Olivia's POV
I couldn't sleep. My mind kept replaying everything I had just heard in James's office. My wolf paced restlessly.
Then I heard footsteps approaching, and a knock on the door.
"Olivia?" Mia's voice was sweet, concerned. "Can I come in?"
I didn't answer.
"Olivia, please. I just want to talk."
I stayed silent.
"Olivia, open the door."
She turned the doorknob and opened the door, stepping inside.
There was a pause. Then her voice changed, she dropped the sweet voice.
"Oh, you look so pathetic right now, sis." She drawled.
I didn't move.
She continued. "But I want you to know something. That pup in my womb is James's. He chose me. His wolf chose mine."
I sat up slowly, turning to face her.
She had a cruel grin on her face. "He told me how weak your wolf is. How you could never satisfy his alpha wolf."
My hands clenched into fists. My wolf snarled.
"And those pups?" She laughed. "Four chances, Olivia. And you couldn't even manage to keep one alive. What kind of she-wolf can't even carry her mate's offspring?"
My vision turned red. My wolf demanded blood.
"Your wolf must be defective," she continued, her voice dripping with venom. "Maybe it's the Moon Goddess's way of telling you that you would be a terrible mother."
Anger burned through me at her words, and I stood up, walking towards her with clenched fists. My eyes flashed as my wolf surged forward.
"James loves me," Mia said, with a nasty grin on her face. "He's having a pup with me. A real pup. One that will actually live, because I can give him what you never could, a strong bloodline."
I shoved her hard.
She stumbled backward, her eyes widening in shock.
"Get out," I growled coldly.
"You bitch!" she hissed. "How dare you—"
"I said get out!"
I slammed the door in her face and locked it this time.
There was silence for a moment, then the sound of footsteps walking down the hallway.
I walked back to the bed and sat down.
Then I heard a loud thud, and a scream.
"James! Help! James!"
My blood ran cold.
What did she—
The bedroom door flew open with such force it slammed against the wall. The lock of the door had been broken.
James stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. His face was twisted with rage, his eyes glowing gold. His wolf was close to the surface.
Behind him, my mother and father appeared, holding a sobbing Mia.
"You pushed her down the stairs?" James's voice was deadly quiet, filled with rage.
"What? No, I didn't—"
"She came up here to comfort you," my mother said, her voice shaking. "To try and make peace. And you attacked a pregnant she-wolf!"
"That's not what happened!" I stood up. "She was inside my room, insulting me—"
"That's not true!" Mia sobbed. "I just wanted to talk to my sister. To make sure she was okay. And she... she pushed me!"
"I shoved her away from my door! I didn't push her down the stairs—"
Before I could say anything more, James's fist slammed into my face. The blow sent me flying backward. My head cracked against the wall, and pain exploded through my skull.
Then everything went black.
When I woke up in the pack clinic, my head was pounding. My face throbbed, and I could taste blood in my mouth. I could feel my wolf working hard to heal the injuries.
I tried to sit up, but my body wouldn't cooperate. Everything hurt.
"You're finally awake." James's voice was cold, emotionless.
I forced my eyes open. He was sitting in a chair by the window, watching me with those cold eyes.
The memories flooded through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes. In our eight years of being mated, James had never hit me before, until now.
"James," I whispered. "How could—"
"Apologize to Mia."
"What?"
"You heard me." His eyes were hard and dark. "Apologize to your sister for attacking her."
"I didn't attack her!" I tried to sit up again, ignoring the pain. "She was taunting me, saying horrible things—"
"I don't care what she said." He stood up, eyes flashing—his wolf was still on the surface. "You put your hands on a pregnant she-wolf. You could have killed her pup."
"She threw herself down the stairs!" Tears streamed down my face. "She's lying, James. She's always lying—"
"Apologize."
"No." I said firmly, my wolf rising even with her weakness.
His expression darkened, his eyes flashing gold. "No?"
"I won't apologize for something I didn't do."
He stared at me for a long moment. Then he smiled. It was a cold, cruel smile that made my blood freeze.
"Fine."
He grabbed my arm and dragged me to my feet. I stumbled, my legs were too weak to hold me up.
"What are you doing?" I gasped.
He didn't answer, he just dragged me out of the room, and down the clinic hallway, his grip was tight and painful.
"James, stop! Where are we going?"
He kept dragging me, till we approached the ICU wing.
My stomach dropped.
"No," I whispered. "No, James, please—"
He ignored me as he dragged me to Room 304. Alice's room.
"James, what are you doing?" I was sobbing now. "Please, don't—"
He kicked open the door to Alice's room with force, breaking it off completely.
To my dismay, she was still lying there, pale and unmoving, surrounded by machines. Her heart monitor beeped steadily. Asher hadn't moved her yet.
A healer looked up, startled. "Alpha, we—"
"Turn off the life support," James commanded coldly.
The healer’s eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
"I said turn it off."
"But Alpha, she—"
"Do it." His eyes flashed full gold, demanding obedience.
"Alpha, the patient will die within minutes if we—"
"I don't care." James's voice was ice. "Turn it off. Now."
The healer looked at me, then back at James. "Alpha, I need authorization from the head healer—"
"I'm the Alpha of this pack." His voice was quiet but deadly. "My authority supercedes every other person in this pack. If you question me again, I will exile you from the pack, and make you live the rest of your life as a miserable rogue. Do you understand?"
The healer’s face went pale as she quickly did as he said with tears in her eyes, unable to resist the alpha's command.
"No!" I lunged forward, but James caught me easily, holding me back.
"Please," I sobbed. "Please, she's all I have. She's my mother. Please—"
The ventilator went silent.
The heart monitor's beeping slowed.
"James, please!" I dropped to my knees, sobbing. "Please don't do this! I'm begging you!"
He looked down at me. "Apologize to Mia."
"I'll apologize!" I screamed. "I'll apologize for anything! Just please, James, please don't do this!"
He stared at me for a long moment.
"Turn it back on!" I screamed. "Please, turn it back on!"
But then a voice called from the hallway. "Alpha!"
Another healer appeared in the doorway, breathless. "It's Mia! She's having a panic attack! She can't breathe—"
James released me immediately. "Gather every healer in this clinic. Now. No harm must come to Mia or that pup."
Then he ran out of the room. To my horror, he dragged the healer from Alice's room with him.
I rushed outside frantically.
"Help!" I screamed into the hallway. "Somebody help me! Please!"
But everyone was gone, running to help Mia, on the alpha's orders.
I looked at the machines, at the buttons and switches.
"I'm sorry," I whispered to Alice. "I'm so sorry. I don't know how to—"
I tried pressing buttons, flipping switches, but nothing worked.
Alice's heart monitor slowed further, the beeping got fainter.
"No, no, no," I sobbed. "Please, Mama. Please don't leave me. Please—"
The monitor flatlined.
"No!" I threw myself across her body. "Mama! Mama, please!"
But she was gone. Her wolf's life force had faded completely.
I don't know how long I stayed there, sobbing over her body, my own wolf releasing a broken howl.
Eventually, the healers came back. They tried to pull me away, but I wouldn't let go.
Guards had to be called to drag me out of the room while I screamed and fought, my wolf thrashing.
James was in the waiting room with Mia. She was crying dramatically, my mother stroking her hair.
When James saw me being dragged past, he didn't even look concerned.
He just turned back to Mia and continued coddling her.
Alice was dead. James had murdered her.
Just like he had murdered my pups.
I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and texted Asher.
— He killed my mother. It's too late.
His response came immediately.
— What happened?
I told him everything.
There was a long pause before his next message.
— I'll make him pay, Olivia. I swear on my wolf's honor.
If James thought he had broken me, he was about to learn how wrong he was.
