Chapter 12 Deathbed Testimony
LISA'S POV
The medical wing smelled like antiseptic and burned flesh, a combination that made my stomach turn with every breath. Dr. Morrison worked frantically over my father's broken body, her hands moving with desperate precision as she tried to save a man who should have been dead three days ago. I sat beside the bed, my phone recording every word that fell from his cracked lips, because if he died tonight, I needed the pack to hear his truth.
My father drifted between consciousness and delirium, his burned fingers clutching mine with surprising strength whenever clarity returned. "I escaped through the hidden passage," he mumbled, his voice raw and broken. "The one in my office. Same passage... Daniel and Lisa found in the basement."
I leaned closer, not wanting to miss a single word. "The fire didn't kill you."
"Burned... but alive." He coughed, blood staining his teeth. "I tried to reach the medical building. But someone attacked me from behind." His eyes squeezed shut, reliving the memory. "When I smelled her perfume, it was Sophia's perfume. Like roses and poison."
The room went silent except for the beeping of monitors. Dr. Morrison's hands stilled for just a moment before resuming her work. Ryan stood in the corner, his face has a mask of shock and betrayal. Daniel leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable.
"A woman's strength," my father continued. "Not as strong as mine should have been, but I was already hurt. You know, weak. She tried to strangle me with something silver." His hand moved to his neck, where angry burns formed a chain pattern across his throat. "Silver burns wolves. Burns deeper than regular fire. She wanted to make sure I stayed dead."
My wolf howled inside me, demanding vengeance. I forced myself to stay calm, to let him finish. "How did you survive?"
"Nathan." My father's eyes found Nathan standing near the door, his young face pale with the weight of what he'd witnessed. "He was chasing Emma. The girl came looking for you, Lisa. Worried about you after the fire. Nathan heard the struggle and Sophia fled when she heard him coming."
Nathan's voice cracked when he spoke. "I didn't see who attacked him. I just saw Alpha Marcus lying there, barely breathing. I thought it was injuries from the fire. I was going to get help, but he grabbed my arm and told me to hide him. Said someone in the pack wanted him dead."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Elder Catherine demanded from her position near the window.
"He ordered me not to." Nathan's hands clenched into fists. "He said he needed to know who he could trust first. So I hid him in an abandoned den in the forest, brought him supplies when I could. But his injuries were too severe. I couldn't save him alone."
My father's breathing grew more labored, each inhale a battle he was losing. "I dragged myself deeper into the forest., I wanted to die away from the pack. Didn't want... didn't want them to see me like this." His grip on my hand tightened. "Viktor's rogues found me. Thought they'd finish what Sophia started."
"But they didn't," I said softly.
"Viktor wanted me alive." A bitter laugh turned into a coughing fit. "Said I was worth more as a witness than a corpse. He took my ring as insurance. Promised to bring me back when the timing would cause maximum chaos." My father's eyes found mine, lucid and burning with urgency. "He kept his word. The first time a rogue ever kept a promise to me."
Elder Catherine stepped forward, her face drawn with concern that might have been genuine. "Alpha Marcus, you've suffered severe trauma. Perhaps these memories aren't reliable. Accusing the temporary Alpha of attempted murder—"
"I know what I smelled!" My father's sudden strength made Dr. Morrison jump. "I know who tried to kill me. And I know my daughter deserves to lead this pack, not the wolf who wants her dead."
He struggled to sit up despite Dr. Morrison's protests. Ryan moved to help him, supporting my father's burned shoulders with careful hands. My father's voice rang out stronger than it had any right to, filled with the authority he'd carried for two decades.
"By the ancient laws that govern all wolf packs, by the blood that runs through my veins and the authority granted to me by this pack's founders, I hereby transfer all Alpha power and responsibility to my daughter, Lisa Marcus." The formal words echoed in the quiet room, binding and unbreakable. "From this moment until her death or abdication, she is Alpha of Moonstone Pack. Let any who challenge this speak now or forever hold their peace."
Silence. Even Elder Catherine, who had fought against me at every turn, said nothing. The ancient transfer of power couldn't be revoked once spoken, and my father had witnesses—pack members who would testify they had heard every word.
I felt something shift inside me, like a door opening onto a room I had never known existed. The pack bonds that had always been faint whispers in the back of my mind suddenly roared to life, hundreds of connections snapping into place all at once. Every wolf in Moonstone territory, I could feel them now. Their fear, their hope, their confusion.
"This is insane," Elder Catherine finally said. "You're not mentally competent to make this decision. Your injuries, the trauma—"
"I heard everything clearly," Ryan interrupted. "Alpha Marcus knew exactly what he was saying."
"As did I," Nathan added. "Every word was lucid and intentional."
The door to the medical wing burst open hard enough to crack against the wall. Sophia stood in the doorway, her perfect composure shattered, her chest heaving with anger or fear or both. "What lies has that old wolf been spreading?" Her voice was shrill, desperate. "He's delirious from pain medication and grief. You can't possibly believe—"
"I believe my Alpha," Ryan said quietly, stepping between Sophia and my father's bed. "And that Alpha is Lisa now."
Sophia's mask cracked completely. The calculated politician disappeared, replaced by someone cold and vicious underneath. "You have no proof. Just the ramblings of a dying wolf who never wanted me here anyway."
My father's hand tightened around mine one last time. His voice dropped to a whisper meant only for me, but in the silent room, everyone heard. "The safe in the basement. The combination is your mother's birthday. Inside is proof of everything—including the prophecy and why they really want you dead."