on James. Despite our differences, I wouldn’t stoop to such tactics.
My plan was cut short by a call from Victoria–Emma had been rushed into the Bloodrush Chamber again. This time, her condition was critical.
I raced back to the medical den, my heart pounding with fear. Dr. Simon Harper met me at the entrance to the emergency area, his face grim.
“Alpha Stone, have you found a kidney donor? If we don’t act soon, Emma…” He didn’t finish
the sentence, but I understood the gravity of the situation.
Victoria was frantic, trying to wheel herself away from the waiting area. “Only James Knight can save Emma now. If Olivia wants my life, I’ll give it to her–just let James save Emma!”
Tears streamed down her face as she continued, her voice breaking with desperation. “I’ll do anything if it means saving my daughter!”
As her cries echoed through the corridor, I looked at the Bloodrush Chamber doors, determination in my amber eyes, my wolf rising with resolve.
“I’ll go find James Knight,” I vowed.