Chapter 12

The words hung in the air like a dark cloud, suffocating the small room. Helen gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she stared at her father's lifeless body. She stumbled back, colliding with the wall behind her as the reality of the situation crashed down on her.

Olivia's heart dropped, her mind reeling with shock and disbelief. She hadn't meant to kill him—she had only wanted to protect Veronica and Helen. But the sight of the man's lifeless form on the floor and the horror etched into Veronica's and Helen's faces made her feel like a monster.

"No, no, this can't be happening," Olivia muttered to herself, taking a step back as her body trembled with the weight of what she had done.

Veronica remained kneeling besides her ex husband, her eyes wide and unfocused as she stared at his still chest. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and tears began to spill down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails on her pale skin. The man who had terrorised her for years, the man who had caused her so much pain, was gone.

Helen's sobs broke the heavy silence, her body shaking as she slid down the wall to the floor.

"Mum, what are we going to do?" She choked out between gasps for air.

Veronica slowly turned to look at her daughter, her eyes filled with despair.

"I'm so sorry," Olivia whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't want to hurt him."

Veronica's calm eyes met Olivia's, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. There was no anger in Veronica's gaze, only a deep, sorrowful understanding. She had seen the violence and the desperation in her husband's final moments, and she knew what Olivia had done was out of protection.

Finally, Veronica took a deep, shuddering breath and rose to her feet. She looked at Olivia, her expression a mix of grief and resignation. "It wasn't your fault, Olivia," she said softly.

"He brought this on himself. But now we have to figure out what to do."

Olivia clenched her fists, trying to keep her emotions in check. She knew they couldn't stay here—not with a dead body in the room. Panic threatened to take hold, but she forced herself to think clearly. They had to leave, and they had to do it quickly.

"I'll... I'll take care of him," Veronica said, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "You and Helen should pack your things. We need to leave before anyone finds out. But first, help me with him."

Olivia and Helen exchanged a glance, the reality of what they were about to do settling in like a cold shiver down their spines. Olivia's heart pounded in her chest, but she forced herself to move to follow Veronica's lead. Together, they approached the lifeless body of Veronica's husband, the man who had terrorised them just moments ago.

Veronica's movements were calm and methodical as she wrapped his body in the sheets from the bed. Olivia hesitated for a moment, but she quickly pushed the feeling aside. Now wasn't the time for second thoughts. She bent down to help lift the body.

Helen stood back, her hands trembling as she watched her mother and Olivia struggle with the burden. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. "Mum, what are we going to do?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Veronica didn't answer right away. She focused on getting the body out of the room, her mind working through the steps she needed to take next. Once they had managed to load the body into the trunk of the car, she turned to Helen, placing a gentle but firm hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Veronica said, her voice softer now. "I'll take care of him. You and Olivia stay here and pack up our things. We need to be ready to leave."

Helen nodded, though she was still shaking. Veronica didn't look back as she drove off into the night, leaving Olivia and Helen standing in the empty parking lot.

As the car's taillights disappeared into the darkness, Olivia turned to Helen, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's do what your mum said," Olivia said, trying to sound reassuring, though her own voice trembled slightly. "We need to pack."

Helen moved mechanically, grabbing her clothes and belongings and stuffing them into her suitcase with shaky hands. Olivia did the same, her mind racing as she tried to process everything that had happened.

Veronica returned, her face pale but composed. She took a deep breath and looked at both girls, her expression serious. "It's done," she said simply. "Everything's taken care of. Now, we need to stay calm and forget about tonight. Tomorrow, we start over."

Olivia nodded, though the words felt hollow.

Helen, still trembling, wrapped her arms around her mother, burying her face in Veronica's shoulder. "I'm scared, Mum," she whispered, her voice breaking. "What if—what if they find out?"

Veronica stroked her daughter's hair, her voice soothing. "They won't," she promised. "We'll be far away by the time anyone even thinks to look for him. We'll be safe in Alaska. No one will know what happened here."

Olivia watched the scene unfold, her heart heavy with the burden of what they had done. She wanted to believe Veronica, to trust that everything would be okay, but a nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her that nothing would ever be the same again.

Later that night, after Veronica and Helen had fallen into a restless sleep, Olivia found herself alone in the tiny motel bathroom to do what she had plOliviad.

She had meant to clean up, to wash away the remnants of the evening, but instead, she found herself frozen in place, her hand clutching a small pregnancy test kit she had picked up earlier in; her wolf had been telling her that she needed to confirm her suspicions. With trembling hands, Olivia unwrapped the test and followed the instructions, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for the results to appear.

Two blue lines.

Olivia stared at the test, her mind spinning with a whirlwind of emotions. Fear. Shock. Confusion. And deep down, a small, flickering hope. But as she stood there in the cold, sterile light of the bathroom, one thing was clear: her life had just changed forever.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched the test to her chest, her heart pounding in her ears.

She was no longer just Olivia, the rogue wolf running from her past. She was now carrying a new life within her, her mate's baby. Alpha Asher's baby. She had thought of looking for him and telling him the news, but a wave of uncertainty washed over her. Would he want this child? He didn't want her. What if he killed her baby ?

No !

She clutched her flat belly and whispered. "I will protect you, little one."

She would do whatever it took to keep her baby safe, even if it meant being on the run for her entire life.