Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 258: Pack Wars

Lewis’s sudden kiss in the car still lingered on my lips when we pulled away from the hotel.

He wasn’t usually impulsive.

Even in private, he was always controlled. Gentle. Patient. His dominance was quiet, not reckless. What he did outside just now was different. It had heat in it. Territory in it.

When the car door shut and we were alone, he finally released me.

I studied his face carefully. His jaw was tight, but his eyes were calm again.

"Lewis," I asked softly, "is something bothering you?"

He brushed his thumb lightly over my lips and gave a faint smile. "Just checking if you’ve been sneaking drinks."

It took me a second to understand. Then I almost laughed.

"I only had three sips," I explained quickly. "Not even half a glass. I know my limits. I wouldn’t risk losing control in public."

In our world, losing control wasn’t just embarrassing. It was dangerous.

His gaze searched mine. "Did anything happen tonight? Did Yael say something?"

"He was friendly," I admitted. "Maybe too friendly. But nothing unusual. Lincy caused more trouble than he did."

I told him everything how Lincy tried to keep up her image, how she panicked when the Grant crossed seven hundred thousand, how she forced herself to pay.

I couldn’t stop laughing when I remembered her face.

"It’s all Grant’s fault," I said with a sigh. "Everything around them is fake. Except maybe his love for his daughter. That’s why he only took back the money and left her some dignity."

Lewis nodded slowly. "This scandal is too big for him. If the truth explodes publicly, the market reacts. Stock falls. Partnerships collapse. Grant is a businessman. Exposing everything won’t benefit him."

"Monica is probably still chasing her old love," I murmured. "I wonder if the man she’s loved for years will ever marry her."

Lewis’s expression softened. "If a man truly wants you, no matter how many lifetimes pass, he will find a way."

His words settled deep inside me.

I smiled faintly. "I know I’m lucky."

Being his mate felt like fate done right.

Monica lost her chance when she was young. Now, time had taken more from her. Lincy clung to Yenick because she had nothing else left.

"Do you want me to deal with Lincy?" Lewis asked. "The rumors she’s spreading are slander against you."

"No," I said calmly. "Let her boast. I want to see how she handles the consequences. If we destroy her too quickly, she won’t understand what she lost."

He studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Tell me when."

I leaned against him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "You’re the best, Honey."

He froze.

His ears turned slightly red, and I smiled wider. For an Alpha who could silence boardrooms and rival packs with a glance, he was surprisingly sensitive with me.

I reached up and touched his ear gently. "Why are you so easy to embarrass? If you’re not used to it yet, I’ll just call you Honey more often."

His blush deepened.

In the corporate world, he was ruthless. Untouchable. But with me, he softened in ways only I got to see.

When we got home, he stood up from his wheelchair without hesitation and lifted me into his arms.

"Elena," he said in a low voice, "you’re provoking me."

I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Am I the only one?"

He kicked the bedroom door open with his foot. It had been a week since we last shared real intimacy. I could feel the tension in him, the restraint he carried daily finally thinning.

I straddled his waist and kissed him first.

"Lewis," I whispered against his lips, "I like you."

I made it a habit to say it every day. Not because I doubted him but because I knew what it meant to grow up without love. I wanted him to feel secure, again and again.

He responded with warmth, his hands steady but firm on my waist.

Just as the moment deepened, his phone rang.

He ignored it.

It rang again.

I pressed my hand lightly against his chest. "It might be important."

He exhaled sharply and reached for the phone, his shirt half open, revealing the strong lines of his chest.

"Speak."

"Mr. Lewis," a voice said urgently, "Camilla is at Silas’ grave."

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

"Follow her," Lewis ordered calmly. "Find out where she’s staying. Do not let her notice."

The name Camilla cut through the warmth like ice.

Lewis ended the call, and the intensity in his eyes returned not jealousy this time, but strategy.

"You were right," he said quietly. "Camilla didn’t leave."

"Let’s see if she slips," I replied. "If she moves carelessly, we might find where that organization is hiding. The Hales and Morrigans shouldn’t have any connection. But I suspect they’re working together. If that’s true, there must still be a base in the country."

Lewis opened his phone and connected to a live feed.

Camilla appeared on the screen.

She wore a black coat, a hat pulled low, and a long scarf covering most of her face. But her silhouette was unmistakable. She held white daisies in her trembling hands.

She dropped to her knees in front of the grave.

"You fool!" she cried. "You promised to stay with me until the end. Why were you so reckless?"

The wind answered her.

"Silas... our baby is gone," she whispered brokenly. "He was already formed. It was a boy. Did you find him... wherever you are?"

Her voice cracked.

The graveyard was almost empty. Only distant streetlights and cold wind surrounded her. But she did not look afraid.

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"I should’ve listened to you. We could have run away. But I couldn’t let go... I couldn’t forget what happened to my family."

She struck the ground with both hands.

"They died horribly. Why do they get to live peacefully?"

"It’s my fault. I wanted everything back. I pushed you into this. I’m sorry."

Her grief was raw.

"I regret it. I’ll stop chasing revenge. Just come back. Even if I win... what’s the point? The dead don’t return. You’re gone. I’m alone."

"Ms. Camilla."

Another figure appeared behind her.

Wynne.

I recognized her immediately the same woman who returned my brooch at the Hudson estate.

She wrapped her arms around Camilla. "The police are still searching. It’s not safe here. You’ve seen him. If he’s watching, he would want you safe."

Camilla shook violently. "I wish it had been me."

"I know," Wynne whispered. "But we need to go back. Don’t ruin Mister’s plan. You know his temper."

Mister.

There it was again.

Camilla went quiet, but Wynne continued, her voice soothing yet sharp beneath the surface.

"It’s not your fault. Riley and the Hales are the ones who caused this. They took Silas from you. If not for them, he’d still be alive. You must stay strong. For revenge."

"Revenge..." Camilla repeated weakly. "Even if we destroy the Morrigans, my family won’t return. I’m tired."

"We’re almost done," Wynne said firmly. "Only a few of the Morrigans remain. Once this ends, Mister will guide us."

Her words were poison wrapped in comfort.

Silas had been right.

Someone powerful was behind all of this.

Wynne slowly helped Camilla up and led her away.

Lewis’s expression hardened.

"Follow them," he instructed through the comms. "Don’t let them notice."

I watched the screen, my heart steady but alert.

If we stayed on Camilla’s trail long enough, we would find the one pulling the strings.

And when we did

This war between packs would finally have a face.