Chapter 168

Chapter 168
Erin's POV

I dragged my weary body up the apartment stairs, each step sending sharp pain through my injured ribs. Alexander was still unconscious in the hospital. I just wanted to grab some clean clothes and get back to his side immediately.

When I pushed open the door, the sight before me stopped me in my tracks. Two large suitcases stood in the middle of the living room, and Jason was moving around, gathering the last of his belongings.

"Jason... what are you doing?"

Jason looked up at me, his expression complicated. "I need to leave Seattle for a while."

"Now?" I stared at him in disbelief. "When everything is fucking falling apart? Is this because of our fight? Because of Alexander?"

He sighed deeply, putting down the book he was about to pack. "No, I'm not angry anymore. I just need to... sort some things out." He forced a smile. "Honestly, I'm proud of you, Erin. You're braver than I gave you credit for."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned in confusion.

Jason's fingers tapped lightly on the book's spine, hesitating for several seconds. "It means... I won't stand in the way of you and Alexander anymore."

My heart skipped a beat, my wolf spinning excitedly inside me. He finally accepted it? "Then don't go," I pleaded, grabbing his arm. "Stay. Help me understand everything that's happening."

Just as Jason opened his mouth to respond, a series of urgent knocks interrupted us. I opened the door to find Jessica standing there, a polished wooden box tucked under her arm. Her short hair was slightly disheveled from hurrying, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion and concern.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," she said, her sharp gaze sweeping over the suitcases in the living room.

"Jessica, this is my brother Jason," I introduced, noticing how her expression turned cold when she looked at him.

"We've met," she said coolly, her tone and expression indicating they had history—and not the good kind.

Jason frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Jessica rolled her eyes, ignoring him. She turned to me, her expression softening considerably. "Alexander asked me to give you this if anything happened to him." She handed me the wooden box. "He seemed to sense danger was coming."

I accepted the box with trembling hands, the beautifully carved wolf pack design making my throat tighten. Opening it, I found a sealed envelope and a stack of legal documents. I carefully unfolded the papers and began to read.

"This is..." I gasped, hardly believing my eyes, "the deed to North Star Farm?"

Jessica nodded. "Alexander transferred the property to your name several months ago. It's yours now, Erin."

Tears silently rolled down my cheeks. That farm had been my home, and now Alexander had given it back to me. What does this mean? Why would he buy my childhood home?

Jason slowly walked to my side, looking over my shoulder at the documents. His face drained of color, one hand unconsciously clenching into a fist.

"Returning what belongs to its rightful owner, isn't it?" Jessica said to Jason, her voice soft but laced with mockery.

"What's going on between you two?" I asked suspiciously, my gaze moving between Jessica and Jason.

"Nothing," Jason answered too quickly.

Jessica smirked. "Your brother and I have... different interpretations of certain past events." She walked toward the door, paused, and turned back to me. "Erin, don't let anyone stand between you and Alexander. Not even family. His love for you runs deeper than you can imagine."

After the door closed, a suffocating silence filled the air. I slowly turned to Jason. "What did she mean? Why were you so shocked seeing the farm deed?"

Jason stood with his back to me, shoulders tense. "Drop it, Erin." His voice carried a weariness I'd never heard before. "Just... live your life. If Alexander is what you want, be happy with him."

"NO!" I retorted sharply. "I'm TIRED of being kept in the dark! Everyone is hiding something! First Alexander, now you. What secret surrounds that fire? Why is everyone acting so strange?"

Jason turned around, his eyes flickering with pain. "Do you really want to know? Some truths, once known, can never be unknown."

"I need to know," I said firmly, my voice shaking with emotion. "Don't I deserve to know how my parents died?"

Jason sighed heavily, then slowly walked to the sofa and sat down, gesturing for me to join him. When he spoke again, his voice was low and hoarse:

"The fire wasn't an accident, Erin," his words hit me like a hammer to my heart. "It was a carefully planned murder."

I felt dizzy, having to grip the sofa arm to steady myself. "What? Who would..."

"The Black Stone Pack," Jason said bitterly, hatred burning in his eyes. "More specifically, Victor Ravenclaw. He wanted to expand his territory, and our father refused to be absorbed. So that bastard Charles, to curry favor with Victor, arranged the 'accidental' fire."

Each word stabbed my heart like a knife, the world crumbling before my eyes. My breathing became rapid. "No... that's impossible..."

"I wasn't supposed to survive that night," Jason continued, tears silently streaming down his face. "But father ordered me to escape with you. We only survived by sheer luck."

I collapsed onto the sofa, shock and pain washing over me like a tidal wave. Suddenly, an even more terrible thought struck me. "Alexander... does he know?"

Jason nodded painfully. "He knows. I'm certain he investigated it. He's been struggling with the truth since he discovered it."

"So he pushed me away because..." My voice broke, unable to continue.

Jason was silent for a moment, his eyes shifting. "Erin... this is my fault," he finally admitted, his voice filled with guilt. "When I found out about your relationship, I... I threatened him."