Bryson’s POV
I stood frozen, my breath caught in my throat as her voice pierced the silence.
“What?” I asked, pretending to be shocked at her ridiculous words.
“Don’t lie to me!” she snapped, her voice cracked with emotion, her temples throbbing with anger. “Every time things fall apart, you look at me like I’m a mistake. Like I’ve been tainted. Like I’m trash because I’m not innocent anymore. Like…”
Her chest heaved, her breath ragged. She looked like she was being dragged back to that cabin, to the horror we both tried to erase. Her fists clenched at her sides as if holding herself together.
“Stop…” I murmured, my eyes flickering to her forehead. Despite the thick concealer and her new hairstyle -a curtain of bangs meant to hide the scarred reminder of her past–I still struggled to look at it.
And she knew that.
She was right. I did avoid looking. I told myself it wasn’t intentional, but deep down, I knew better. Every time I saw it, I remembered the pain, the blood, the betrayal… and the questions that still haunted me about what exactly happened to her in that cabin.
Glenda had made terrible choices, ones that led to lives lost and trust shattered. Even now, as I tried to be a decent husband and mate, as I took punishment in her place to shield her already injured body, I couldn’t deny that something inside me had changed. The prejudice buried deep had begun to rise.
I turned away, releasing a slow sigh, unwilling to say anything more.
“Say it!” she demanded, her voice cracking. “You regret choosing me.”
The proud, powerful general who once held herself above the world now stood trembling, her voice unsteady. Even with all her strength, Glenda broke–especially on days like this, when the weight of it all pressed too hard.
I stepped toward her. “I never said that,” I hissed, trying to control my tone.
“You didn’t have to,” she shot back, her eyes cutting through me.
Then she walked past, her shoulder slamming into mine with intentional force, before storming out and slamming the door behind her.
I stood still for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.
Down the hall, her footsteps faded, and silence settled–until Julie let out a dramatic sigh.
“What a disaster,” she muttered, rolling her eyes like she wasn’t the least bit bothered by the chaos she just witnessed.
On the bed, my mother stirred in her sleep and groaned softly.
I shot a glare toward Julie. “What are you still doing here?” I snapped. “Call a damn doctor!”
Chapter 145
+25 BONUS
My voice, sharp and edged with all the frustration I’d been bottling, made her flinch. She scrambled back and fished her phone from her purse on the dresser.
I shook my head, disbelieving. My mother had been sick since last night. Julie knew that. She’d been here the whole time. But instead of taking initiative, she just waited, expecting me to handle everything the moment I walked through the door. And worse, her first instinct was to complain about Elena.
“You’ll be okay, Mom,” I whispered, squeezing her hand gently before letting go and standing.
I was halfway to the door when Julie called out, “Bryson… there’s no doctor available in the pack house. What should we do?”
A storm broke loose in my mind.
Elena. Before, she would’ve had someone here in under an hour. She always found a way. No matter the
time, no matter the odds–she made things happen.
Now, everything just… crumbled without her.
There were plenty of doctors we could hire, but only a few understood my mother’s rare condition. And those few were hard to convince, especially with my mother’s unpredictable behaviour. Most of them had already refused to take her case.
“Call the other packs,” I muttered, my jaw tight. “Borrow a doctor. I don’t care how much it costs–just get someone here. Even if they can’t cure her condition, they can help with the current symptoms.”
Julie nodded and finally got to work. I rubbed a hand down my face and told her to find me in my office if she needed anything.
I needed air. Silence. Space to breathe.
The argument with Glenda echoed in my mind, but more than that, it was Elena’s absence–again–that twisted my gut. Everything had gone to hell since she left. And deep down, I hated how right she had been about so many things.
I poured myself a glass of wine the moment I got to my office. Halfway through the bottle, my mind still spinning, my phone buzzed with an email.
My eyes narrowed when I saw the sender: the kingdom.
Sitting up straighter, I opened it, scanning the contents quickly.
“Alpha Bryson,” I read aloud, “with your recent military contributions and battle expenditures, we are pleased to inform you of your promotion… Commander–in–Chief of the Imperial Guard. Fifth rank.”
I scoffed, staring at the screen.
Any other day, I would have celebrated. I never expected a promotion, especially not after everything that went down with the council, the accusations, the political mess.
But now? Now it felt like a slap in the face.
“Serving under Prince Deacon…” I muttered bitterly. “And Elena outranking me… what a joke.”
Chapter 145
+25 BONUS
I leaned back in my chair, the bitterness thick on my tongue. But then I sighed, almost laughing at myself.
Still… It’s power. It’s something.
Chapter 146
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
