Chapter 115: Matthew was embraced by her
Chapter 115: Matthew was embraced by her
(Theodore’s POV)
The door opened, and as I stepped out, the entire Kane Estate was once again brightly lit. The chaos from the power outage lasted only a few minutes before order was restored.
Helicopters circled overhead again, while the Kane family’s pack warriors patrolled in an orderly fashion. They created an impenetrable perimeter around the building where Matthew and Olivia were staying.
A butler appeared before me, bowing deeply. “Alpha Redgrave, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. A rogue sabotaged the main power line.”
My face was grim as I stared at the opposite building, now shrouded in a darkness that completely hid Olivia from my sight. The windows were black, revealing nothing of what transpired within.
I felt a crushing sense of despair, realizing I had no chance of taking my mate away from here. The security was too tight, the defenses too strong.
My Alpha Sentinels had failed. They couldn’t even get close to the building before being intercepted by Kane’s forces. Just as my heart was being torn apart by the pain, footsteps approached behind me. I turned to see a woman with sharp features and calculating eyes.
“Alpha Redgrave,” she said smoothly, “perhaps I can be of assistance.”
I recognized her immediately. Tasha, Matthew’s assistant. Her presence here was no coincidence.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice rough with barely contained rage.
Her smile was cold and predatory. “The same thing you do. To see certain arrangements… disrupted.”
(Olivia’s POV)
I sat on the edge of the bed, my body trembling slightly. My heavy breathing was especially noticeable in the quiet, dim
room.
The encounter with Theodore had shattered something inside me. Sharp pain lanced through my head as painful memories from the past began to erode my mind.
Clara’s betrayal. Leo’s rejection. The silver blade cutting into my flesh.
I felt mentally disturbed, with even the slightest sounds penetrating my brain due to my heightened mental state. The distant hum of helicopters felt like thunder in my skull.
Matthew noticed my discomfort and walked over. He gently brushed away the sweat–soaked hair from my forehead with a
soft touch.
His fingers were cool against my burning skin. “You have a slight fever. It’s probably because your silver wound has just healed, and the increased stress is causing it.”
He disappeared briefly, returning with a cooling patch. The moment he placed it on my forehead, the sudden cold made
me shiver.
My strength gave out, and I slumped weakly. Matthew quickly supported me, his hands under my arms.
Though my vision was blurry, I looked up at him. The guilt I’d been carrying finally spilled over.
+15 Points
“I saw him in the woods just now,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.
Matthew’s expression remained calm, but I caught the slight tightening around his eyes. He was listening patiently, waiting for me to continue.
“Too many people, too many eyes. It wasn’t convenient for you to tell me?” he asked quietly.
I murmured in agreement, my thoughts turning to a new worry that had been gnawing at me since Theodore’s
appearance.
“I didn’t expect him to be at the Kane family’s home,” I said, anxiety creeping into my voice. “If your family knew about my past, they probably wouldn’t agree to our mating.”
The weight of that realization pressed down on me. Our potential mating was one of mutual benefit–I needed protection for my daughter, Aurora, and he needed a stable mate to satisfy his family.
To protect me, Matthew had kept my true identity as the legendary “Cipher” a secret from his relatives. They saw me only as a simple agent under his command.
A wave of regret washed over me. “If I had known, I would have found another way…”
Matthew’s hands tightened slightly on my arms. “Don’t worry,” he said coolly. “He can’t do anything. We’ll leave after my territorial negotiations are over.”
Just as he finished speaking, my strength gave out completely. He reacted instantly, catching me as I collapsed.
His face was only a few inches away from mine, his breath filling my senses. A painful moan escaped my lips as darkness claimed me.
But in my deep dream, I remembered someone holding my hand all the time. Warm fingers intertwined with mine, anchoring me through the fever’s storm.
When I awoke, the fever was gone, and he was no longer there. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, and I felt remarkably refreshed.
A pack omega brought me breakfast, her face bright with a knowing smile. “The Alpha King watched over you all night.”
Heat rose to my cheeks at her words. I felt awkward about the implications, about Matthew’s care for me.
I drank some venison broth to settle my stomach, then went to find him. I needed to thank him for his kindness.
Passing a small garden, I heard voices and paused. Through the flowering bushes, I saw Matthew with a woman I recognized from the banquet.
Cynthia Mooncrest. The she–wolf who had been introduced as his former fiancée.
She was crying as she tugged on his sleeve, her desperation evident in every gesture. “Don’t mate with her, please? She’s just a rogue with no pack background. She can’t help strengthen your kingdom.”
I waited at a distance, feeling it was inappropriate to interrupt. But her words stung more than I cared to admit.
(Matthew’s POV)
I kept my gaze cold as Cynthia pleaded with me. Her tears meant nothing–I had seen this performance too many times
before.
“Matthew, I swear I didn’t know that moonlight wine was drugged. I never meant to make you miss that important territorial meeting.”
The reminder of that incident only strengthened my resolve. I pulled my sleeve from her grasp with deliberate force.
< Chapter 115 Matthew was embraced by her
“Before that incident,” I stated flatly, “I had already asked your brother to dissolve our engagement.”
The words struck Cynthia like lightning. Her face went pale, and her grip on my sleeve loosened.
“Why?” she cried, her voice breaking.
+15 Paints
My mind drifted back thirteen years to Crestwood University. I could still see Olivia under an ancient oak tree, completely engrossed in a difficult book on strategic warfare.
Her focus had been absolute, serene. Even then, she had possessed a brilliant mind that few could match.
“I don’t love you,” I said simply, turning to leave.
The truth was harsh but necessary. I had never felt for Cynthia what I felt for Olivia–not even a fraction of it.
Unwilling to accept this, Cynthia threw her arms around me from behind, sobbing against my back. “But you were different with me! You were going to mark me!”
Her desperation was pathetic, but I felt no sympathy. I had been clear about my feelings from the beginning.
At that moment, my gaze lifted and met familiar dark eyes. Olivia was standing at the edge of the garden, her face a mask of displeasure.
She strode toward us with purpose, her movements fluid and predatory. I felt a thrill of anticipation at her approach.
Her eyes locked on Cynthia’s hands wrapped around me, and something sharp and proprietary flashed across her features.
She stopped directly in front of us, her voice cutting through Cynthia’s sobs. “Miss Mooncrest, what are you doing to my mate?”
