Chapter 0013
Elijah
“I didn’t permit you to return here,” I said coldly, my voice steady, though inside I was anything but. I had not expected her to come back now–if ever.
Olivia’s smile was tight, revealing nothing of the turmoil I felt at her presence.
“I just want to talk.”
I glanced toward Agnes and Thea as Agnes carried her away. Thea, clearly frightened, hid her face in Agnes’s shoulder. I was grateful for Agnes’s presence in this moment, to protect Thea by carrying her away without me even having to ask.
And I hated the way Olivia’s very existence seemed to cast a shadow over our little family.
Reluctantly, I nodded. “We will go speak in the study,” I told Olivia firmly.
Once we were alone, Olivia wasted no time.
“After giving birth to Thea, I suffered from severe postpartum depression. I couldn’t control my actions.” Her voice was tinged
with whiny desperation, but I felt no sympathy.
“What you did to Thea is unforgivable,” I said, my voice hardening. The guilt my shoulders, a constant reminder to myself of my failure as a father.
that had haunted me for years weighed heavily on
I had always believed Thea to just be a difficult toddler, but I had never fully grasped the extent of the truth–of Olivia’s cruelty
until it was too late.
I remembered how Olivia had brought in doctors who diagnosed Thea with a mental disorder, a label that felt wrong. There were
days when Thea was calm and quiet, but there were darker moments when she would have violent outbursts, especially toward
Olivia. It baffled me.
Olivia, on the surface, seemed to fulfill her motherly duties, showering Thea with affection. But those attempts only drove Thea
into hysterical fits, sometimes even causing her to lash out.
I had felt helpless, torn between wanting to protect my daughter and grappling with the weight of guilt over our fractured family.
I couldn’t understand why Thea despised her mother so intensely until one fateful day when a canceled meeting brought me
home three hours earlier than expected. What I witnessed shattered my world: Olivia was verbally abusing our daughter.
“You little wretch!” she had shrieked, raising a hand as if to slap Thea. “How dare you break my favorite pair of earrings!
“I’m sorry, Mommy!” Thea cried out in her tiny voice. “I–I’m sorry!”
“Sorry isn’t good enough! I wish you never came into my life, you pathetic piece of –”
I hadn’t waited to hear what Olivia had to say next. I had immediately stepped in, scooping up our daughter and forcing Olivia out
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of the house. Olivia had cried and begged, pleading with me to let her stay, but I threw her out and never thought twice about it.
I divorced her after what I had seen–what Thea had told me. Apparently, that wasn’t the first time Olivia had abused her. Thea had been too afraid to tell me. I never wanted her to feel afraid again, so divorcing Olivia was the easiest decision I had ever made
Unfortunately, I couldn’t unmark Olivia. I really wanted to kill her, but I couldn’t do that either.
After Olds left m
emotional state slowly stabilized, but she still longed for a loving mother figure.
That longing had led me to choose a contract mate–Agnes.
Olivia’s voice cracked as she defended herself, claiming she hadn’t meant to hurt Thea at first.
“When she showed no affection toward me, and you failed to love me, I lost control!”
Her words struck a nerve. I remained silent, unable to argue against her claim. Five years ago, at a mate ball, I had been drugged and ended up spending the night with Olivia.
That night had blurred into a hazy memory, but when I woke up next to her, my wolf confirmed she was our fated mate. Despite this bond, I could never bring myself to love her. The mate bond, which was supposed to be an irresistible force, had no effect on my feelings, and I often questioned why I didn’t feel the overwhelming attraction everyone else described
“You made my postpartum depression worse,” Olivia continued, her voice rising with emotion. “I only hurt Thea because I was desperate for your attention!”
My eyes darkened as anger surged within me. “What do you want?
I
“I’ve been undergoing treatment,” she said softly, her tone shifting to something resembling hope “I think I deserve a chance to
make things right.”
I didn’t reject her outright. I needed time to think,
“Leave for now,” I told her, feeling the weight of uncertainty settle over my chest
As she left, I felt a mixture of anger and pity. Part of me wanted to scream at her for the pain she had inflicted on Thea, while
another part of me felt a fleeting sense of sadness for my wolf, and what we believed our mate was supposed to be like.
And what did it mean about me that my mate could be someone so cruel?
Agnes
I chopped vegetables absentmindedly, my mind racing with thoughts of Olivia. Few werewolves could resist the mate bond–was Olivia still a threat? Should I eavesdrop to find out what was happening?
I shook my
head and sighed inwardly. Of course I shouldn’t; that was completely overstepping. But I thought about the fear that Thea had shown toward Olivia and Elijah’s clear distaste for her, and I worried at my lip.
The tension in the air was palpable, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever Elijah decided regarding Olivia could change everything for us. My heart ached at the thought of Thea. She deserved a childhood filled with laughter, not shadows of fear.
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What if Olivia somehow managed to worm her way back into her life? The idea sent a chill down my spine. And what if Thea was really mine?
I had grown so attached to her, loving her as if she were my own. But the unknown questions of her parentage loomed over me. If Elijah was ever faced with the revelation that she was mine, would he still want Thea too?
I looked over at Thea, who was humming as she cheerily shelled the peas in the bowl I had handed her. I never wanted that sweet little girl to live in fear. She was far too precious for that.
Additionally, I couldn’t let Olivia disrupt my plan to find out what had happened to my daughter. But the reality was that I was merely a contract mate, a temporary solution to fill the void Olivia had left. What would happen when Elijah was forced to confront that truth?
Would he take her back? Cast me out and remove all chances to find out if Thea was my daughter? My heart raced with the fear of what the future might hold, and I struggled to push those dark thoughts aside.
Distracted by my thoughts, I accidentally sliced my finger deeply. I hissed. The pain was sharp and immediate, and blood began to pour from my skin.
“Mommy, you’re hurt!” Thea screamed; her little voice filled with panic..
Just as Elijah entered the kitchen, Thea rushed over to him, tugging at his hand. “Daddy, please help Mommy!”
Without hesitation, Elijah moved toward me.
To my utter shock, he took my bleeding finger and brought it into his mouth.
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