Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 174: The Accident

Lewis was only a few years older than Julain, but the difference between them felt far greater than age. It showed in the way he spoke, the way he decided things, the way he carried responsibility without needing anyone’s approval. Authority sat on him naturally, like a second skin.

He had always been protective of Julain. Especially after his sister-in-law saved Julain’s life. That debt had weighed on him for years, which was why his reaction tonight surprised me.

"The Hale pack has spoiled him," Lewis said, tapping the armrest beside him, frustration finally breaking through his calm. "They’ve shielded him for too long. He avoids responsibility. He hesitates when it matters. He behaves like a child instead of standing like a man."

It was rare to see him like this. Around me, he was usually controlled, steady, never letting emotion slip. But now his restraint cracked, just a little.

I wasn’t frightened by his anger. If anything, it softened something tight inside my chest. It reminded me that beneath his composure was heat, loyalty, instinct.

I laughed quietly. "You don’t act like you’re just a few years older than him. You sound more like his Alpha... or his father."

Lewis looked at me, the fire in his eyes dimming into something heavier.

"Elena, I’m sorry," he said. "He hurt you. And I can’t erase that."

Regret sat deep in his gaze, real and unguarded.

"Then let him try to fix it," I replied gently.

He nodded once. "He owes you that much."

We locked the compromised brooch away. I had more than enough jewelry, and sealed in a safe, it couldn’t hear anything. If I ever chose to use it again, that would be on my terms.

Camilla likely hoped it would catch careless words on the drive home. She didn’t know I started acting the moment I got into the car. Every sigh, every sentence I chose carefully.

She heard only what I wanted her to hear.

With three days left until the New Year, she showed no sign of backing down. If anything, she was pressing harder. That told me everything.

She was afraid.

She had been watching me for a long time, waiting for cracks. Now she was striking first.

I wondered how she would react to the "gift" I had prepared for her ceremony. The thought sent a slow, sharp thrill through me.

That night, sleep didn’t come easily. My dreams circled the same shadow over and over the man, the blade, the cold.

When morning finally arrived, I woke far earlier than usual.

The snow outside had stopped. Servants were already clearing the main paths, boots crunching softly against ice. The estate felt awake, alert.

But Lewis wasn’t beside me.

For a brief, ugly second, a thought crossed my mind had he gone there too?

My chest tightened. I grabbed my phone and called him.

"Where are you, Lewis?"

"It’s still early," he said calmly. "You didn’t sleep well. Try to rest a little longer."

"But I’m worried," I said. "Did you go there?"

There was a pause, then I could almost hear the faint smile in his voice.

"Don’t worry," he said. "Everything will be fine."

"But "

"Try to relax," Lewis said before I could finish. His voice stayed steady, too steady. "We’re almost done here. If you can’t sleep, get up and eat something. Have breakfast. Drink some milk. I have to hang up now."

The call ended.

I stared at my phone, unease spreading through me like cold water under the skin. His calm didn’t comfort me it warned me. Lewis was hiding something. I knew him well enough to feel it in my bones.

I slid out of bed, the chill of the marble floor biting into my bare feet. My first instinct was to go find him immediately, to follow the pull in my chest that always led me to him.

But I stopped.

Would I get in the way? Would my presence disrupt whatever he was doing?

My thoughts tangled, circling the same questions over and over. In the end, I forced myself to breathe and do the sensible thing first wash my face, get dressed, look normal.

Theo wasn’t home either. That should have worried me more, but instead it gave me a thin sense of relief. At least whatever was happening hadn’t reached the house yet.

Downstairs, the dining room was already awake. Vicky sat beside Jeffrey, carefully composed, while Adam had already left for work. Since Julain handed over most of his responsibilities, Adam had been drowning in pack affairs, running from one crisis to another.

Vicky, on the other hand, had spent years trying to secure her place beside Jeffrey, always careful, always smiling. After dealing with Camilla, I’d learned the hard way that polished smiles often hid sharp intentions.

"RIley, come eat," Jeffrey said gently.

I nodded and sat, though the sight of food turned my stomach. My appetite was gone, swallowed by worry. My thoughts kept drifting back to Lewis... and Julain.

Where were they now? What were they doing?

All I could do was wait.

The helplessness gnawed at me. I poked at my food, barely tasting it, then excused myself and went to the greenhouse. The scent of soil and greenery usually calmed me. I took up a pair of shears and began trimming the overgrown branches, letting the steady motion keep my hands busy. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

That was when the door flew open.

The butler rushed in, his face pale, breath uneven. "Madam bad news!"

I was cutting roses. A thorn pierced my finger, sharp and sudden, but I barely felt it. My heart had already started pounding. "What happened?"

His voice shook. "I just got a call. Mr. Lewis and Mr. Julain... they were in a car accident."

The world seemed to shatter in a single sound.

My mind went completely blank.

Blood slid down my finger and dripped onto the rose stems below, red against green. I stared at it without really seeing it.

A car accident?

my chest tightened painfully, instinct screaming that something was wrong. Very wrong.