Free Web NovelChapter 72: Chapter 72: Shadows of Accusation
SONIA’S POV
"Me? I di— I didn’t do anything to her," I stuttered defensively. My voice came out shaky and small, barely louder than a whisper. My heart hammered so hard against my ribs that I could feel it in my throat.
"Liar! You sent her into the hall when you knew your family was going to attack my pack. This is all on you!"
Ramon’s words cut through the air like a whip. His face twisted with raw anger, eyes burning dark and dangerous. He lifted his hand to strike me. The movement was fast, his palm open and ready.
I blinked, bracing for the pain, but when my vision cleared, Alpha Liam had found a way to step in front of me. His broad back blocked Ramon completely, solid and unmoving.
"Enough!" He screamed at him. His voice boomed through the room, deep and commanding.
"Why?" Ramon screamed back. "Why are all of you defending the bitch? Why can’t you see what I see?!" His teeth clattered together from the force of his rage. His chest heaved with every breath, muscles tight under his shirt.
I flinched and stepped back. My legs felt weak, like they might give out any second. He was really mad at me, and I didn’t know what I had done to deserve it. My insides began to tremble, and I knew in no time I would burst into tears. Hot pressure built behind my eyes.
"You’re blinded by Lorena and her twisted lies. Why can’t you see it?!" Liam’s voice stayed steady but firm.
Ramon’s hands went around Alpha Liam’s neck with swiftness. His fingers dug in hard, knuckles turning white. "You’re my friend, but don’t you dare think for one second that you can come into my pack and question my ability to discern. This has absolutely nothing to do with Lorena."
"What do you think you’re doing, Ramon?" Alpha Daisy’s hand left mine. Her voice was sharp with shock. "Leave him alone!"
"Gladly."
He let go, and Alpha Liam stood unshaken. You would never be able to tell he had just had strong arms pressing hard against his neck if you weren’t there to notice it. He simply straightened his shoulders, breathing evenly.
"For your sake, I hope you don’t burn in hell for your stubbornness!"
Ramon spat to the ground, the sound sharp in the quiet room. He turned around and walked away, his footsteps heavy and furious.
"You’ve done enough! You’ve crossed boundaries. All for what?! Who even are you, Ramon? Do you recognize yourself?" Daisy’s words rang out, full of disappointment.
"I don’t care! All I want you to do is take that filthy scum out of my sight before I descend on her!"
"No," I shook my head in tears. Warm drops rolled down my cheeks, tasting salty on my lips. "I have to save her. I have to."
"Unlike Daisy, I don’t believe for one second that you’re a healer. There’s nothing you could do to convince me otherwise. For all I know, you want to finish what you started with Ivy. Leave my sight this instant!"
As the tears dropped from my face, even my wolf cried. A deep, aching whine echoed inside my chest. My hands shook at my sides, and my knees felt like water. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Please," I begged. My voice cracked, barely audible.
He didn’t budge. Instead, I felt Alpha Daisy leading me away. Her hand was warm and steady around mine, guiding me gently but firmly.
"Leave him alone. His stubbornness will be the death of him."
She closed the door behind us, and we continued walking. The hallway felt longer than before, the wooden floor cool under my bare feet. The distant smell of smoke still lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of herbs from the healing rooms.
I thought she would return with me to the room I had woken up in. But to my surprise, we continued forward. The walls seemed to close in a little, shadows stretching across them from the setting sun outside.
Too sad to question where she was taking me to, I just surrendered myself to her. My shoulders slumped, and fresh tears kept slipping down my cheeks no matter how many times I wiped them away.
I was hurting really badly. It wasn’t just physically, but in my heart. A deep, heavy ache sat right in the middle of my chest. It felt like the thousandth rejection from Ramon. I wondered how much more until my wolf got the message. How long until she stopped getting excited at a mere whiff of him? Every time his scent reached me, she perked up, hopeful and foolish.
I felt defeated. Even more importantly, my heart bled for Ivy. I knew I could help her. I knew she needed my help. The pull inside me was strong and certain. There was a reason my wolf sensed her danger and ran to save her. I had to be the one to heal her.
I could never claim to be the most powerful healer on earth, but I could sense when I was meant to do something. The knowing sat deep in my bones, clear and urgent.
Sadly, Alpha Ramon didn’t believe in me. As much as he loved to deny it, everyone — at least people with eyes and sincerity — had seen the truth. Lorena was always in his ears. All it took was one whisper from her to turn him into a jerk. Her voice seemed to poison every good moment between us.
A door opened, and Alpha Daisy pulled me into a room. The space smelled softer here, like fresh flowers and clean sheets. Sunlight poured through a large window, warming the wooden floor and casting golden patches across the bed.
"This is the room I’m staying in. You can rest here until you regain yourself. Don’t worry, except there’s an emergency, I won’t be leaving for my pack until I’m sure you’re healed."
She moved to turn when I grabbed her hand. My fingers wrapped around hers tightly, desperate. "Please....."
"Please what?" She turned to me. Her eyes were kind but tired.
"Help me get to Ivy before it’s too late. I’ve dealt with a burn of that degree before. The flame used was also similar. I can’t explain the complication, because the understanding I have of it is inherent. All I know is that she needs my help." My voice trembled, but the words came out clear.
She sighed, and caught me off guard as she hugged me. Her arms wrapped around me warmly, strong and comforting. I could smell the faint scent of her pack on her clothes, fresh grass and open sky.
I blinked away the tears that had gathered in my eyes again. They slipped down anyway, wetting her shoulder.
"What’s that for?" I asked when she pulled away. My voice was thick with emotion.
She smiled, and stroked my cheeks gently with her thumb. Her touch was soft, like a mother’s. "Even in your unhealthy state, you still put someone’s life above you."
"I have to. She got the shorter end of the stick." My voice broke a little at the end.
"I’ll try my best. With Ramon, he’s very stubborn. Add the contempt he has for your father to the mix, and you get everything you’re seeing. But don’t be afraid, I’ll try my best to talk some sense into him. The best way to get along with Ramon is not to fear him."
She walked out of the room, leaving me thinking about the last words she had said. The door clicked softly behind her, and the room felt suddenly quieter.
"The best way to deal with Alpha Ramon is not to fear him."
That was the exact problem. How couldn’t I be afraid of someone like him? Someone that could be so soft one minute, and the next day, he’s sentencing me to death? His moods changed like the wind—warm and gentle one moment, then cold and cruel the next.
I had to be afraid. It was the only way I could protect myself. My heart couldn’t take another sudden storm from him.
Sighing, I dropped to the bed and laid on my back. The mattress felt soft beneath me, but my body stayed tense. The ceiling above had faint patterns from the wooden beams, and dust danced in the sunlight coming through the window.
It was in that position I began to think of what had just happened. My mind kept replaying Ramon’s angry face, the way his hand had risen so fast. The hurt still sat heavy in my chest.
Alpha Ramon seemed to have been very concerned about Ivy. Either that, or he was just trying to spite me because he knew I cared about her. The thought made my stomach twist.
He knew he could use my love for Ivy to spite me. Someone who loved to hurt me the way he did wouldn’t hold back on that opportunity. It felt cruel and calculated.
But what if there was a different reason? What if he really cared about Ivy? If so, why did he? The question spun in my head, refusing to settle.
Perhaps, I was just looking for a reason to justify his vileness towards me. I blamed it on my wolf, because she simply couldn’t get the message. She still perked up at his scent, hopeful and foolish every single time.
A knock sounded on the door, and I froze when I caught the scent. It was familiar, strong, and made my heart skip in fear and something else I didn’t want to name.
