Chapter 42 The Reckoning

bChapter /b42: bThe /bReckoning

Chapter 42: The Reckoning

(Elena’s POV)

“Oh my goddessb? /bIs this scandal so explosive?” Two pack nurses passed by the corridor, their voices echoing

through the healing institute halls.

“I heard she’s been staying at Moonhaven Estate this whole time,” one nurse whispered excitedly. “But now

that Alpha Marcus has publicly acknowledged Sophia Rivers as his favoredpanion, is Elena trying bto /b

be the ‘official‘ Luna?”

The other nurse gasped dramatically. “Can you imagine the audacity? Living in his estate while he’s with

another she–wolf!”

Their voices carried so loudly that even I in the recovery ward could probably hear every word.

“Who do you think is the real ‘other woman‘ in this mate bond triangle?” the first nurse continued.

I scoffed quietly at the nurses‘ loud conversation outside my door. Their spection about who was the

“other woman” in my own mate bond was almostughable.

If they only knew the truth about Marcus and Sophia’s rtionship, they might reconsider their theories. But I

didn’t take their gossip to heart.

I had more pressing concerns than pack rumors. My wolf Cora was still restless, pacing anxiously in my mind

without exnation.

(David ckthorne’s POV)

I sat in my car in the Underground Parking Caverns, watching Sophia Rivers exit her white sedan. My hands gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.

The silver–tipped wrench hidden in my sleeve felt heavy with purpose. I knew silver would cause excruciating pain to any werewolf, disrupting their healing abilities.

My wolf senses were heightened with protective rage for my sister. Sophia had orchestrated Elena’s suffer

for too long.

I got out of the car silently, my footsteps echoing in the concrete caverns. Tonight, this maniptive she–wolf would face consequences for her actions.

(Sophia Rivers‘ POV)

My phone rang as I approached the Steel Ascent elevator. Heidi Cross’s panicked voice made my blood run

cold.

“Miss Rivers, we have a problem,” she whispered urgently. “Alpha Marcus has intervened in bthe /bbmentally /b

unstable attacker’s case.”

I felt my stomach drop. “What do you mean intervened?”

“The fool might reveal my involvement through pack interrogation methods,” Heidi bcontinued /bbfrantically/b. bThis /bbcould /bjeopardize my husband’s position bat /bbthe /binstituteb!/bb” /b

Chapter 42: The Reckoning

bFonts /b

Frustration boiled over inside me. I wished I had ordered the man to use silverced acid binstead /bbof /bbpepper /bspray. Then Elena would be scarred forever, and Marcus would never want to look at her again.

Suddenly, my wolf instincts screamed danger. Someone was behind me. I spun around abruptly, my heart

racing.

David ckthorne stood there with cold determination in his young eyes. Before I could reactb, /bbhe /braised bthe /bsilver–tipped wrench and struck.

My phone ttered to the corner near the waste disposal. Heidi’s voice echoed desperately from the device,

“Miss Rivers? Miss Rivers?”

The silver contact sent searing pain through my werewolf system. My supernatural healing abilities immediately began weakening under the toxic metal’s influence.

(Elena’s POV)

I was carefully consuming healing broth in my recovery ward when I identally scalded myself. The hot

liquid sshed across my hand, but that wasn’t what concerned me.

My wolf Cora felt inexplicably uneasy, pacing restlessly in my mind. Her anxiety was infectious, making my

own nerves fray.

Catherine Hayes noticed my distress immediately. “Luna Elena, what’s wrong?”

I shook my head, unable to exin the warning signals coursing through our bond. “I don’t know, Catherine. Something feels off.”

Just then, my phone rang. David’s name appeared on the screen, and I answered quickly.

“David, you-”

“Sorry, sister,” David’s voice cut through the line with grim finality. “I won’t listen to you this time.”

Through our sibling bond, I heard Sophia’s voice crying desperately in the background. “Elena! Your brother is

a madman! He wants to kill me! I’m going to die! Marcus won’t let you go!”

My hand trembled violently. The healing spoon fell from the thermal container, ttering to the floor.

“David, don’t… don’t do anything foolish! Where are you now!”

(David ckthorne’s POV)

sealed Sophia’s mouth with silver–lined tape, watching her wince as the toxic metal burned her werewolf skin. The silver would prevent her from calling for pack assistance through supernatural means.

“All of Elena’s misfortunes were caused by you,” I told her coldly. “You masterminded the pepper spray battack /b

and spread vicious rumors against her.”

Sophia’s eyes widened in shock. She realized I knew everything about her schemes.

Elena’s voice came through the phone, terrified and desperate. “I know, I know all this, David! bDon’t /bdo anything foolish!”

I could hear Catherine Hayes supporting my sister in the background. Elena’s breathing bwas /bbrapid /bband /bpanicked.

“Quick… quick, find Marcus…” Elena pleaded.

Chapter 42: The Reckoning

I felt a pang of guilt for causing her such distress, but this had to be done.

+4 Front 2

“Don’t worry, sister,” I said firmly. “I’ll take responsibility for everything I do. Even if I’m banished from the pack, I will protect you.”

I ended up the call. Elena needed to be protected from what came next.

(Elena’s POV)

“David!” I screamed into the dead phone line, but he had cut the connectionpletely.

I tried to reconnect him, but he had blocked me out entirely. My face went pale as the full implications hit me.

If David really hurt Sophia, he and the entire ckthorne family would face Marcus’s wrath as Alpha. I couldn’t let my brother destroy his future over protecting me.

I immediately reached out through the mate bond to contact Marcus. Despite ourplicated rtionship,

he was the only one with enough power to stop this disaster.

(Sophia Rivers‘ POV)

Inside the Abandoned Ruins in the outskirts territory, terror consumed every fiber of my being. David had

brought me to this deste ce where no one would hear my screams.

My wrists were raw and burning from struggling against the silverced restraints, The toxic metal

suppressed my healing abilities and sent constant waves of agony through my system.

I had to find a way to escape before he decided to kill me. My eyes frantically searched the deteriorating

room for anything useful.

A sharp piece of ss caught my attention in the corner. I slowly moved my chair towards it, trying to reach

the makeshift weapon without making noise.

Just as my fingers brushed against the ss edge, footsteps echoed outside. David was returning.

(David ckthorne’s POV)

Sophia paled as her wolf instincts screamed danger at my approach. I noticed her movement immediately

and saw the ss she’d been reaching for.

I picked up the sharp fragment, examining its deadly edge with cold satisfaction. The scent of fear and something else filled the air.

There was a puddle of liquid on the floor beneath her chair. I was stunned for a moment before realizing what had happened.

Sophia had lost control of her dder out of pure terror. Iughed coldly at herplete humiliation.

I held the sharp ss to her cheek, pressing just hard enough to dimple her skin. “Do she–wolves like you who

interfere in sacred mate bonds also have times when they’re afraid?”

Sophia couldn’t calm down enough to listen properly. She waspletely terrified, andrge tears rolled down her face uncontrobly.

“Stop crying! You’re so damn pathetic and annoying!” I shouted, my patience snapping.

I hated seeing females cry, except for my sister Elena. Sophia immediately stopped making any noise and didn’t even dare to look at me with her wolf eyes.

3:5

Chapter 42: The Reckoning

I tore off the silver–lined tape from her mouth, causing her to wince in pain from the bburns /bbit /bbleft behind/b.

She trembled violently and whispered, “You… will you let me go? I’ll agree to anything byou /bbsay/bb!/b”

I sneered at her desperate submission. “Anything?”

Sophia nodded repeatedly, her wolfpletely submissive in the face of fear.

Points

“Good.” I lightly ran the ss across her cheek, then held it against her throat where her pulse betrayed her

terror.

“I want you to publicly apologize to my sister and admit that you’re the one who orchestrated the attacks against her!”

Sophia froze at my demand. Admit it publicly to the entire pack? That would destroy her reputation and

position forever.

I increased the pressure slightly, and Sophia cried out desperately, “I promise! I promise youb!/bb” /b

My goal in taking her wasn’t to kill her, but to force this maniptive she–wolf to admit what she had done.

Elena’s name needed to be cleared before the pack.

(Sophia Rivers‘ POV)

David started recording on his phone, his young face set with grim determination. “Start nowb, /bconfess

everything!”

I hesitated, knowing this recording would ruin mepletely. David kicked the chair violentlyb, /bmaking me cry

out.

“Say it!”

“Elena is innocent of all the usations against her,” I began reluctantly. “I was the one who caused her to be hospitalized. I was wrong to be jealous of Elena, and I was wrong to scheme against her and Marcus. So

please let me go…”

I lowered my head, hiding the intense hatred burning in my eyes. If not for this human, how could I be so

humiliated?

If I could get out of here alive, I would never let him go. He would pay for this degradation.

David saved the recording with obvious satisfaction. He nced at me with cold contempt.

“Don’t think about ying tricks. I’m telling you, I have evidence of your deal with Heidi bCross /band photos of

your conspiracy meetings.”

My face lost all color as I realized the extent of his knowledge about my schemes. How had this young bwolf /b

uncovered so much?

(Elena’s POV)

“David!” My voice echoed through the abandoned building as two vehicles stopped outside the bdeteriorating /b

structure.

I rushed out of the car and ran into the building, my wolf Cora lending me speed band /bbstrength/b. bMy /bbheart /bpounded with terror for what I might find.

Seeing that Sophia was still alive and unharmed, I finally breathed a sigh bof /bbrelief/bb. /bbAt /bbleast /bbmy /bbbrother /bbhadn’t /b

Chapter 42: The Reckoning

killed anyone, which would have meant execution or permanent banishment from pack bterritory/b.

David smiled and came to meet me, his young face bright with triumph. “Sister! She confessed, bshe /bbadmitted /b

it-b” /b

Suddenly, Marcus ckwood strode up to David and delivered a powerful punch with his Alpha bstrength/b. bThe /bblow sent my brother flying heavily to the ground.

“David!” I quickly helped him up, my wolf instincts ring protectively.

Seeing Marcus attacking David, Sophia cried out desperately, “Marcus! Save me! He wanted bto /bkill bme /bbjust /bnow, and he threatened me with silver and made me admit that I harmed Elena! I didn’t do anything, bso /bhow

could he-b” /b

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