Chapter 152: Putting broken pieces together

Olivia

"If you go one step further, I will kill her. I know she is the beloved Luna of the Southern Wolves and your dear sister. Believe me, I have no problem ending her life. And as for Cedric..." he whispered as one of his allies punched the man in the stomach, causing him to cry out. His wounds were healing, but it was as if Joaquin was somehow preventing that with every blow. The deranged alpha had to be pushed to his limits - his burnt face, his blistered skin... it was an impressive sight. Cedric was in a critical condition, and now we had no choice. I knew Christopher despised his brother with a passion, but he loved Casandra and the loyalty we had sworn to each other. Cedric had saved my life, he was much appreciated here.

"You're a coward and a rat! Why don't we fight each other and see who's really the strongest? The winner takes all," Christopher suggested, but his brother just laughed.

"Why should I fight when I have all the advantages? I'm still the one in charge. You may have destroyed my pack, but I'm still the Alpha!. I decide how this plays out! Order your men to stand down or I'll kill them both!" he shouted, his voice demanding absolute obedience.

"Are you seriously asking for a way out of what is supposedly your pack? That says everything about you," Orlando growled from beside me, setting off a chain reaction. Several wolves growled in disappointment—not just from our side, but from his pack as well. But Joaquin was in survival mode, and none of that mattered to him.

"Step aside! And don’t you dare take another step, or I’ll kill them both right now!" Joaquin screeched. And I knew—we had no other option.

I felt rage and helplessness, desperation and hopelessness, as all the wolves involved began to step back. They gave way while Joaquin’s group advanced. Casandra and Cedric were separated—she was being dragged across the ground, and he was shoved forward with brutal blows, worsening his injuries. The look she gave me... I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. We had been through so much. We had promised to finally be together.

"I swear you won’t live. You may be my blood, but I won’t let you live another day to hurt anyone else," Chris vowed.

"Say goodbye to your sister and your dear brother-in-law. I swear on everything you hold dear, Christopher, I’ll take away what you love the most. I’ll make you suffer where it hurts the most," Joaquin whispered before disappearing into the forest.

I knew that Chris or the others could have chased after them, but no one wanted to risk Casandra’s life. When they were gone, we were left with a bitter victory—we had won, and yet, we had lost.

"My mate..." Christopher stepped toward me as I watched the wolves begin to tend to the wounded and extinguish the flames consuming the house. But my love was right there, just a few steps away, watching my reaction, waiting for my response. He waited to see if I would close the distance or walk away. And deep inside, I knew it didn’t matter what I did—whatever my choice, he would accept it without complaint. But I also knew exactly what I wanted to do.

"Christopher..." I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion, and I ran straight into his arms. He held me as if it were the last moment of our lives, as if we hadn’t seen each other in years. His embrace spoke volumes, more than I could ever put into words. And I believed it, truly. It meant acceptance—it meant that, despite everything, we had chosen each other, no matter what that meant.

"I’m so sorry... I’m so, so sorry, my love," he murmured, kissing my face, holding me, lifting me by the waist. His embrace was so strong that it felt like he was piecing together every broken part of my heart, my fears, my anxieties, my insecurities. I cried, overwhelmed with emotion, finally at peace. I felt safe—only here, in his arms. He had hidden so much from me, and yet, in front of so many, he had declared what I meant to him. And for me, that meant everything.

"I know it’ll take a long time before you forgive me, and I’ll do everything to earn it. But, for heaven’s sake, I never want to see you like this again, in danger. I lost count of how many times I thought I was losing you, and I couldn’t handle it... I can’t bear it," he whispered. And I simply leaned in to kiss him. That kiss tasted of broken hearts, of sorrow—but also of hope and relief.

"This was all Joaquin’s doing. There was no way to foresee it," I murmured, as he kissed me again, his tears mixing with mine. Christopher trembled, burdened by all the emotions he had kept hidden throughout everything that had happened. He led me away from the chaos, seating me on a rock in the forest as he carefully checked me over. A good number of people were now tending to the wounded, bringing bandages and water. For a few minutes, he devoted himself entirely to taking care of me.

"But the truth is... that’s not entirely true. I should have known this could happen. I should have known my half-brother would come after you. That’s what it means to be an Alpha—to anticipate threats and put others first. And you’d have to be blind not to see what you mean to me, even when I tried to hide it." But before I could ask what exactly I meant to him, Christopher answered with a look—one filled with both fear and relief. "You are everything to me. From the moment I stepped into that town and saw you, even before my wolf recognized you, I knew there wouldn’t be a day when I wouldn’t think of you. There wouldn’t be a moment when you wouldn’t consume my every thought. And I didn’t want it to be any other way. I made too many mistakes, I tried to fix them, but leaving you, abandoning you, and then not telling you the truth... that’s something I will never be able to forgive myself for."

"I can understand why you did it," I said, but he just shook his head.

"In the world of wolves, harming your mate is something inconceivable, unforgivable. Just... let me try to take care of you, let me try to earn your trust again," he pleaded. And I nodded. He needed this... and maybe I did, too.

The recovery was agonizing. We buried the dead, and when the fire was finally out, we stepped into the house and saw the ruins of what once was. The place had been imposing. I imagined decades of memories—both good and bad—accumulated there. It was part of his family.

Not long after, they brought in one of the wounded. He was barely conscious, and I realized it was Dylan. The fire had reached him, he was injured, he had been attacked. I wasn’t sure of his connection to Casey, but I was certain he had done everything in his power to keep her safe. Orlando stayed by his side, tending to him, while the rest of us had only one goal: to rescue Casandra and Cedric.