Chapter 192

[ 1,074 words ]

Third-person POV:

Rick returned to his cottage that evening, exhausted after spending most of the day attending to pack matters. He had been thinking about Angela throughout the day, wondering whether she had eaten anything and what they should do about Chris.

But when he reached his cottage, he stopped in his tracks. Angela was sitting on the steps outside, her head hung low. “Angela?”

She didn’t look up.

Rick hurried toward her, and as he got closer, he noticed her hair hanging messily around her face. A large bald patch was visible at the center of her head.

For a moment, he couldn’t understand what he was seeing, then he noticed her clothes.

They were torn at the back, exposing angry red wounds across her skin. There was dried blood on the fabric, and she was sitting so still that he wondered whether she was even alive.

“Angela! What the hell happened to you?” She didn’t answer.

Rick crouched in front of her and carefully lifted her chin. Her cheek was swollen, and her eyes were empty.

He looked at her shaved head again, then at the wounds on her back. “That son of a bitch!” he cursed under his breath. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”

Rick helped her to her feet, supporting most of her weight as he brought her into the cottage. Angela followed, allowing him to settle her on the couch.

“Why isn’t your wolf healing you, Angela?” he asked, examining the wounds on her back. “Can you hear me?” She continued staring ahead.

A short while later, an Omega arrived with the healer. “Beta Rick,” the Omega said quietly, “have you heard what happened this morning?”

Rick looked up impatiently. “I can see what happened to her. Was it Chris?”

“Yes, sir.” The Omega hesitated before adding, “He also rejected Luna… Miss Angela. In front of the whole pack.”

“What?” Rick turned toward Angela.

She had loved that man enough to marry him, and Chris had done this to her. The healer treated her wounds and advised that she needed plenty of rest.

Once they were alone, Rick sat beside her on the bed and gently held her shoulders. “Angela, look at me.”

She slowly raised her head. “It’s okay. You’re safe here, and I’m not going anywhere.” Her eyes remained empty. “We’ll figure everything out. You don’t have to go back to Chris. We can be mates, Angela. I’ll take care of you, and everything will be fine. Alright?”

She didn’t answer.

Rick pulled the blanket over her and sat beside the bed, watching until she finally closed her eyes. He remained there throughout the night.

Twice, Vikki appeared at the bedroom door, wanting to speak with him. The first time, he simply asked her to leave them alone.

When she returned later, he got up and approached her. “Not right now, Vikki. Angela needs me.”

Vikki looked past him at the sleeping woman. “And what about us?” she whispered.

Rick rubbed his forehead. He had been expecting this conversation, although he wished she had chosen another time.

“Vikki, I’m sorry. I know you’ve been there for me when I needed someone. I haven’t forgotten that.” He sighed. “I can’t abandon her after what Chris has done.”

Vikki pressed her lips together.

Rick lowered his voice. “Listen, I’ll arrange a good place for you to live. You’ll have everything you need, and you won’t have to work as a pack Omega anymore. I promise you’ll have a comfortable life.”

Vikki was not a fool. She understood exactly what he was offering.

A house, money, and whatever comforts he could provide. But Angela would be his mate, the woman he would introduce to everyone as his wife.

And Vikki?

She would remain the woman he visited whenever he wanted. She looked at Angela again, lying peacefully beneath the blanket.

“Fine,” she whispered. Rick reached for her hand, but she stepped away. “Goodnight, Rick.” She turned and left before he could say anything else.

For the next three days, Rick hardly left Angela alone.

He made sure she ate, helped her whenever she needed to get out of bed, and called the healer back to check on her injuries. He also took care of the pack matters he could manage from home.

Angela spoke very little during the first two days. Other times, she would sit quietly for hours, refusing food until Rick patiently convinced her to eat a few bites.

By the third day, her wounds had begun healing, and she was finally able to move around without much help.

That afternoon, Rick found her sitting near the window, looking outside.

He approached her and noticed the plate of sliced apples sitting untouched on the table beside her. He picked up a small piece and held it near her mouth. “Come on, Angel. Eat something.”

Angela looked at him before opening her mouth. She watched his face quietly while chewing the fruit.

She knew Rick wanted her to accept him as her mate. She was aware he loved her and wanted to take care of her, but she didn’t have it in her to enter another relationship. Not after everything that had happened.

Even her wolf had gone completely quiet. No matter how many times Angela tried reaching out to her, she received no response.

Despite everything Chris had done, a part of her still wanted to go back and speak to him. She wanted to ask him why he’d treated her that way.

But she couldn’t tell this to Rick. He would probably lose his mind if he knew she was even considering going back.

She was still watching him when his eyes glazed over. He was receiving a mindlink. He stopped feeding her, and the change in his expression immediately caught her attention.

“What happened?”

Those were the first words she’d spoken to him in days. Rick looked at her for a long moment before closing his eyes and shaking his head. “Nothing.”

“Rick, tell me.”

He put the plate aside. “I… I … just received word from the pack house.” He paused, clearly struggling. “Chris has taken Ava as his mate. He marked her this morning.”

Angela stared at him in shock.

“He told the pack elders that Ava’s reputation was ruined because of your accusations,” Rick continued quietly. “And that the only way to restore her honor was to take her as his mate.”

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