Olivia's POV

I didn't waste any time. I went straight to the bedroom and began packing my things. I needed to leave this pack, and find a safe territory as soon as possible.

I moved mindlessly, pulling clothes from hangers, emptying drawers as I arranged them all in my bags.

"Olivia?"

I froze.

James's voice came from the doorway. "What's going on? What are you doing?"

I turned slowly to face him. My wolf snarled in my head, all she wanted to do was claw his eyes out.

His expression changed instantly when he saw my face. My eyes were red and swollen from crying, and my cheeks stained with tears.

"What's wrong?" Panic flashed in his eyes as he stepped closer. "Are you okay? What happened?"

The concern in his voice made my stomach turn. He was so good at pretending. He sounded so convincing.

I shook my head. "Nothing." I croaked.

He stepped closer even more, looking worried. "Come on, it can't be nothing, you've been crying."

I knew James wouldn't drop it anytime soon, so I lied.

"It's Alice," I whispered, my voice breaking.

He furrowed his brows. "Your foster mother? The same one who's been in a coma since the attack?"

I nodded. "The clinic called. She's getting worse. Her wolf is fading. They said... they said she might not make it."

For a split second, I saw something like relief flash in his eyes.

Then it was gone, replaced by fake sympathy.

"Oh, Olivia." He stepped forward, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I know she means a lot to you."

My skin crawled at his touch. The hands that had murdered my pups were now holding me, comforting me. My wolf growled.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to shift and tear his throat out.

But I forced myself to stay still, to let him hold me.

"James?" Mia's voice called from the doorway.

James's body tensed up. He pulled away immediately and rushed to Mia's side, his wolf instantly responding to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her with genuine concern, not the fake concern he had just given me.

Mia nodded, smiling, one hand on her barely visible bump. "Yes, I just wanted to know if you've told Olivia yet."

James turned to me, and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. His voice was vibrating with excitement.

"Olivia, Mia has good news."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Good news?"

He nodded. "Yes. And I would be hosting a pack gathering next week for a big celebration. I'm inviting all our business partners, the pack members, the Alpha Council, other pack alphas—everyone important."

I knew what the good news was. The pregnancy. My mate's pup growing inside my sister. And I knew the plans he had for me at that gathering.

I stared at him. "All this for the 'good news'?"

"Yes." Mia smiled sweetly. "James wanted to do something special for me, as we're all family."

He was throwing a gathering to celebrate the pup he had created using my murdered pupren's essence.

"There will be a family dinner tonight first," James continued. "Just us and your parents. But the big gathering is next week. I've already arranged everything—"

"I'm not interested," I said flatly.

Mia's smile faltered. "But Olivia—"

"I said I'm not interested."

Mia's face dropped, and her eyes watered.

"Olivia!" James snapped, his alpha command bleeding into his voice. My wolf was furious at his attempt to dominate. "Your mother and father will be there. The pack expects you."

"I can't bring myself to celebrate while Alice is dying," I said quietly, the lie rolling off my tongue easily.

"She's old," James said dismissively. "Her wolf is weak. She's lived her life. But this pup—" He placed his hand on Mia's stomach. "This is new life. A strong bloodline. Something to be happy about."

My hands clenched into fists at his cruel words. Alice had always treated him like family, even though I wasn't her biological daughter.

"Don't be selfish," he continued. "Mia is trying to include you in something important—"

"I said no."

Mia's eyes filled with tears. "I just wanted us all to be together as family. But if you don't want to be there..." Her voice broke. "If you hate me that much..."

"I'm just worried about Alice." I replied, turning away from her to continue packing.

"She wasn't your real mother," Mia said softly. "She was just—"

"Don't."I growled, my eyes flashing. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

Mia flinched, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. She turned to James. "See? She hates me. I try so hard to be a good sister, but she—"

"Enough." James's voice was sharp, his alpha power pressing down on me. He turned to me, his eyes hard. "You're coming to dinner tonight. And you're coming to the gathering next week. That's final."

"No, I'm not." I gritted out.

"Yes, you are." He stepped closer, his alpha dominance pressing harder against my wolf. "You're my mate. I am your alpha. You'll attend both events, you'll smile, and you'll support your sister. Do you understand?"

I stared at him. The alpha I had loved for eight years. The alpha who had murdered our pups.

"Fine," I said quietly. "I'll come."

Satisfaction flashed across his face. "Good. Dinner starts at seven."

He turned and guided Mia out of the room, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh.

The door closed behind them.

I stood there for a long moment, staring at the closed door with a glare on my face. My wolf paced angrily in my mind. She wanted revenge.

James had no idea of the storm that was coming for him.

Olivia's POV

At 7:00, I walked downstairs wearing a simple black dress.

James was in the living room with Mia. When he saw me, he frowned.

"You're wearing black?"

"I have no reason to celebrate," I said quietly.

His jaw tightened, but he didn't argue.

Mia, meanwhile, was wearing a flowing pink dress that made her look radiant and glowing.

"You look beautiful," James told her softly.

She beamed. "Thank you."

He didn't even glance at me.

The doorbell rang.

"That'll be your parents," James said, heading to the door.

I watched him greet my mother and father with warm hugs and handshakes.

My mother spotted me and frowned. "Olivia, why are you wearing black? This is a celebration."

"I cannot celebrate when Alice is still fighting for her life," I said simply.

"Oh." My mother's expression didn't change. "Well, that's unfortunate. But tonight is about Mia and her good news."

Of course it was. They didn't care about anything else.

We moved to the dining room.

I sat at the far end of the table. James sat at the head with Mia on his right and my parents on his left.

They chatted and laughed amongst themselves, completely ignoring me, almost like I was an outcast.

Halfway through the meal, Mia stood up.

"I have an announcement," she said, her voice shaking with excitement.

Everyone turned to look at her. James was beaming, pride burning in his eyes.

"I'm pregnant," Mia said softly.

My mother gasped, jumping up to hug her. "Oh, sweetheart! That's wonderful!"

My father grinned. "Congratulations, Mia."

"Who's the father?" I asked quietly.

The room went silent.

Mia's eyes widened. "What?"

"I asked who the father is," I repeated. "You don't have a mate that I know of. So who got you pregnant?"

"Olivia!" my mother snapped. "How dare you—"

"It's a reasonable question," I said calmly.

Mia's eyes filled with tears. "I... I was seeing someone secretly. He died in a rogue attack a few months ago. This pup is all I have left of him."

The lie rolled off her tongue so easily.

I glanced between my father and my mother. They looked very uncomfortable, avoiding my eyes.

And that's when it clicked.

They knew.

They all knew whose pup it was.

My own parents knew my mate was having an affair with my sister, and they were celebrating it.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I said flatly. "Congratulations on the pup."

James cleared his throat. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm hosting a celebration gathering this Saturday. A big one. All my business partners, investors, other alpha allies, and the Alpha Council will be there to celebrate this wonderful news."

My mother clapped her hands together. "How exciting! Mia, you'll need a new dress—"

"Already ordered," James said with a smile. "Only the best for... for Mia."

He had almost said something else. I saw him catch himself.

"Olivia, you'll need something appropriate too," my mother said, eyeing my black dress with distaste. "Something that shows celebration."

"I have plenty of dresses," I said quietly.

"Nothing suitable for a celebration," she countered. "Tomorrow, you and I will go shopping."

"I would rather spend tomorrow at the clinic with Alice."

My mother's expression hardened. "Olivia, that woman is dying. There's nothing you can do for her. But you can support your sister during this happy time."

That woman. Not even your foster mother. Just that woman.

"If you'll excuse me," I said, standing to my feet. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going to bed."

"Olivia, sit down," James said sharply, his alpha command pressing down on me..

"No." I growled out.

"I said sit down!" His eyes flashed gold briefly, his wolf surfacing.

"And I said no." I looked at him coldly, my own wolf surfacing also. "I came to dinner like you asked. I heard the announcement. Now I'm leaving."

I turned and walked out of the dining room, feeling the weight of his alpha power trying to force me to submit. But the rage I felt gave my wolf strength to resist.

Behind me, Mia's voice wobbled with fake tears. "She hates me, Mom."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," my mother soothed. "At least, thanks to her, you're now pregnant..." Her voice dropped, too low for me to hear.

My breath caught.

They knew. My parents knew what James had done—and they supported it.

I went upstairs and shut the bedroom door. I lay there, staring at the ceiling while laughter, clinking glasses, and music drifted up the stairs. They were celebrating my pain.

Soon, they would have nothing left to celebrate.

Olivia's POV

Hours passed and the noise faded and the house went quiet. My parents took one guestroom. Mia took the other. And James... I knew exactly where he'd be.

My throat was dry. I needed water, but I waited another half hour, just to be sure.

I slipped out of bed, crept down the stairs, and entered the kitchen. I filled a glass from the tap.

I heard James's low voice coming from his office. "I don't care what it takes. Keep her sedated."

I froze, the glass halfway to my mouth.

"No, I'm not interested in her waking up," he said. "I'm paying you enough to make sure that doesn't happen."

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"The monitoring showed brain activity? So what? Increase the suppressants. I don't want her conscious. Ever."

I set the glass down and crept closer. The office door was slightly ajar.

"You don't understand," James hissed. "Alice is dangerous. If she wakes up, everything falls apart."

A pause. Then: "Yes, I know it's illegal. That's why I'm tripling your fee."

Another pause.

"Because she saw me," he snapped. "She saw me with Mia months ago. She threatened to tell Olivia. So I handled it."

My hand flew to my mouth.

"The rogue attack was a lie," James said coldly. "I attacked her myself and injected her with silver. Her wolf should've died from the silver in her system, but the old bitch was tougher than I thought. Now she's in a coma with silver poisoning, and I need her to stay that way."

No. No, no, no.

"If she wakes up and tells Olivia what she saw, my entire plan falls apart. Keep her sedated with silver until after the gathering. After that... I don't care what happens. Let her die naturally, just make sure it can't be traced back to me."

The call ended. His chair scraped back.

I ran.

I flew up the stairs, heart pounding as my wolf howled in rage. I shut the bedroom door just as his footsteps echoed down the hall. I pressed my back against it, trembling.

James had tried to kill Alice.

He was keeping her sedated with silver.

He was going to let her die.

I grabbed my phone with shaking hands and dialed Asher.

He answered on the second ring. "Luna Grant. It's late."

"I need your help." My voice cracked. "Please. It's Alice—my foster mother. James attacked her some months ago because she caught him with Mia. Now he's paying her healer to keep her in a coma with silver. She's showing signs of recovering, and he's—he's going to let her die."

Silence.

"Please," I whispered. "I need to move her somewhere safe. But I can't do it alone."

"Where is she?"

"She’s in the pack clinic. Room 304. I don’t know how you can get into the pack without being seen."

"Don’t worry, I'll have her moved by morning," Asher said. "She'll be safe."

Relief flooded through me. "Thank you. Thank you so much—"

"But you know what this means, Olivia."

I closed my eyes. "Yes."

"Say it."

"I accept your offer," I whispered. "I'll become your mate."

"Good. I'll come get you in four days."

The call ended.

I sat there in the dark, phone clutched in my hand.

I had just agreed to mate with a man I'd never met. My husband's worst enemy. An alpha wolf I knew nothing about.

James didn't know it yet, but I just became his reckoning.