Give her back to me
(Olivia’s POV)
The massive warehouse door crashed open with a thunderous bang that jolted me awake. My body was covered in writhing, cold snakes, their scales sliding against my skin like liquid
ice.
Strong hands plunged into the tank, pulling me out as snakes fell away from my body.
“My dear, don’t be afraid,” Theodore’s voice whispered against my ear as he tore the remaining serpents from my arms and legs.
My skin was covered in bite marks, blood seeping from dozens of puncture wounds. The venom burned through my veins like liquid fire, each pulse of my heart sending waves of agony through my body.
Theodore held me tightly against his chest, his amber eyes gleaming with a dark, predatory light that promised violence. His hands shook as he examined my wounds.
The rogue wolves who had been guarding me scrambled to their feet, shocked by his sudden appearance. They rushed forward, but Theodore’s guards burst through the entrance, quickly subduing them.
The distant howl of pack law enforcement sirens echoed through the night air. Theodore handed my trembling form to Captain Ryker, his movements careful despite his rage.
“Alpha, we need to leave,” Ryker urged, but Theodore ignored him completely.
He picked up an iron pipe from the warehouse floor, his knuckles white as he gripped the metal. The rogues cowered as he approached them.
“Who gave the order?” Theodore’s voice was deadly quiet, more terrifying than any roar.
One of the rogues, blood already streaming from his nose, stammered out an answer. “Caelan Mooncrest! But we were only supposed to scare her! The snake venom was mild!”
This excuse only fueled Theodore’s fury. He brought the pipe down with brutal force, the sound of metal meeting bone echoing through the warehouse.
“Mild?” Theodore snarled, striking again. “Look at her! Look what you’ve done!”
(Theodore’s POV)
I continued my assault until Ryker’s voice cut through my rage. “Alpha, Luna has fainted!”
Even then, I didn’t stop immediately. These animals had hurt her, had put her in that tank with those creatures. They deserved every broken bone.
Finally, I dropped the bloodied pipe and strode away as pack enforcement vehicles arrived outside. In the back of my armored SUV, I held Olivia’s unconscious form.
Her pale, blood–streaked face was a stark reminder of my failures. Every bite mark on her skin was evidence of how I had failed to protect her.
“My love, I truly know I was wrong,” I whispered, burying my face in her neck. My own eyes welled with tears I hadn’t shed in years.
“If I hadn’t taken Clara as my mistress, you would be living happily with me in the Crimson Pack Territory. You would be safe.”
The thought consumed me completely. My betrayal, my momentary pursuit of pleasure with Clara, had led to this. I knew how much Olivia despised betrayal, just as she despised her father, Silvanus Thorne.
I rushed her into the nearest pack infirmary, frantically listing her conditions to the medical staff. “Vehicle crash, concussion, snake venom! She has a weak heart!”
As she was wheeled into the healing chamber, I was left alone in the sterile corridor. The memory of her heart stopping in my hands once before haunted me.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Matthew Kane appeared, his face a mask of controlled fury.
Seeing him, my grief transformed into pure rage. I threw a punch, which he dodged with practiced ease.
“What right do you have to mate with her? You can’t even protect her!” I roared, my voice thick with anguish.
I described the horrific state I had found her in, the snakes covering her body, the blood, the terror in her eyes.
Matthew stepped past me into the treatment room without a word. Pack enforcers moved to restrain me, but I barely noticed them.
Inside the room, when Matthew saw Olivia’s exposed skin covered with snake bite marks, slowly healing with moonlight herb therapy, he punched the door frame hard enough to c***k the wood.
(
The chief healer approached him cautiously. “Although the snakes were venomous, her werewolf healing ability is neutralizing the toxicity. Her condition is stable, but she requires monitoring.”
Matthew’s voice was ice–cold as he gave his instructions. “Have Dr. Aris Lowell come immediately. And throw Caelan Mooncrest in the pack detention center.”
When I tried to force my way into the room again, begging to see Olivia and demanding Matthew return her to my care, he grabbed my throat.
“She’s not yours anymore,” he said quietly, his grip tightening.
At that moment, Olivia’s voice came from within the room, weak but conscious. Both of us rushed toward the sound, but pack guards stopped me at the door.
I was forced to watch as Matthew embraced his mate, his arms wrapping around her with
infinite care.
“You’re holding me too tight. I can’t breathe,” Olivia said gently, her voice carrying a
tenderness I had never heard directed at me. “It’s okay, it just looks scary, but it doesn’t really
hurt.”
Witnessing this intimate softness, this gentle affection she had never shown me, broke something inside my chest. The way she comforted him, the way she fit perfectly in his
arms.
I turned and left the infirmary, my heart shattered beyond repair. Through the pack link, I issued a single, chilling order to my Beta.
“Destroy Mooncrest Global.”
(Olivia’s POV)
In the infirmary room, Matthew was struggling to touch me without causing pain from the healing bite marks. When he tried to lift me, his movements were clumsy and hesitant.
I knelt on the bed and wrapped my arms around his neck, sensing his deep melancholy through our mate bond. He wasn’t angry at me – he was drowning in guilt.
“Don’t take Theodore’s words to heart,” I murmured, taking on the role of comforter. “I brought this on myself. I’m the one who wanted to shut down Caelan’s project involving my mother, so he came after me. It has nothing to do with you.”
I looked up at him, my gaze soft and affectionate. Bringing my face close to his, I whispered, “It was a close call, but we’re safe.”
My nose touched his as I leaned in and kissed his cold lips. But he remained unresponsive, i nipped his lip with my canines.
“Does it hurt?” I asked.
