Chapter 169
Chapter 169
Erin's POV
"You did WHAT?" I widened my eyes.
"I told him if he didn't leave you, I would..." Jason's voice choked, "I'd kill myself and let him carry the guilt of murder. I told him to either let you hate him or watch you lose your last remaining family."
Anger erupted inside me like a volcano. "WHAT?!" I jumped up, my voice sharp. "How DARE you! How could you manipulate my life like that, manipulate my feelings!"
"I was trying to protect you!" Jason also leapt to his feet, shouting. "Do you have ANY idea how painful it was to discover you'd fallen in love with the son of our parents' murderer?"
"That's not Alexander's fault!" I growled, tears blurring my vision. "He didn't even know about any of this! He just loved me, and you... you threatened him with your own life to force him away from me!"
"I had no choice," Jason said quietly, his hands hanging limply at his sides. "Hatred has consumed me for twenty-five years, Erin. Seeing you with him was unbearable."
A deep disgust swept through me, not just for Jason, but for this world full of deception and manipulation. "So Alexander has been silently bearing all this..." I murmured, suddenly understanding all his distance and coldness. "He'd rather have me hate him than see me lose you... and I... I thought he betrayed me..."
Thinking about the pain and struggle Alexander endured, my heart shattered into pieces. He had carried this terrible secret alone, faced my misunderstanding and anger, yet never defended himself. God, he must have been in agony. And I actually hated him...
"You selfish bastard," my tears flowed like a broken dam. "What right did you have to decide who I could and couldn't love? You ruined everything! Destroyed our happiness!"
Jason closed his eyes in pain and nodded. "I'm sorry, Erin. Truly sorry. But you have to understand, I—"
"SHUT UP!" I roared, my voice hoarse from crying. "I don't want to hear your explanations! Don't want your apologies! Do you know Alexander is lying in the hospital right now, nearly died saving me? And all of this could have been avoided if you... if you hadn't..." My voice broke, unable to continue.
I spun around, wiping away tears, and grabbed my bag and car keys. "I'm going back to the hospital. Alexander needs me."
"Erin, wait—" Jason reached out to stop me.
"Don't touch me!" I jerked away from his hand and stormed out the door.
---
Back at Black Stone Medical Center, the hallway smelled of antiseptic and blood. Isabella and Carter waited outside Alexander's room, both wearing expressions of fatigue and worry.
The moment Isabella saw me, she stood and gave me a gentle hug, her violet eyes full of concern. "You look terrible, Erin. What happened?"
I shook my head, not wanting to discuss my recent outburst. "How's Alexander? Any changes?"
"The healers have stabilized his injuries," Carter explained. "The internal bleeding has stopped, but he still hasn't woken up. It's been over twenty-four hours now."
I nodded, taking a deep breath before pushing open the door to his room. Alexander lay in the middle of white sheets, looking unusually pale and vulnerable. His neck was wrapped in thick bandages, his chest rising and falling weakly as various monitoring equipment emitted steady beeping sounds. Goddess, he looks so fragile.
I sat in the chair beside his bed, gently taking his cold hand in mine.
"I know everything now," I whispered, tears welling up again. "I know the truth about the fire, about how Jason threatened you. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you bear all this alone?"
I caressed his pale cheek. "You didn't push me away because you didn't love me, but because you wanted to protect me... protect my relationship with Jason. Even if it meant enduring my hatred." My voice choked. "You fool, always putting others before yourself."
I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his, closing my eyes and deeply inhaling his scent. "I miss you, Alexander. I need you to wake up. This time, no matter what happens, I won't leave you. We'll face everything together."
A gentle knock on the door interrupted my confession. Greyson stood in the doorway, his tall figure nearly filling the entire frame.
"Erin," he nodded briefly in greeting, "I need your statement about the incident."
I straightened my back, still holding Alexander's hand. "Have you found any trace of Jasper?"
"He's left the country," Greyson confirmed, a flash of resignation in his eyes.
I nodded, not surprised but still feeling a sting of betrayal. "I should have noticed," I said quietly, my gaze falling on Alexander's pale face. "If I had seen through his disguise earlier..."
Greyson's expression softened slightly. "This isn't your fault, Erin. In fact, all of this stems from an internal power struggle within the Eastern Claw Pack."
I looked at Greyson with confusion. "Internal struggle?"
He nodded gravely. "Yes, Eastern Claw's Alpha Fletcher is gravely ill, and the pack has fallen into turmoil over succession rights. Jasper's mother—Fletcher's mate—carefully orchestrated this plot, spreading rumors that Lydia had stolen important pack secrets."
My eyes widened slightly as various scattered clues suddenly connected in my mind. "So Jasper's mother was manipulating everyone from the beginning? This was all her plan?"
Greyson nodded, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. "Her plan was indeed clever—have Alexander and Fletcher's brother's men kill each other, forcing the Guardian Alliance to intervene and clean up the mess. In the ensuing chaos, Eastern Claw could easily take over Black Stone's territory and resources."
"And Lydia and her unborn child..." my voice dropped as a chill crept up my spine, "she wanted them eliminated because the child might threaten Eastern Claw's succession."
"Exactly," Greyson confirmed solemnly. "That's why Alexander risked reaching out to the Guardian Alliance. He was trying to prevent an all-out war that could destroy multiple packs. He succeeded—he's a true hero—"
"I'd rather he wasn't this hero," I interrupted, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion, my gaze lingering on Alexander's still features, my fingers gently caressing his cheek. "I just want him to wake up safely."