Chapter 196 Test Results

(Trigger Warning: This Chapter contains references to sexual assault (rape) and some disturbing details. No sexual assault is explicitly depicted. Although the descriptions are not overly graphic, some readers may find them distressing. Reader discretion is advised.)

Rick returned to his cottage the following morning, only to stop when he noticed the front door hanging crookedly from its hinges.

“What the hell happened here?” he muttered, stepping over the broken pieces of wood.

Inside, the living room was in complete disarray. A chair lay overturned, and several windows were shattered. Rick looked around, wondering whether someone had broken in to rob the place.

Then he remembered Angela.

He hurried upstairs and found the bedroom empty. The bathroom door was partly open, and when he pushed it aside, he discovered Angela lying unconscious on the wet floor, without a shred of clothing.

Her body was covered in bruises, and there were injuries that made it painfully obvious what had happened to her.

Rick stood in the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene.

He knew what the Crimson Moon could do to unmated males, particularly when they were exposed to a she-wolf’s pheromones. Angela had warned him about that very danger before he left.

Yet, strangely enough, he felt no sympathy for her.

That’s what you get, bitch, for costing me the Alpha title.

He turned away and mind-linked an Omega, ordering her to come immediately and arrange for Angela to be taken to the pack hospital.

By the afternoon, news of the attack had reached the pack authorities.

According to the initial investigation, several warriors from another pack had been passing through Blackthorn territory during the Crimson Moon Night. Drawn by Angela’s pheromones, they had broken into the cottage and assaulted her.

Worse still, some unmated warriors from Blackthorn had joined the intruders instead of protecting their former Luna.

The attackers had assaulted her repeatedly, leaving her unconscious on the bathroom floor. Angela remained in the pack hospital for the next two weeks.

The healers treated her internal injuries and the bruises covering her body, but her recovery was unusually slow.

After several examinations, they delivered the devastating news that Angela’s wolf was gone, and there was no hope of bringing her back.

During those two weeks, Angela barely spoke to anyone. She accepted her medication, ate whatever the nurses brought her, and spent most of her time lying quietly in bed.

She never asked whether Rick had come to see her. In fact, she didn’t wait for him at all.

The man who had promised to protect her had abandoned her on the one night she had begged him not to leave. And Angela had finally stopped expecting anything from him.

The following morning, two warriors entered Angela’s hospital room with an order from Beta Rick.

According to the report, Angela had failed to secure the cottage during Crimson Moon Night, allowing strange males to enter. As punishment for her negligence, the fingers of her left hand were to be severed.

The healer immediately protested, reminding them that Angela was still recovering from serious injuries. But the warriors insisted they were only following orders.

Angela listened quietly before slowly pulling her left hand out from beneath the blanket. “Will you do it here, or should I come with you?” she asked calmly.

The younger warrior looked uncomfortable. “Miss Angela, perhaps you should speak to Alpha first.”

“There’s no need.” She said with a defeated smile. “If Rick has ordered it, I’m sure Alpha Chris has approved it too.”

The healer looked at her in horror. “Miss Angela Toussaint, do you understand what they’re going to do to you?”

“Of course, Doctor.” She glanced at her fingers, remembering how she had once held her father’s hand with them. “A woman as shameless as me deserves far worse. Rick is kind enough to settle for my fingers.”

She carefully placed her hand on the bedside table.

“Please don’t take too long. I’m very tired, and I’d like to sleep afterward.”

***

On the day of her discharge, Angela was taken to the senior doctor’s office for one final consultation.

The doctor had already arranged several medicines on his desk, along with a diet chart and instructions for her recovery. Although her injuries had healed enough for her to leave the hospital, she was still weak and needed proper nutrition and plenty of rest.

“Make sure you eat regularly, Miss Angela. I’ve included foods that will help you regain your strength, and these medicines should be taken according to the schedule.” He pushed the papers toward her before asking gently, “Is there someone coming to take you home?”

Angela quietly shook her head without offering an explanation.

The doctor waited a moment, then returned his attention to the prescriptions. Angela, however, was examining the medicines spread across his desk.

“Doctor, I thought I was healthy enough to go home. I’ve already lost my wolf, so why do I need so many medicines?”

The doctor paused, his hand resting on one of the prescription sheets. He appeared to be considering something, but instead of answering, he began arranging the papers again.

Angela noticed his discomfort.

“Is there something … wrong with me?” she asked, giving him a faint, bitter smile. “You can tell me, Doctor. I don’t think there’s anything left that could hurt me anymore. I’ve already been through enough.”

The doctor looked at her for a moment before setting his pen aside. He pressed his lips together, clearly struggling to find the right words.

“I’m sorry, Miss Angela. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to give you any more upsetting news, especially after everything you’ve endured. But we received your final test results this morning, and there’s something you need to know.”

Angela frowned, wondering what else could be wrong with her. “What results? I thought all my tests were clear.”

“Most of them are,” he assured her, although his expression remained troubled. “But one of the reports revealed something unexpected. Miss Angela, you’re carrying a child.”

For a few seconds, Angela couldn’t understand what he meant. “Excuse me?”

The doctor looked at her with sympathy. “You’re pregnant.”