Sophia was finally discharged from the pack’s medical ward a few days later.
The night was deep, the crescent moon was hanging high, casting its pale glow over the dense forest. In the distance, a chorus of wolves howled, their mournful cries echoing through the silent expanse of trees.
Sophia leaned delicately against Lucas, her voice soft and sweet as she spoke.
“Lucas, I’m still not fully recovered. It’s… inconvenient for me to live alone right now.”
“Could you take me home? Of course, if it’s too much trouble, I understand…”
Lucas narrowed his golden eyes, which gleamed eerily in the moonlight. He chuckled, a sound laced with the possessiveness and protectiveness of a true Alpha.
“You can’t never be a trouble, Sophia?! I will personally take care of you.”
He held her carefully as they stepped into his black SUV. The vehicle rumbled to life, moving steadily down the winding forest road. Towering, ancient trees loomed over them, their bare branches whispering in the wind. Moonlight spilled through the windows, casting soft silver shadows across their faces.
As soon as they entered the grand estate, Lucas’s phone rang sharply, breaking the silence.
His expression darkened with annoyance as he answered the call.
“Who is this?”
“Lucas, you bastard!”My mother’s enraged voice burst through the speaker, raw with grief and fury.
“How could you do this to Ava?”
“What did she ever do to deserve this from you?”
Lucas’s entire demeanor shifted—his expression turned to stone, his Alpha aura flaring instinctively. The air around him thickened, heavy with his rising power, making it harder to breathe.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said coldly, though something in his voice wavered—something uncertain.
My mother’s voice cracked with pure anguish. “Lucas, stop pretending! Ava… my daughter… she’s dead!”
A sudden, unnatural silence filled the room.
Lucas’s pupils constricted violently, like a wolf struck by lightning. His grip on the phone faltered, his fingers trembling.
“You think you can deceive me too?” His voice was hoarse, his body tensing as if suppressing an unseen force.
My mother sobbed, her pain spilling through every word.“Would I lie about my own daughter’s death?!”
“She’s gone because of you—because of that woman beside you! Give me back my daughter’s life!” She screamed, wailing.
Lucas’s claws instinctively unsheathed, his grip on the phone tightening until his knuckles turned white.
His canines elongated, flashing dangerously as his golden eyes burned with a mix of rage and something unspoken—something dangerously close to fear.
Slowly, he turned his gaze to Sophia.
She remained calm, her expression filled with concern as she gently asked, “Lucas, what’s wrong?”
Lucas tore his eyes away from her.
“No. This is ridiculous. Ava can’t be dead.”With a frustrated growl, he ended the call, his voice chillingly detached.
Sophia hesitated, biting her lip before cautiously asking, “Was it Ava?”
Lucas scoffed. “No. It was her mother.”
“She had the audacity to accuse you—claiming you were responsible for Ava’s death.”
Sophia lowered her head, her voice trembling with carefully crafted sadness.
“Lucas, I never thought Ava’s family would hate me so much.”
“I would never hurt her… You believe me, don’t you?”
Lucas placed a firm hand on her shoulder, his touch reassuring.
“Sophia, of course I believe you.”
His expression darkened, his voice carrying a deadly promise.
“If they want to play games with me, I’ll make sure they regret it.”
Sophia lowered her lashes, then hesitated before softly suggesting,
“Lucas… since things have already come to this, why don’t you just sever the mate bond with her?”
“There’s nothing left between you two. There’s no love, only pain.”
Lucas fell silent, his jaw tightened as he got lost in some deep thoughts.“No.” He said, avoiding meeting Sophia’s eyes.
Sophia’s eyes flashed with fleeting disappointment, but she quickly masked it with her usual gentle smile.
“I understand, Lucas. I trust you’ll make the right decision.”
Lucas gave her a slight nod, but his phone rang again before he could speak further.
