Chapter 248: Chapter 248

The question cut through me sharper than any blade.

I leaned closer, forcing my voice calm though my chest ached. "Lisa..." I said.

Her breathing quickened, panic flickering in her eyes. "I... I want... my baby..."

Her voice was a broken whisper, soaked with pain and fear. She tried to sit up, but her body failed her, trembling, too weak to hold itself.

I caught her shoulders gently. "Easy. You’re still healing. You can’t..."

"Please," she whispered. "Just... Is my... my baby."

Her gaze softened for a moment, then drifted. The exhaustion took her again. She slumped weakly back against the pillow, her fingers curling against the sheet.

I sat a long time, watching her chest rise and fall. The clinic was quiet, like a promise I couldn’t keep. Finally, I could not wait any longer. I bent down and pressed a quick, blunt kiss to her forehead. It did nothing to fix her, and it hurt me more than it helped.

Anger curled up inside me. Fridolf and Belinda need to pay.

I stood. The chair scraped the floor. The cup of barley rattled on the tray. I left before I could decide to do something I might regret.

Rowan and Kael met me in the hall, out of breath and worried. "How is she?" they asked.

"Leave my chamber," I snapped, sharper than I meant. "You can see her when she wants visitors."

They stepped back, pale, and left.

My guard waited like always, quiet. "Any leads on Belinda and Fridolf?" I asked.

"No sign yet, Alpha. Scouts are searching south and along the eastern ridge," he said.

A hard smile cut my face. "Find Belinda’s father. Bring him to the prison. Keep him secure." My voice left no room to argue.

The guard hesitated. "Alpha..."

"I want news to reach her," I said. "Let the story spread. She’ll come looking if she thinks her father is in danger." It was bait. Cruel, but it would work.

"And the maid who lied?" the guard asked quietly. "Lady Lisa’s maid..."

"If she betrayed Lisa, make an example of her, kill her, and hang her head on the market square for vultures to feed on, and spread her name through the market so everyone knows what she did. Let the pack know the cost of treachery."

The guard swallowed. "Yes, Alpha."

I changed my clothes and took the antidotes the healer gave me for the poison. The bitter taste burned down my throat, but I forced it down anyway. My body still felt weak, like my strength was hiding somewhere I couldn’t reach, but I couldn’t stay away from her any longer.

When I got to the clinic, the room was dim. The smell of herbs and boiled water hung in the air. The rise and fall of her chest was the only thing keeping me calm.

I didn’t know when my eyes closed, but they did. The exhaustion I’d been fighting finally dragged me under. I slept sitting up, my hand resting near hers on the bed.

When I woke up, the world was quiet except for a small, broken sound. It was soft, like a whimper trying not to be heard. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and saw her sitting up. Her shoulders were shaking. Tears rolled down her face, catching the faint morning light.

My heart stopped. "Lisa," I whispered. My voice came out rough. I stood quickly and went to her side. I reached out and wiped her tears with my thumb. Her skin was warm but fragile, like one touch might bruise her. "I’m here," I said softly. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. I should have protected you. I should have stopped this."

She shook her head, her breath hitching, tears falling faster. "I lost it," she whispered, voice breaking. "My baby, Damon... I lost our baby."

The words hit me harder than any blade could. I froze. For a moment, the air left my chest. My throat burned, and my hands went numb. I pulled her into my arms before I could think, holding her so tight it almost hurt. "No," I said, though I knew it was true. "No, Lisa... please."

She cried harder against my chest, each sob tearing something out of me.

I closed my eyes and rested my chin on her head. "We’ll make another," I said hoarsely. "I promise you. We’ll make another. And I won’t spare anyone who caused this. I swear to you, Lisa, I’ll find them. I’ll make them regret every breath they take."

She didn’t say anything, just cried and clung to me like I was the only thing left. Her pain soaked into me. I could feel her trembling, her hands gripping my shirt. I rubbed her back slowly, whispering her name over and over like it would calm her. "I’m sorry," I said again. "You didn’t deserve this. You shouldn’t have gone through it alone."

Her crying quieted, but the tears didn’t stop. She lifted her face to look at me. Her eyes were red and swollen, her lips trembling. My heart broke all over again seeing her like that, so lost, so hurt, and still so beautiful. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩

"Why me, Damon? All I ever wanted was a simple life, but...I couldn’t get it. I could not even protect my child!" She cried out.

I brushed her hair out of her face and cupped her cheek gently. "I’m so sorry, Lisa," I said, staring at her.

"I missed you," I whispered. My voice cracked halfway through.

She let out a small sob, her eyes closing. I leaned in and kissed her, soft at first, hesitant, afraid she might pull away. But when she didn’t, when her hand slid weakly up to my neck, something inside me shattered.

I deepened the kiss, desperate and slow, tasting her tears. It wasn’t passion; it was pain. It was grief and love and guilt tangled together. My chest ached, but I didn’t stop. I wanted her to feel that I was still here, that I hadn’t left her, even when I’d failed to protect her.

When we finally pulled apart, our foreheads touched. Her breath came out shaky against my lips. I held her close again, pressing her to my chest, feeling the faint beat of her heart against mine.

"I’m here," I whispered into her hair. "You’re not alone anymore. I won’t let anyone hurt you again."

She nodded weakly, her tears soaking into my shirt. I didn’t care. I just kept holding her, rocking her slowly as if I could sway the pain away.