Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 372: No Fear

At last, everything began to make sense.

Looking at the scene in front of me, I finally understood where the Blackwell brothers’ strange, unbalanced behavior came from. The answer had been standing quietly in the shadows all along.

Amber stood beside him, her posture calm, almost gentle. Anyone who didn’t know her might even think she was harmless. There was something almost innocent about the way she carried herself, like someone untouched by cruelty.

But appearances could lie.

Whether Ilora had truly committed those terrible things Dominic accused her of, I couldn’t say for certain. What I did know was much simpler.

For as long as I could remember, she had always treated me with warmth and care.

Before my bonding ceremony, when my fate as a mate had already been decided, she constantly worried that I might be mistreated after leaving home. She made sure I lacked nothing. She even offered the entire Morrigans family fortune as part of my dowry, just to ensure I would never feel powerless in another pack’s territory.

And after I disappeared...

She had been the only one in the Morrigans who refused to stop searching.

While everyone else eventually accepted that I was gone, Ilora stayed awake through countless nights, chasing every tiny lead. She refused to believe I had vanished from the world.

And now—

This man was asking me to spill the blood of the elder I loved the most.

Among the Morrigans, Ilora had always been the most straightforward. She didn’t hide her emotions or play complicated games. Looking at her now, it seemed she must have rushed here without thinking.

Her hair was slightly messy, strands of white escaping from the neat bun she usually wore. The wrinkles on her face looked deeper than I remembered, as if the past months had carved new lines into her skin.

She had probably arrived by plane.

Everything about her appearance suggested she had come here in a hurry.

With everything that had happened recently, I hadn’t had the chance to think much about Ilora. I never expected the next time I saw her would be under circumstances like this.

Damian had served Lewis loyally for many years.

And now it was obvious how Dominic found her.

Through Damian.

Dominic had likely traced the connection between them long ago. The reason he hadn’t harmed Ilora earlier was probably because he had been waiting.

Waiting for the moment when all of us would finally be gathered together.

Waiting for this exact day.

"Elena."

Ilora’s voice reached me.

Her speech had improved so much since before. I remembered when she used to struggle to pronounce certain words clearly. Now she could say my name without hesitation.

I had just told Whitney not to overthink things, but when it came to my own troubles, it was much harder to stay calm.

"Grandma."

The word escaped my mouth before I even realized it.

Without thinking, I ran toward her.

The sight of her white hair and the tired look on her face stabbed painfully at my chest. Ilora had always been strong—stronger than most leaders I had ever seen. Yet now she looked like someone who had been through a storm that never ended.

For someone as resilient as her...

Had she ever faced a Chapter of life this cruel?

I wrapped my arms tightly around her.

"Grandma, I’m so sorry," I whispered. "I failed to protect you."

Her hands trembled slightly as she held onto me.

"You... you’re alive," she said softly, her voice shaking. "That’s all that matters."

There was no fear in her eyes.

None at all.

Only joy.

Pure, overwhelming joy at seeing someone she loved still standing in front of her.

My chest tightened.

"Grandma," I said gently, pulling Whitney forward, "I found Whitney. She’s your granddaughter."

Whitney had been standing behind me quietly the whole time. Tears filled her eyes as she stepped closer.

"Grandma..." she whispered.

Ilora looked between the two of us, her eyes glistening with relief.

"Good... good," she murmured warmly. "You’re both safe."

Then her gaze slowly shifted toward Dominic.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

"You are...?" she asked hesitantly.

Dominic looked like a man in his thirties. Anyone seeing him for the first time would never guess how many years he had already lived or how much darkness he carried inside him.

From the shadows, he stepped calmly into the light.

"I am Dominic," he said politely. "The eldest son of Ronald."

His tone was soft.

Almost gentle.

But the moment I heard his voice, a chill crawled down my spine.

Compared to him, Amber suddenly seemed almost harmless.

It was strange how comparison worked.

Amber had always been quick-tempered, flaring up like a spark when something angered her. But at worst, she was simply stubborn and defiant.

Dominic was different.

He smiled.

And behind that smile was something terrifying.

His calm appearance hid a man capable of the cruelest things imaginable.

Looking at Vito and Yael now, it was obvious where they had inherited their traits from.

Vito carried his father’s intimidating presence. Even when he stood still without moving, the air around him felt dangerous—like a predator watching its prey in silence.

Yael had inherited Dominic’s smile.

The resemblance was striking.

His soft hair, the faint dimple that appeared on his right cheek when he grinned—it was the exact same expression Dominic wore now.

"I must apologize for bringing you here in such a crude manner," Dominic continued calmly. "But my hatred for you runs too deep. I have spent countless sleepless nights waiting for this day."

He walked forward with graceful, controlled steps.

Behind him, the three members of the Morrigans stood trembling.

Vivian and Malcom looked frightened but unharmed. Their clothes were stained with blood, yet I couldn’t see any serious injuries.

Greg was another story.

His hand was wrapped in cloth soaked completely red.

His thumb was gone.

Severed clean off.

Blood still dripped slowly from the wound.

So that scream earlier...

That had been Greg.

Around them stood several men dressed in dark uniforms similar to the ones Yael’s guards usually wore. They were heavily armed and clearly trained fighters.

None of them looked familiar.

Greg’s entire body shook violently.

Then I noticed something else.

A dark stain was spreading across his pants.

Yellow drops slowly ran down his leg.

He had lost control completely.

He was terrified.

Yet in the middle of all this chaos...

Ilora stood perfectly still.

Her gray hair framed her aged face, but her posture remained straight and proud. The transparent, gentle expression she once had was gone.

Now there was only calm.

Not a trace of fear showed in her eyes.