NovelEnglishThe Alpha King is unavailable 26
Chapter 70 Wound and
Chapter 26: Wounds and Memories
Chapter 26 Wounds and Memories
(Olivia's POV)
Pain shot through my face as | shifted in bed. | accidentally brushed against my bruised cheek.
"Ow-"I recoiled. The sharp sting cleared the fog of fever from my mind.
The bedside lamp clicked on, bathing the room in soft golden light. | squinted against the brightness. My vision
slowly focused on Ethan's face hovering above me.
His amber eyes narrowed as they traced the stark bruises marring my skin, His jaw tightened with tension. A
muscle twitched beneath the surface of his skin.
Without a word, he turned and left the room. His footsteps echoed down the hallway, heavy and purposeful.
Through my fever haze, | heard him on the phone. His voice was a dangerous, controlled whisper that sent chills
throughdespite my feverish state.
"Maxwell, | need you to find out who laid a hand on Olivia Winters in Shadowfall Detention Center."
A pause followed as he listened to his special assistant's response. My heart raced despite my exhaustion,
wondering what he planned to do.
"Take care of them inside, a hundredfold," he commanded coldly. The deadly promise in his voice made me
shudder. This was the merciless Alpha King that other packs feared.
The floorboards creaked as he returned to the room. He held a small bottle of Moonberry Fever Reducer in one
hand and a glass of water in the other. He set both on the nightstand before carefully sitting on the edge
of the bed.
"Open your mouth," he instructed, uncapping the fever reducer. "Take the medicine."
Those simple words triggered something dark inside me. Suddenly, | wasn't in my bedroom anymore.
| was eight years old again, huddled in that dank orphanage basement corner. The head caretaker loomed over
"Take your medicine, little wolf," he'd cooed, eyes glinting with malice. "It will make you feel better."
I'd been naive enough to believe him then. | opened my mouth obediently. The bitter liquid burned going down,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtleavingdisoriented and weak.
Too weak to fight back when the whip cdown across my back. Too weak to escape the predatory gaze
that followed.
"No," | whispered now, clenching my jaw shut. My entire body trembled as | pressed against the headboard,
| putting distance between Ethan and myself.
Understanding flickered in his eyes. Without warning, he placed the medicine in his own mouth.
Before | could process what was happening, his lips descended on mine. | whimpered in protest, struggling
weakly against his chest, pushing at him with what little strength | had.
He deepened the kiss, ignoring my resistance. One hand cradled the back of my head to holdstill while
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Chapter 26 Wounds
the other pressed firmly against my lower back.
"Swallow," he murmured against my lips. His thumb stroked my throat to encourage the reflexive action, leaving
The medicine slid down my throat with his breath. When he finally pulled away, something unexpected flickered
in his eyes - desire that hadn't been there in years.
His gaze lingered on my flushed skin, traveling down to where my sweat-soaked nightgown clung to my body.
The intensity of his stare madefeel exposed and vulnerable.
"You need dry clothes," he said, his voice husky with an emotion | couldn't name. "You'll get sicker otherwise
| was too weak to protest as he helpedinto a fresh nightgown. His fingers brushed against my skin with
surprising gentleness, leaving trails of heat that had nothing to do with my fever.
Each touch sent conflicting signals through my fevered body. Comfort and danger intertwined in a confusing
dance that leftbreathless.
Hours passed in a blur of half-consciousness. The medicine gradually took effect, cooling the fire raging
through my veins,
| drifted in and out of awareness, barely registering the world around me. |
vaguely noticed Ethan's presence
beside the bed, his watchful gaze never leaving my face.
The cool sensation of something being applied to my face rousedfrom fitful sleep. | blinked slowly, trying
to focus my thoughts.
The distinctive scent of Dr. Harold Bennett's Rare Healing Salve filled my nostrils. This wasn't just any
medicine - this was the exclusive remedy available only to the Stone family and their closest associates.
The familiar herbal aroma transportedback to the Silvercrest Medical Den, I'd received the streatment
after injuring my hand during healer training with Elder Willow.
Ethan's fingers moved with surprising gentleness across my bruised cheek. He applied the salve in careful,
circular motions, his touch lighter than | would have expected.
When our eyes met, he broke the charged silence between us. His question cut through the quiet room like a
blade.
"Was it so hard to askfor help?" he asked, his voice deceptively soft. The implication was clear-my
detention center ordeal could have been avoided if I'd sought his protection.
His words ignited something fierce within me. It burned through the last remnants
of fever-induced weakness, replacing it with white-hot rage.
"Ethan Stone, | would ask anyone but you," | spat, venom lacing every syllable. My emerald eyes blazed with
fury as | knocked his hand away from my face. "Don't pretend to care. | don't need it."
His expression hardened instantly. The brief tenderness vanished as if it had never existed.
"You're being ungrateful," he said, his tone clipped and cold.
"Ungrateful?" | scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. My eyes burned with a cold fire as | glared at him. "You
throwto those women and then offer healing salve, and | should be grateful?”
"I didn't arrange that," he insisted, his amber eyes narrowing dangerously. "I had nothing to do with what
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happened to you in that cell"
His denial caughtoff guard. For a moment, doubt flickered through my mind, makingwonder if Id
misjudged him.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Could he be telling the truth? The thought quickly extinguished itself under the weight of years experiencing
his deception and neglect.
“Does it make a difference?" | challenged, pushing myself to a sitting position despite my body's protest. "If it
wasn't you, then who else could it be besides Victoria?"
The mention of Victoria's nwas like lighting a match near gasoline. Ethan's expression darkened
dangerously, his eyes flashing with barely contained rage. "Where's Lily?" he demanded abruptly, changing the
subject with jarring suddenness. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
The question knocked the breath from my lungs. After everything that had happened, he was still clinging to
this delusion about our daughter
"| told you," | whispered, my voice breaking on each word. "She's gone."
His control snapped. In one fluid motion, he yankedfrom the bed. His grip bruised my wrist as he dragged
My weakened legs could barely keep up as he pulledtoward Lily's room. Each step was a struggle, but his
relentless pace gaveno choice but to follow.
The door crashed open under his forceful push. He shovedinside with enough force that | stumbled,
nearly falling.
His hand moved to grip the back of my neck as he forcedto look around the empty space that had once
been our daughter's bedroom. His fingers tightened painfully.
"You broughthere, toldLily's ashes were in this room," he hissed. His voice dripped with icy contempt as
his grip tightened further. "Where are they,
Olivia?"
Tears welled in my eyes. They blurred my vision as | stared at the room where my daughter had once slept,
had once laughed, had once lived.
The room now stood empty. A shrine to a life cut tragically short.
"Lily..." My voice cracked as | choked out the words. Each one was a dagger to
my heart, reopening wounds that had barely begun to heal. "She was buried
today...
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