Chapter 50
Chapter 50
WADE
The nurse walks in just as Ariel goes quiet, clipboard in hand, with all that cheerful professionalism is o badly need right now. “Alpha Thayer,” she says, smiling too brightly for a room that smells like antiseptic and smoke.
“You’re lucky. Just a few surface burns, mild inhalation damage, but your vitals are good. You can be discharged by this afternoon. You’re going back to your pack, right?” The nurse smiles and Ariel’s eyes quickly fumes.
She flips a page and adds, “Whoever pulled you out before the fire fully took the house probably saved your life p>
My head snaps up. “Wait. You know who it was p>
Ariel quickly turns to me, his eyes wide.
The nurse pauses mid–step, looking thoughtful. “No, sir. You were left right in front of the Imperial Pack’s hospital doors around midnight. We didn’t see who brought you in–we just, uh-” she turns to Ariel and I can feel tension wrapping between the two.
“We um…” she clears her throat. “Spill it.” I growl. I don’t have time to bullshit around. “I’m sorry, we just found you unconscious on the steps p>
The nurse gives her a polite nod but glances between us awkwardly. “I’ll let you rest, Alpha.” She starts toward the door, then hesitates and turns back to me. “Sorry, but… whoever saved you must’ve left in a hurry. There was a trail of blood, and a torn piece of clothing near the gate. Maybe one of the guards knows more.” her eyes were trying to avoid Ariel’s and looked straight into me.
Ariel stiffens at that, eyes flashing before she quickly smooths her face.” You can go,” she tells the nurse in that sweet, sugary tone I have always loved. She was always much easier to please than Sorin.
Sorin… her again.
The nurse nods quickly and slips out, closing the door behind her.
The room’s quiet again. Just the soft hum of the machines and Ariel’s dramatic sigh.
“Why are you asking about that?” she says, crossing to me, fingers clutching the edge of my blanket like she owns me. “Actually, I didn’t want to tell you… but,” she fiddles with the fabric before looking up at me. “It was me, Wade. I was the one who saved you p>
I blink slowly. What? “You p>
She
presses a hand to her chest, nodding with all the fake sincerity in the world. “Yes. I ran back when I realized you hadn’t followed. I found you passed out near the flames–I dragged you out myself. Goddess, Wade,!n’t know what I’d do if I lost you p>
Her voice trembles,and my heart quickly aches for her and yet there’s uneasiness cloying inside of me.
I watch her quietly. The memory flashes behind my eyes again–but what I heard, there were two voices, not one. Ariel’s sweet tone wasn’t there. The woman who called me an idiot and barked orders like she owned the air itself? That wasn’t Ariel. That was… No.
I lean back, trying to keep my tone casual as I test her with one last question. “Were you… were you alone p>
Her hand freezes mid–gesture and I quickly notice it. “Of course I was. Who else would’ve helped you but me p>
That was it. She’s lying. Whoever it is that saved me, there were two of them.
Chapter 50
I hum, pretending to accept that, even though the lie stinks. Ariel couldn’t drag a sack of flour by herself, much less an unconscious alpha twice her weight. Not with that swelling belly she keeps using as an excuse to avoid chores.
She senses my silence, leans in close, lowering her voice like she’s confessing something sacred. “It was hard. I thought I’d collapse, but I didn’t stop until we were safe. You don’t know how scared I was
“Right.” I mutter, jaw tight. “You’re real brave, huh p>
She beams, taking it as a compliment. “For you? Always p>
My heart aches. Why does she have to lie about this?
She helps me up, slipping her arm under mine, and we walk down the hospital corridor. The walls here gleam white and gold, polished floors reflecting the late afternoon light streaming through tall windows. Imperial Pack architecture always looks like it’s trying to prove something–every pillar and archway flexing wealth and p
Ariel keeps talking, voice droning in my ear. “You really scared me, Wade. I thought: sins p>
“Yeah,” I cut in. “Maybe She was p>
She stops walking, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean p>
I shrug. “Nothing p>
What the hell’s wrong with me? Why am I saying these stuff to her?
was punishing me for my
Her expression flickers with irritation before she masks it again, forcing a smile. “You’re tired. Let’s just get you back to the suite. We can talk later p>
I let her tug me along, half–distracted, half listening to the click of her shoes echoing down the hall. Then something shifts in the air.
A low rumble–voices, deep and resonant–drift from the grand corridor to our left. The throne
room doors
are open.
I stop walking. We both do.
Through the gilded archway, the space opens into the heart of the Imperial Packhouse–massive columns, banners bearing the golden Lycan insignia, chandeliers that spill warm light over polished marble floors.
And at the far end, sitting on the golden throne like he was born to intimidate, is him.
Alaric Hayes.
Even from here, the air feels heavier. He’s lounging in that effortless, dominant way–broad shoulders, coat undone, a goblet of crimson wine glinting in his hand.
But it’s not him that makes my pulse hitch.
It’s the woman standing beside him.
Veiled.
Draped in a soft gray shawl that hides her face and most of her body, but there’s something about the way she stands–tense, graceful, as though she’s used to holding herself small in rooms filled with monsters.
And yet so… confident.
I can’t look away.
16:22 Tue, Jan 6 MM
Chapter 50
Ariel tugs at my sleeve. “Wade, come on p>
I barely hear her. My gaze stays locked on the veiled woman. She shifts, subtly–like she can feel my stare and her hand twitches, fingers curling into her palm.
That’s when Alaric notices that small gesture as his eyes dart to her.
His golden eyes flick lazily toward me, then down to who I am staring at.
A smirk tugs at his mouth, slow and dangerously smug. He wraps an arm around the woman’s waist and pulls her down onto his lap like it’s a challenge.
For some reason, that stirs annoyance within me.
The goblet in his other hand catches the light as he raises it slightly, toasting me across the distance with that smug, knowing expression that makes my blood heat.
Ariel’s voice fades into static. My jaw locks, muscles tight enough to ache.
The woman tilts her head down, hiding her face under the veil–but not before I catch a glimpse. A flicker of pale skin. The soft curve of her jaw.
My heart stumbles in my chest.
No fucking way.
Is it p>
No, it can’t be her. She died in the fire back in the pack.
The King says something to her, voice low, intimate, too close, and extremely annoying. She looks up at him briefly, then back down–obedient, quiet. But I can see it. The tension in her shoulders. The slight tremor of her fingers.
Sorin never trembled for anyone.
But it’s not her, is it?
My pulse hammers in my ears. The world narrows to just them. The Lycan King.
Alaric leans back in his throne, eyes gleaming like he knows exactly what he’s doing, and takes a long, slow sip from his goblet without breaking eye contact.
I take a step forward before I even realize it. Ariel’s hand tightens on my arm. “Wade,” she hisses under her breath. “What are you doing? You can’t just p>
I shake her off, staring hard at the veiled woman who refuses to meet my eyes.
She turns her head slightly, just enough for the light to catch the faintest glint beneath the fabric–a shimmer of silver and gold in her eyes.
My breath catches.
That color.
Only one person in this entire damn world has eyes like that.
Before I can move or speak, Alaric shifts his hold, drawing her even closer. His hand slides up her back in a gesture that’s possessive as hell, his thumb brushing her neck–right where her mark used to be.
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Chapter 50
The mark I once put there.
My fists clench.
Alaric’s smirk widens, cruel as he watches me fumes in curiosity, it’s as if he can taste my rage from across the hall.
He raises the goblet one last time in mock salute.
And I swear, I can hear the faintest whisper escape the veiled woman’s lips–soft, broken, and unmistakable.
“Wade p>
Then the heavy throne room doors slam shut.
The sound echoes down the corridor to not let
anyone
else inside.
And I’m left standing there, heart pounding, staring at gold and silence–knowing dan another man’s crown.
It couldn’t have been Sorin.
No, it can’t be.
aw a ghost wearing
“Wade… hng–” I turn to Ariel as I’m pulled out of my thoughts. “My belly hurts…” She groans and I look at her belly and worry quickly fills me.
Yes, this is who I should be focusing on now. I’m trying to build a family.
But why do I feel like I just lost someone so precious?
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.