#Chapter 3 Mountain of Lies

Olivia’s POV

I watch helplessly as Alicia took the short blade and crossed it over her cheek. I have never seen such an act of spite, such lowly behavior in my life, but I know now why she is doing it. I ran to her, trying to stop this disgusting act of violence, but as I grabbed her hand and yanked the knife away from her face, the damage was done.

The rooftop door is thrown open, Herold rushing over to split up the scene that unfolds. When Alicia and I are torn apart, she releases the blade, leaving the bloody tip of the knife in my hands now. Alicia tries to hide her smile, pressing her hand over her lips in some mock form of pain and anguish.

“Thank the moon goddess,” she pants, her cheek streaked in crimson. “She said she was going to disfigure me, Herold. She’s so evil… thank you for finding me just in time.”

“She’s lying,” I breathe, throwing the knife aside. “She tricked me up here and set this up to look like I attacked her, Herold, please believe me. I would never—”

“She attacked me,” Alicia reaffirms, faking tears and overexaggerating her wound.

“Find the surveillance footage, or something, please,” I pant, looking around this island of a rooftop. There has to be cameras… there just has to be proof.

“She led me up here, knowing there wasn’t any cameras,” Alicia says. Upon further inspection, she’s right. Even knowing the truth of this situation, I can’t deny that it looks bad. Alicia has made all the right moves to frame me. “Please, take me away from her.”

“I can’t believe you would stoop this low,” Herold growls. “Hurt my future Luna again, and you’re dead.”

I stand in shock for a long moment. Looking around, this all makes sense. Our house is littered with cameras but this rooftop, this blind spot—Herold will never know the truth of what happened here tonight.

My stomach cramps and I hit the ground, panting through the mind link for help and receiving nothing back in reply. The stress of this horrible day has finally caught up to me. I see spots as the air is drawn from my lungs.

I saved him and I loved him unconditionally. For a minute, I thought it would be reciprocated. It’s clear now that it never will be.

“Hey now,” a new voice calls. I look up through my tearful glare to see Eugene crossing the roof, running to my side. As brother of the Alpha who despises me, I half expected him to hurt me. Instead, he brushes a hand down my shoulder, cooing lightly to calm me down. “Let’s get you inside, Olivia. You shouldn’t be out here in this condition.”

As a top doctor of the hospital, Eugene knows everything wrong with everyone, including my brother’s relapse of illness. I’ve seen Eugene a lot the past few months, visiting my younger brother Reese as he fought off his own illnesses.

Other than my unconditional love, I stayed mated to Herold for my brother, the Alpha promising to continue payment of my brother’s medical expenses as long as I stayed on his good side. I can only imagine that situation has changed, due to the looming divorce between us.

“Eugene, I’m fine,” I say, trying to ignore the stress of my body. “Is Reese here today?”

“No, Olivia. He’s not. Are you sure you’re okay?”

He helps me trail down the steps, my body ready to collapse. “I’ll be fine. I need to go home. I need to rest.”

“Well, I should let you know, Herold just told me he’s denying payment for Reese’s next treatment.” Eugene shakes his head, just as hurt as I am unsurprised. “I vowed as a healer to protect all wolves, and that includes your brother. I’ll continue his operations, payment free.”

 I lean against the Alpha’s brother, pulling him into a tight embrace. I would sob if I had any tears left to cry. “Thank you, thank you, thank you—”

I glance up, spying Alicia on a hospital bed nearby, healers tending to her wounds. She is enjoying the attention but Herold is distracted completely, his teeth showing as I cling to his brother for a harmless hug.

“I—I have to go… thanks again,” I sigh.

I pull back from Eugene and try to get home before anything else horrible happens tonight. I can’t take any more of this. I practically run from the hospital, feeling watched closely as I flee this gloomy institution.

At last I’m home, in bed, cradling my stomach.

“It’s okay,” I reassure my baby. “I’ll protect you… somehow.”

The bedroom door is thrown open in my gentle reassurances to my baby. I stand suddenly, startled by the sight of Herold in the doorway, his breathing ragged and his face flushed bright red. For a moment, I think he will be tame enough to talk, but he hardly seems interested in that.

He takes the bottle of medication off my nightstand, the prenatal medication I bought to help the baby grow stronger.

“Is this for your bastard of a child, Olivia?”

“Herold, please. You know the truth. You know it’s your baby?”

My Alpha is fuming at the seams, “Is it fucking true?”

I cough, my lungs void of air. “Wh—What?”

“Where did he touch you? Seducing my own brother! Letting him impregnate you with a bastard child! You’re just as clever as I assumed you were, and worse!”

“It’s not your brothers,” I pant, crying inconsolably. “It’s yours, dammit! All those nights you came in here, furious and needing a release, that is how I got pregnant! I was in heat, Herold. How stupid are you to believe all of her lies?”

“You were never worth marrying, not even for the sex,” he bites.

“You’ll regret this one day,” I snap, shivering all over. “You’ll see her lies. You’ll see how easily manipulated you were. You’re nothing but a lousy excuse for an Alpha.”

I can’t help but watch him break at my words. If he hated me so and believed a thing Alicia has told him, then he wouldn’t look so betrayed. I feel an ounce of glee at his sad look, loving how at last he feels the same pain I feel, thinking he’s been made a fool of.

He wants me to scream, to fight back his rage with rage, but I look through him and everything he is now. If he is so easily manipulated, then maybe he isn’t worth the unconditional love I’ve given him through the years. He can have Alicia. I’m done fighting.

“I’ll sign the divorce papers,” I say simply.

Something mimicking ferocity or pain flickers across his features. He throws the bottle of prenatal pills aside, storming from the room at once. I knew it would bother him. He’s so used to playing dirty, a trick Alicia has weaved into his mind by now. I just know that whatever happens next will undoubtedly be the workings of Alicia and her filthy tricks.