Chapter 197: Shattered Illusions 

Chapter 197: Shattered Illusions 

(Ethan’s POV) 

My wolf surged forward, snarling with revulsion at Victoria’s deception. The force of my kick had thrown her to the ground, leaving her sprawled at my feet like the liar she was. 

For several seconds, she seemed too stunned to react. The pain must have finally anchored her back to reality because she slowly lifted her head, disbelief shining in her tearful eyes. 

I could see her searching my face desperately, looking for even a glimmer of pity or regret. She found nothing. There was only icy detachment and an inferno of rage in my gaze. 

My wolf’s scent projected pure hatred, filling the air around us with the bitter tang of my fury. The pack members who had gathered kept their distance, sensing the dangerous energy radiating from their Alpha. Victoria’s perfectly crafted mask had finally cracked. The manipulative she wolf who had stolen ten years of my life was breaking apart before my eyes. 

Tears welled up in her eyes again, but this time they weren’t part of her calculated act to win my sympathy. These were genuine tears of heartbreak. 

Her wolf whined pitifully beneath her skin as she struggled to accept the reality of my rejection. After a decade of manipulation, she couldn’t comprehend that I could turn on her so completely. 

“Ethan,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “After ten years, aside from the ‘Little Orange‘ identity, did you never care for me at all? Is there not a single place for me in your heart?” 

Her wolf projected desperate pheromones, trying one last time to appeal to whatever affection might remain. The scent was cloying and pathetic. 

“No,” I answered without hesitation, my tone cold and final. 

My wolf’s rejection was absolute. There was no room for negotiation, no space for doubt. 

“I once confused my feelings,” I continued, staring down at her with contempt. “I believed I cared for you 

because you were ‘Little Orange. Now that I know the truth, I realize I never loved you.” 

The words fell between us like stones. Each one crushing whatever hope she still clung to. 

“Without that identity, you mean nothing to me or my wolf.” 

Victoria’s face crumpled as my declaration shattered her last hope. She looked as though her very soul been crushed under the weight of my rejection. 

“I don’t believe you,” she whispered brokenly, shaking her head in denial. “You’re lying…” 

Her wolf retreated deep within her in submission and despair, unable to face the finality of my decision. The she–wolf who had manipulated an entire pack was reduced to a broken shell at my feet. 

Thunder rumbled overhead, and the sky darkened with approaching storm clouds. The weather seemed to mirror the turbulent emotions swirling through the parking lot. 

Dr. Harrison Fletcher hurried to Evelyn Winters‘ side, his medical instincts taking over as he assessed her 

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condition with practiced efficiency. 

“ire about to rain,‘ he warned, glancing at the threatening sky. “You’ve just woken up–you can’t risk a chill. Let’s go back to the medical den and recover first” 

His professional demeanor couldn’t quite mask his concern for the elderly she wolf. He adjusted her blanket with gentle hands. 

“Ethan knows the truth now,” he added, his voice softening. He won’t let Victoria get away with this 

Both Olivia and James Knight knelt down beside Evelyn, their faces etched with worry. Their wolves projected concern through protective pheromones that wrapped around the frail woman like an invisible shield. 

“Mom, please,” Olivia pleaded, her emerald eyes bright with unshed tears. “Let’s get you back to the medical 

den. You need rest.” 

I approached them with visible tension, my Alpha presence subdued by the crushing weight of guilt. My wolf whined with genuine remorse, ears flattened in submission. 

“Mother Winters,” I said, my voice hoarse with emotion, “trust me, I won’t let you and Liv down again.” 

The promise felt inadequate against the magnitude of my failures, but it was all I could offer in that moment. My wolf projected sincerity, desperate to make amends for years of blindness. 

Seated in her wheelchair, Evelyn glared at me with deep resentment. Though physically frail, her aged wolf was still powerful enough to project disapproval that made even my Alpha wolf want to retreat. 

“You’d better be worthy of Lily’s spirit in the ancestral hunting grounds!” she warned through gritted teeth. 

The mention of my daughter’s name sent a fresh wave of agony through me. Lily–the innocent pup who had paid the ultimate price for my blindness. 

Exhaustion finally overtook Evelyn, and she closed her eyes. Her body had been pushed past its limits by the ordeal, her wolf retreating to conserve what little strength remained. 

Olivia’s face creased with worry as she watched her mother’s energy fade. Without another word to me, she 

nodded to James and Dr. Fletcher. 

Together, they prepared to return to the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den, prioritizing Evelyn’s fragile health over the personal grievances that still hung in the air between us. 

I chose to remain behind. There were matters even more pressing that required my immediate attention. My wolf paced anxiously beneath my skin, urging me to act while I still had Victoria cornered. 

I watched the vehicle depart, carrying away the three people who had every right to hate me. The weight of their justified anger pressed down on my shoulders like a physical burden. 

When I turned back to Victoria, I found hope flickering in her tear–streaked eyes. The moment she realized she was alone with me, her wolf cautiously rose to the surface again. 

I crouched down beside her, and immediately she tried to throw herself into my arms–a desperate, last–ditch attempt to rekindle whatever she thought we had. 

My hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat before she could touch me. My grip was like iron, my Alpha strength unmistakable as I pinned her in place. 

Panic and pain stretched her eyes wide as she gasped for breath. Her manicured nails clawed at my hands, 

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leaving red scratches that healed almost instantly. 

“Eth…an…” she choked out, her voice breaking. “Let go…I can’t…breathe…” 

Her wolf thrashed in panic, desperately trying to project submission pheromones. The scent was sour with 

fear. 

She went limp in my grasp, trying to show weakness, hoping I’d relent. But my expression remained unmoved, my grasp only tightening as I leaned closer. 

“Victoria Frost,” I demanded, my voice deadly quiet, “tell me–were you the one who killed Lily and tried to kill 

Matriarch Evelyn on purpose?” 

My wolf’s growl rumbled deep in my chest, the sound promising violence if her answer displeased me. The question had been gnawing at me since the truth about Little Orange was revealed. 

Stripped of the ‘Little Orange‘ illusion, doubt had crept in. Could all the warnings Olivia had given me be true? Was Victoria responsible for Lily’s death? For Matriarch Evelyn’s condition? 

I waited, hoping her will might c***k under the threat of death. My wolf’s senses heightened, ready to detect any deception in her scent. 

But Victoria, though her face was turning blue and her strength ebbing, refused to confess. Even at the edge of consciousness, her survival instinct remained strong. 

She knew that admitting guilt meant certain death at the hands of an enraged Alpha. But as long as she denied it, I had no definitive evidence and couldn’t destroy her without violating pack law. 

She clung to this logic with all her might, enduring even as her vision blurred and her mind began to cloud from lack of oxygen. Her wolf retreated deep within to preserve what little energy remained. 

My rage intensified with each passing second. My amber eyes glowed with Alpha power, the wolf within me demanding retribution for all she had taken from me. 

But before I went too far–before I crossed a line I couldn’t return from–I released her. Victoria collapsed to the ground, coughing and gulping air, inwardly relieved that she had survived this round. 

I stood over her, my voice glacial as I delivered my final warning. “You’d better be telling the truth. If I find out you did it, you’ll wish you’d never been born.” 

My wolf bared its teeth in a silent promise of retribution. The weight of my threat would have crushed most wolves, sending them into submissive displays of terror. 

But Victoria, desperate to prove her innocence, met my gaze unflinchingly. Her wolf gathered what little courage remained to stand her ground against my accusations. 

Realizing no confession would come–at least not now–I picked up the ruined Blackthorn’s Damning Recording from the ground and turned away. The evidence was destroyed, but my determination to uncover the truth remained intact. 

“Ethan, wait!” Victoria tried to call after me, her voice still raw from my grip. 

I didn’t look back. My wolf refused to acknowledge her existence any longer. She was nothing to me now- less than nothing. 

Before leaving the parking lot, I made a call to the Northern Territory Enforcers. Though the evidence against 

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Victoria was thin, I had enough influence as Alpha King to ensure she would be detained for at least 48 hours while I investigated further. 

After the enforcers arrived and took Victoria away, I headed toward the Silvercrest Pack Medical Den. My wolf’s thoughts were consumed by the true mate I had wronged for so long–and the daughter whose death I 

had failed to prevent. 

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