Free Web NovelChapter 25: Chapter 25
Mike swallowed hard, his throat tightening as dread crawled beneath his skin. With trembling hands, he shoved Lucian forward and lowered his head in submission.
"He was the one who fired the shot, Alpha Wayne," he said hoarsely. "Whether you choose mercy or punishment, we accept your judgment."
A deadly silence settled over the blood-soaked compound.
Then Lucas stepped forward.
"There is only one punishment for attempting to assassinate a Supreme Alpha."
His voice cracked through the air like thunder.
The barrel of his gun swung toward Mike while Christian was freed to deal with the real offender.
Christian stood amidst the carnage like a predator carved from darkness.
His left hand gripped the rifle with unwavering steadiness. Blood streamed from the wound in his shoulder, soaking through his white dress shirt until the fabric was stained a deep, savage crimson. The scent of fresh blood mingled with gunpowder and death, stirring the wolf lurking beneath his skin.
His silver eyes were colder than winter.
More terrifying than the wound itself was the complete indifference he showed toward it.
Lucian nearly collapsed under that gaze. His entire body shook uncontrollably.
"Alpha Wayne... I... I wasn’t thinking clearly," Lucian stammered, tears mixing with sweat as panic consumed him. "I was nervous. I didn’t even realize the gun had gone off. Please forgive me. I swear I never meant—"
The gunshot cut him off.
A single silver bullet planted right between his brows.
Lucian’s body hit the floor with a sickening thud. He was dead before he could finish begging.
Christian lowered the rifle without a trace of emotion.
Perhaps he could have overlooked the attack against himself. But Lucian had ignored a direct warning and attempted to kill Fleur.
That sin carried only one sentence.
Death.
"Move out."
Christian’s command echoed through the ruined headquarters. His warriors immediately fell into formation.
Mike remained frozen for several seconds after they left, his knees threatening to buckle beneath him. Relief flooded his body so violently that he nearly collapsed.
He silently swore that if fate showed him mercy, he would never cross paths with the terrifying Alpha Wayne again.
Behind them, the headquarters resembled a battlefield after a war.
Bodies littered the ground. Blood stained the concrete. The stench of death hung heavy in the air.
Christian led his forces toward the parking area, his expression as unreadable as stone.
Then the world tilted.
A sharp wave of dizziness struck him. The lights blurred. The ground seemed to shift beneath his feet.
Before anyone realized what was happening, the most feared Alpha in the underworld collapsed.
His massive body hit the pavement with a loud sound.
"ALPHA!"
Panic erupted instantly. Warriors rushed forward from every direction.
For years, Christian Wayne had been regarded as invincible. He was the monster others feared. The king who never fell. The Alpha whose dominance alone could silence entire packs.
Yet now he lay motionless on the ground.
Weak. Human. Vulnerable.
The sight terrified them more than any enemy ever could.
What they didn’t know was that this outcome had been inevitable.
The doctor had ordered him to remain in bed for an entire week. Christian had ignored that advice before twenty-four hours had even passed.
His body had finally reached its limit.
By the time Syrus arrived at the hospital, news of Christian’s collapse had already spread through their inner circle.
At first, concern gripped him.
Then he walked into the room and saw Christian refusing both medicine and food.
Concern instantly transformed into fury.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Syrus roared.
The walls practically vibrated from the force of his voice.
His frustration wasn’t born from disrespect.
It came from fear. Because he was watching his oldest friend destroy himself.
Syrus had stood beside Christian through countless battles. He would gladly die for him. But he couldn’t stand by and watch him commit slow suicide.
Christian merely shot him a cold look.
"If your eyesight is failing, I’ll pay for the examination myself." freewebnovel.cσ๓
He continued dressing as though nothing were wrong.
Fresh blood seeped through the bandages wrapped around his shoulder.
The doctors watched helplessly from a distance. None of them dared intervene anymore.
Trying to reason with Christian Wayne was like trying to command a storm. It simply wasn’t possible. freewebnøvel.com
"Christian," Syrus said, dragging a hand down his face, "you’re going to end up in an early grave."
He shook his head.
"This isn’t stubbornness anymore. It’s self-destruction."
Christian fastened the last button of his shirt.
"I’m not so fragile that I’ll collapse because I missed a little rest."
A dry laugh escaped Syrus’s lips.
"Rest isn’t the issue. You refuse to eat. You refuse medication. At this rate, your wolf won’t save you."
"Nonsense." Christian brushed past him and strode from the hospital. Or at least attempted to.
His steps were slower than usual. Less stable. The weakness he stubbornly denied was becoming impossible to hide.
Lucas paid the hospital bill and tried one final time to convince him to stay.
The effort was wasted.
Once Christian Wayne made a decision, not even the Moon Goddess herself could change his mind.
Eventually, the convoy arrived at the apartment complex. The warriors waited outside the vehicle.
Minutes passed. Then more minutes. No one saw Christian emerge.
An uneasy silence spread through the group.
Lucas exchanged worried glances with Syrus before finally approaching the car.
He opened the door carefully.
His heart sank. Christian had lost consciousness again.
"Damn it..."
Lucas rubbed his forehead.
The mighty Alpha lay slumped against the seat, pale and utterly exhausted. For the first time, genuine fear settled in Lucas’s chest.
"Mr. Stone," he said quietly to Syrus, "I’m worried."
His voice cracked.
"I can’t keep watching him do this to himself."
Several guards carefully lifted Christian from the vehicle and carried him upstairs.
Even unconscious, he looked intimidating. Power still radiated from him.
Yet beneath that power was a man pushing himself toward destruction.
Syrus watched them disappear into the building. Then a sudden realization flashed through his mind.
A slow smile appeared on his lips.
"We can’t stop him."
Lucas frowned.
"Then what do we do?"
Syrus’s eyes darkened with determination.
"Find the one person who can."
Without another word, he turned and left.
***
Odette had just returned from work.
The evening was peaceful. She sat at the dining table with Lea and the children, enjoying a rare moment of calm while finishing dinner.
Then the doorbell rang. Suppressing a sigh, she set down her fork and rose from her chair. Half her meal remained untouched.
She crossed the room and opened the door. The sight waiting outside made her freeze.
Syrus...
Shock flashed across her face before she quickly concealed it.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely.
Her voice remained calm. Her heart did not.
"Only you can."
The desperation in Syrus’s eyes startled her.
Odette frowned. "What does that mean?"
A hundred questions flooded her mind, but she refused to reveal her confusion.
"You need to come with me." His tone left little room for argument.
Odette’s expression hardened. "Excuse me?"
She started closing the door, but Syrus immediately pressed a hand against the frame, stopping it.
For perhaps the first time in his life, pride meant nothing to him.
"Please, Miss Swann." His voice softened. "Come with me."
Odette stared at him suspiciously.
"Why?"
Syrus exhaled heavily.
Because he was running out of options. Because Christian was destroying himself. Because the terrifying Alpha who feared nothing seemed ready to die.
"Christian is dying."
The words landed like a blow.
"And you’re the only person who can save him."
Odette’s heartbeat stumbled.
"What?" She blinked in disbelief. "How am I supposed to save him? I’m not a doctor."
"No."
Syrus shook his head. A strange certainty entered his eyes.
"The doctors can’t help him anymore."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"But you can."
That only left Odette more bewildered than before.
