The corridors of Blackthorn Manor were quiet that evening, the flickering candlelight casting long shadows across the cold stone floors. Alan's mind was a whirlwind—thoughts of Julia, Mary, and the chaos Olivia had sown battled within him. Yet despite his unease, he needed answers. He needed the truth, and it was closer than he realized.
As he passed the nurse's quarters, a faint conversation drifted through the slightly open door. Voices, hushed but urgent, carried over the stone corridor. Alan paused, his instincts sharpening. He stepped closer, hidden in the shadows, and listened.
"…I can't believe she did it so cruelly," one voice whispered, trembling. "To kill the baby… in the name of the Alpha… and Julia… she… she was so merciless."
Alan's heart clenched. Every word stabbed him, heavy and sharp, like icy blades pressing against his chest. He recognized the tone of the nurse's voice—fear, disgust, and anger all woven together.
The second voice, quieter but firm, added, "Yes. I tried to stop her, but Olivia… she wouldn't listen. She said the Alpha would 'thank her' for removing any trace of Julia's child. She didn't care. Not for Julia… not for the baby… not for anyone."
Alan's hands clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms. His wolf stirred violently inside him, growling low and threatening, a storm barely restrained. His mind raced: Olivia… how could she… what did she do?
The first voice continued, shaking with emotion, "It was… brutal. The procedure… it was done without mercy. She didn't even let Julia know what was happening. And the worst part… she smiled while she did it. She said she was 'cleansing the clan of weakness.'"
Alan's amber eyes darkened, pupils dilating. His jaw tightened until the bone ached. He could feel every pulse, every thrum of the lost life—the life that had belonged to him and Julia, to their bond, their future. Olivia had killed it, and Julia had suffered in silence.
The second voice whispered sharply, "I tried to tell the Alpha, but… he wasn't there. Julia didn't know… no one did. She… she cried alone. And now… she's gone. She left the clan, and Olivia… Olivia is still here, acting like nothing happened."
Alan's wolf surged inside him, furious and untamed, demanding retribution. His body trembled with a mixture of grief, rage, and guilt. I failed her. I failed my mate. I allowed this…
He backed away silently, heart pounding, as the nurses' whispers faded into the distance. His mind replayed every memory of Julia—the way she had fought, the moments of courage, the nights of quiet pain. Every action, every decision that led to her suffering now burned in his mind like wildfire.
Alan pressed a hand against the stone wall, grounding himself as his wolf's growls echoed in his chest. The betrayal, the cruelty, the murder of their unborn child—it was too much. And the realization was bitter, sharp, and unrelenting: Olivia had manipulated him, twisted his perception, and destroyed the one thing that bound him to Julia in the purest way possible.
His amber eyes flicked toward the corridors where Olivia's presence lingered like a poison. Every instinct screamed at him to act, to confront her, to unleash the storm that had been building inside him for weeks. But Alan's mind, though consumed with rage, knew one thing: he had to be precise. He had to strike with the full force of an Alpha who had been betrayed, not just with fury, but with strategy.
He thought of Julia—her numbness, her departure, her independence. Every step she had taken away from him now made sense in a new, painful light. She had suffered in silence while he had been blind. She had endured the loss of their unborn child, a life that should have been protected by both of them. And he had failed.
Alan's hands trembled slightly as he turned from the corridor, every muscle coiled and ready. His wolf roared inside him, demanding action, demanding justice. The manor, usually a place of order and dominance, now felt like a cage filled with deceit and cruelty.
He clenched his fists and whispered under his breath, voice low and full of intent: "Olivia… you will pay. Everything you did… every cruel act… every lie… you will answer for it. I will make you feel what Julia felt. You will not survive this."
For the first time in months, Alan's anger was not just for himself. It was for Julia—for the mate he had lost, for the child that should have been theirs, for the life she had been denied. His mind raced with plans, strategies, and vengeance. Olivia had underestimated him, underestimated the depth of his love and his capacity for wrath.
He allowed himself a moment, just a moment, to feel the weight of his guilt. Every tear Julia had shed, every night she had spent alone, every silent scream—the responsibility was his. But that guilt transformed into fuel, sharpening his resolve. He would act. He would protect what remained. And he would ensure that Olivia's cruelty would never harm Julia again.
The Alpha's amber eyes burned with unrelenting fire. He could still feel Julia's presence in the bond, faint and distant, but alive. That bond was his lifeline, his compass, and the reason he would endure whatever darkness lay ahead.
Alan turned sharply down the corridor, moving with silent purpose toward Olivia's chambers. His wolf's growl thrummed in his chest, resonating with every step, every heartbeat. Justice, vengeance, and the need to protect his mate had become one unstoppable force.
Tonight, the Blackthorn Manor would feel the consequences of cruelty. Olivia's treachery would be revealed, and Alan's fury would not be contained. The unborn child, the loss, and the pain—he would honor them all with his wrath.
And somewhere, deep in the shadows, Alan allowed himself one thought, fragile but powerful: Julia… wherever you are… I will make this right. I will make them pay. And I will bring you back. No matter the cost.