Chapter 180

Layla's POV

Time froze as Conrad lunged toward Olivia's convulsing body. Blood was everywhere—on the floor, on his hands, on his face as he gathered her into his arms. The metallic smell hit my nose so strongly I could taste it.

"Olivia! No, no, no!" Conrad shouted, cradling her head. His fingers trembled as they brushed blood-soaked hair from her face.

Guests screamed and pushed toward the exits, knocking over tables and chairs. Crystal glasses shattered on the marble floor. Through all the chaos, I couldn't tear my eyes away from Olivia's face—her skin turning ashen as blood poured from her eyes, nose, and mouth.

She reached up with a trembling hand, her bloody fingers leaving streaks on Conrad's cheek. Her lips moved, struggling to form words.

"Our... child..." she whispered, her voice barely audible even to my enhanced hearing.

Conrad's face transformed instantly. "What?" he asked, his voice breaking. "What did you say?"

But Olivia couldn't answer. Her body jerked one final time before going completely still, eyes fixed on nothing.

The ballroom fell silent as Conrad's shoulders began to shake. At first, I thought he was crying, but then I heard it—a low, threatening growl that rumbled from deep in his chest.

"You," he snarled, whipping his head around to stare directly at Kael. "YOU DID THIS!"

His body contorted violently. Bones cracked and shifted as dark brown fur erupted across his skin. His tuxedo ripped apart, falling away in tatters as he completed his transformation into an enormous wolf.

People screamed again, scrambling for the exits, trampling over each other in their desperation to escape. Tables overturned. The orchestra abandoned their instruments with a discordant crash.

Through it all, Kael stood perfectly still beside me, his face showing no emotion.

"Yes," he said calmly, his voice carrying over the panic. "I did it."

I stared at him, my stomach twisting into knots. I'd known—he'd told me moments ago—but hearing him admit it so coldly in front of everyone made my blood run cold.

"She was carrying my child," Conrad growled through his wolf form, his voice distorted but understandable. His massive teeth gleamed as he spoke. "MY CHILD!"

Gasps echoed through the room. I felt like someone had punched me in the gut.

"What?" I whispered, grabbing Kael's arm. "Did you know she was pregnant?"

"No," he answered, not taking his eyes off Conrad.

The words "our child" triggered something in my mind. An image flashed before me—Olivia exiting a building in town a few weeks ago, her posture different, protective. She'd clutched a small paper bag to her chest, her other hand hovering over her stomach in that instinctive, protective gesture I'd seen in pregnant women before.

"She really was pregnant," I whispered, the shock of realization washing over me.

Conrad's wolf eyes shifted to me, hatred burning in them. "You all knew? You let him kill her? Kill our baby?"

Kael stepped in front of me protectively. "She had nothing to do with this. This was my decision. Olivia tried to kill my mate multiple times. She manipulated and hurt everyone around her. I ended the threat."

"She was changing!" Conrad roared, his massive head lowering as he prepared to attack. "For me! For our future!"

"Changing?" Kael scoffed, loosening his tie. "Olivia? She was poison. She couldn't change."

Conrad howled—a sound of pure rage and grief—before launching himself at Kael. I reached for Soulrend under my dress, ready to defend my mate, but Kael held up his hand.

"Stay back, Layla," he ordered, already tearing at his clothes. "This is between us."

Within seconds, Kael shifted into his dark copper wolf form. He was larger than Conrad, his muscles rippling beneath his thick fur as they circled each other on the blood-stained floor.

Conrad attacked first, jaws snapping at Kael's throat. Kael dodged with surprising speed and countered with a slash of claws that left bloody streaks across Conrad's shoulder.

They crashed into tables and chairs, sending splinters of wood flying. The remaining guests pressed themselves against the walls, too terrified to run but unwilling to get closer.

I gripped Soulrend's hilt, my knuckles turning white. Everything in me screamed to join the fight, to protect Kael, but I respected his wish to handle this himself.

The fight was brutal and quick. Conrad had rage on his side, but Kael was the more experienced fighter. He maneuvered Conrad into a corner, feinted left, then lunged right when Conrad tried to counter.

Kael's massive jaws closed around Conrad's throat. There was a sickening crunch, and Conrad's struggles weakened. Blood sprayed from the wound, adding to the red pool on the floor.

But Kael wasn't done. With a savage growl, he tore into Conrad's chest. I couldn't look away, even as bile rose in my throat. With terrifying precision, Kael ripped out Conrad's still-beating heart.

The few remaining guests fled screaming. Guards who had been frozen in shock finally moved forward but stopped when Kael growled a warning, Conrad's heart still in his jaws.

Kael dropped Conrad's heart and shifted back to human form, his naked body covered in blood. The transformation created a moment of blinding light—a phenomenon I'd never witnessed before during Kael's shifts. The light caused everyone, including me, to instinctively shield their eyes.

In that split second of distraction, movement flashed at the edge of my vision. A dark figure darted forward with inhuman speed, snatching something from the floor. By the time my eyes readjusted, I glimpsed Damian retreating swiftly toward a side exit, an ornate wooden box clutched against his chest, his hands working quickly to close its lid. Had he just—? No, it couldn't be.

Griffin quickly emerged from behind a fallen column, grabbing a large velvet tablecloth from a nearby overturned table and throwing it to Kael.

"Layla," Kael called, pointing to where Damian was disappearing. "He's getting away. That box—it's what this was all about. Chase him!"

I yanked Soulrend from beneath my dress and ran after my father, the sword humming with energy in my hand.

I followed Damian's scent through empty hallways, the distant sounds of chaos fading behind me. My heels clicked annoyingly against the marble floor—I hated running in this stupid dress with these impractical shoes.

His scent grew stronger as I approached a heavy wooden door. I paused to listen, hearing shuffling movements inside.

I kicked the door open, Soulrend raised and ready.

Damian stood by an ornate desk, the wooden box open before him. He didn't look surprised to see me.

"My daughter," he said calmly. "Always so determined."

"What's in the box?" I demanded, moving slowly into the room. "What was worth killing for?"

Damian smiled coldly. "Killing? I killed no one tonight."

"You knew," I accused as realization hit me. "You knew Kael would poison Olivia. You placed her exactly where you wanted her."

"Perhaps," he admitted with a slight nod. "Olivia had outlived her usefulness. And her relationship with Conrad was... inconvenient for my plans."

I tightened my grip on Soulrend. "What exactly are your plans?"

Instead of answering, Damian lifted something from the box—a small vial containing a swirling silver substance that glowed from within.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked, holding it up to the light.

I shook my head but kept my sword pointed at him.

"This is the culmination of years of research," he explained, his voice taking on a reverent quality. "The key to bringing your mother back from death's embrace."

His fingers caressed the vial lovingly as he continued, "My initial research pointed to you, Isabella's daughter, as the necessary sacrifice—your heart, carrying her bloodline, seemed the perfect catalyst for the resurrection ritual."

He turned the vial, watching the silver substance swirl. "But as I delved deeper into the ancient texts, I discovered the ritual's true nature. It doesn't require blood relation—it craves power. The heart of an Alpha werewolf, taken at the height of rage and despair, creates an energy signature powerful enough to tear through the veil between worlds."

A cold smile spread across his face. "Conrad's grief and fury tonight made him the perfect candidate. His heart, still beating with all that raw emotion and Alpha power, is exactly what I needed. Tonight's events weren't random chaos—they were the final pieces of a puzzle I've been assembling for years."

I stared at him, horrified by the calculated cruelty of his plan. "You orchestrated all of this—Olivia, Conrad, everything—just to get a heart for your ritual?"