Chapter 3 Chapter THREE

Arthur's POV

"Mate!" my wolf roared in my mind, and Eileen's red eyes confirmed she had sensed it too.

I couldn't believe my eyes. My first love, the one I thought I'd lost forever, was standing before me—and she was my mate.

Guilt pressed down on my heart like a heavy weight. I thought of how I had treated her before she left, how I had ignored the abuse she endured in the pack. My heart ached, and my throat felt like it was filled with stones.

I took a deep breath. I never thought I'd see her again. The letter she left had pierced our hearts like a thousand knives. We all knew we had lost our Eileen.

We had tried to find her, but when we learned she had joined the Stoneheart Pack and seemed to be doing well, we gave up on asking her to return.

But now, things had changed.

"Eileen…" I reached out to embrace her, but she stepped back.

"I, Eileen, a wolf without a pack, reject you, Arthur, Alpha of the Blackwood Pack!" she roared, realizing the situation.

"No!" I cried out in pain. "I reject your rejection!"

Eileen's eyes flared with anger, but before she could shift, she collapsed. I caught her and the little girl in my arms, my heart breaking all over again.

I immediately called through the mind link to my Beta—and Eileen's twin brother—Alex.

The little girl's wide eyes were identical to Eileen's. I expected her to resist me, but instead, she pressed her cheek against my chest. I was surprised.

"Sweetheart, will you come with me?" I asked gently. Her doe-like eyes met mine, and she nodded. "Amber."

Her voice was clear and sweet, melting my heart. "Okay, Amber. You're safe now. You can sleep."

Amber obediently rested in my arms. Their clothes were soaked, clearly indicating they'd had a terrible day.

But now, I had to get them to the pack hospital. By the time I arrived, Alex had already arranged everything. The pack doctor quickly attended to Eileen, placing her on a bed.

"Who's this?" Alex asked, looking at the sleeping girl in my arms.

I shook my head. We'd have to wait for Eileen to wake up to know the full story. Meanwhile, I had the doctor examine Amber.

"Do you think she'll forgive us?" Alex murmured, looking toward Eileen's room.

His words hit me like a hammer. I shook my head again. I didn't know… I had spent countless nights in the gym, punishing myself, hating myself for not discovering the truth about my mother's death sooner. It had nothing to do with Eileen—she was just a victim. She was only six years old. How could she harm an Alpha?

To my shame, we only found out the truth the day after Eileen left. We had tried to bring her back, but we learned she had bonded with Jason, the Alpha of the Stoneheart Pack—she had become their Luna.

I had always loved Eileen. If not for my mother's accident, I would have chosen her as my Luna. Now that we were reunited, she was my mate, and I would never let her go again.

"For now, we need to ensure her safety," I said firmly into the darkness, noticing Alex straighten his back.

Now, we had to wait for the doctor's report.

It felt like an eternity before the doctor approached us, his expression grave.

"Alpha, Beta," he began, and I gestured for him to continue.

"Eileen's condition is severe."

"Eileen is severely malnourished," the doctor announced, his voice low and steady, but I could sense the anger simmering beneath. "She's been overworked and clearly hasn't received the care a Luna deserves."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Overworked and malnourished? It sounded absurd.

How could her husband, Jason, have neglected her so badly? I saw the same shock and anger on Alex's face. We were both thinking the same thing: How could Jason treat Eileen so horribly?

"What do you mean, she hasn't been cared for?" I asked, my voice filled with rage.

"It means Jason failed to provide for her," the doctor replied firmly. "He neglected her, ignored her needs. That bastard likely put his own desires above hers. This is a classic case of emotional abuse, and it's clear Eileen has been suffering for a long time."

I felt a pang of guilt, remembering how we had driven Eileen away five years ago. But the doctor's next revelation about Amber made me want to kill Jason.

The doctor continued, "Amber's severe autism is likely the result of abuse," he said, his voice filled with anger. "During the psychological evaluation, she showed extreme resistance, crying and saying she didn't want to be with 'Daddy.' It's possible she suffered physical and emotional abuse from her father when Eileen wasn't around."

The room fell silent again, but this time it was a silence of shock and horror. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Jason hadn't just neglected and betrayed Eileen—he had abused their child. The anger building inside me finally erupted. I knew I would do everything in my power to make Jason pay for his crimes. When I got my hands on that bastard, I'd tear him apart. My fists clenched in rage, slamming against the table.

"How could he do this?" I asked, my voice trembling with fury. "How could he abuse his own child?"

I saw the fear in the doctor's eyes and quickly dismissed him. I would avenge Eileen and ensure Jason never laid a hand on her or Amber again.

Now, we had to wait for Eileen to wake up.