Chapter 4

Lillian’s POV

I hide in the corner while I watch Keegan and Dom enter Sienna’s room, feeling more dead than ever.

Picking up the bag from the ground, I walk numbly to the nursing station. “Kindly give this to room 804. Thanks.”

After putting the bag on the counter, I turn around without waiting for the nurse’s reply and leave the packhouse that suddenly feels very foreign to me, more than before.

As soon as I pass through the pack house’s gate, my phone keeps ringing. Fishing it out of my dress pocket, I read Keegan’s name flashing on the screen.

I simply ignore it and keep walking, but my phone keeps pinging with notifications.

Frustrated, I groan and pull out my phone to see a text from him. “Lillian! Pick up the damn phone!”

Just as I am about to hide my phone, it rings.

“Just my luck!” I almost curse when I see my mom’s name on my phone screen.

Sighing with frustration, I hit the answer button and put it beside my ear. “Mom.”

“Why are you just picking up now? Hurry up and send me money! I ran out of it,” she hisses.

That’s my mom. No ‘hello’. No, how are you? No, I miss you. It’s all about money.

“I don’t have money, Mom. I already sent you all my savings a week ago. I don’t have a money tree,” I reply dryly.

Since I married Keegan, she has started treating me like her personal bank, where she can withdraw at any time.

I hear her scoffing at the other end of the line. “Stupid! That’s what your husband is for!”

Sneering, I give her the news, “First of all, his money is not mine. And most importantly, stop being hopeful anymore and start spending your money less because I’ll be divorcing him soon.”

“What?!” I pull my phone away from my ear for a second as her sharp voice pierces my ears.

“You ignorant fool! Are you mad?! Don’t you dare divorce Alpha Keegan, no matter what happens. Even if you die!” She starts to rant and is still about to go on, but I interrupt her.

“Mo–”

Before I can say something, she goes on, “Stick this through that stupid head of yours, Lillian. You should just die rather than get a divorce. Got it?”

“It's not for–” My words are cut off as she hangs up the phone.

After the call is abruptly disconnected, I took a deep breath to suppress my urge to cry. As I compose myself, I irritably put my phone on silent mode before hiding it back in my pocket as I continue walking back to the house that is not my home.

But halfway there, my composure cracks. My shoulders start to tremble, then my tears break free, streaming down my face. I take a curve,  sinking onto the edge of the roadside gutter, my body shaking with silent sobs.

My mom wants me dead, and my husband wants me replaced. In a place where I'm not wanted, I no longer feel the need to stay. 

Losing control after all the overwhelming emotions that envelop me, I can only cover my face with my hands and let the pain in my heart drain from my eyes.

“You’re still a crybaby.”

My tears instantly come to a halt, and my body stiffens as I hear a familiar yet strange voice. 

Looking up, I meet the gorgeous hazelnut eyes of the one standing tall before me. It’s just like old times. Despite his dominating aura, he exudes a mysterious lightness and playfulness, making me feel a bit at ease around him.

“Craig…” I whisper.

He lets out a small, suiting laugh and hands me his handkerchief that has his small initial on the corner, which I reluctantly accept from shock.

Craig is Keegan’s uncle. Since we've all trained together since childhood, I simply call him by his name. Aside from Keegan, Craig is also there for me, especially at my worst times, when Sienna comes into our lives and I am cast to the side.

With a three-piece tailored suit and a Rolex watch on, he sits beside me on the side of the road like the easy-going person he always has been. 

“Congratulations. I heard you’re pregnant. Is this the hormones working?” he asks as he gestures to my tears that I am now wiping off.

Bewildered, I blink. “W-where did you hear that?”

He laughs and points to the packhouse. “I visited the pack earlier. Everyone is celebrating Luna’s pregnancy.”

“Right…” I whisper under my breath.

He looks at me questionably, waiting for me to answer.

Not wanting to be a laughing stock, I dismiss his words and let out a fake laugh before gesturing to him. “Enough about me. How are you here? I thought you were in Istanbul.”

While Keegan focuses on the domestic welfare of Moonstone Pack, Craig is also an Alpha of his pack, Oasis Pack and focuses on expansion all over the world.

With all his achievements and learnings, he is one of the famous Alphas, especially after being the first pack in the country to open their pack for refugees to the Rogues, who want to turn a new leaf.

He studies my face a little bit, looking sceptical at how I shift the topic. He looks like he wants to ask something, but he sighs and smiles brightly, joking instead, “What? I can’t go home now. Out in business for a few months, and you see me as a nomad now?”

With the heaviness in my heart, I can only let out a small smile for him.

He looks at me for a while before tapping his knee and standing up with a sigh. I follow him with my eyes as he stops in front of me and offers his hand. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”

When I stay unmoving, he encouragingly tilts his head and gestures to my house, which is just a block away.

Sighing, I hazily lift my arm and place my hand on his, but he grasps it mid-air and looks at me worriedly. “What happened?” 

I pull my hand quickly from the realisation that it’s my injured hand. “It’s nothing. Just a minor accident.”

“It’s still bleeding. You call that minor? I’m taking you to the hospital.” Gone are the teasing and lightness in his voice, and are immediately replaced with worry and a hint of panic that I yearn to see from Keegan yesterday.

“But–”

“No buts,” he interrupts with finality in his voice and guides me to his car, not letting me walk when the pack house is just a block away.

Sitting in the treatment room with a doctor tending to my wounds, and Craig watching everything with a hawk eye, I awkwardly say, “I’m really fine. There’s no need for this.”

“Don’t take your health for granted, Lillian. Where is even–”

His words are interrupted when the door opens and Keegan enters in a rush, coming to my side.

Gesturing to Keegan, Craig continues his words, “Great! I'm about to ask about you. Where are you? How are you taking care of your wife?”

I swallow after hearing his scolding tone, which is directed at Keegan.

“Uncle Craig,” Keegan briefly greets before his eyes shift to the doctor. Sitting beside me on the bed, he suddenly wraps his arm around my shoulder, making my body stiff from shock. “How is she, doc? Is the wound deep?”

Standing up, the doctor replies as she removes her gloves and throws them in the infectious waste bin. “I have to stitch it a little, but it should be fine in a week or so.”

Keegan sighs in what sounds like relief. “That’s great to know. Thank you.”

My eyes remain on him from the moment he comes inside the room, my heart palpating like crazy, and I look at him in disbelief.

What is he doing? Why is he suddenly being so attentive and touchy as if he really cares?

“Are you ever going to answer me, Keegan?” Craig asks, taking both our attention. His arms are now crossed over his chest, and his eyes are looking pointedly at Keegan.

Clearing his throat, Keegan squeezes my shoulder a little like a supporting husband he never was and replies, “I am packed up with work. Thanks, Uncle Craig.”

Craig looked at both of us for a second before nodding his head in understanding. “Alright then. I’ll leave you two be and visit at your time.”

With that, he puts back on his coat, which is hanging on his arm and leaves.

As soon as Craig vanishes from our sight, Keegan stands up and goes a few feet away from me like he is burned from my existence and disgusted by my sight.

I laugh mockingly. Of course, his strange behaviour is all a show for his uncle. He probably doesn’t want to ruin his reputation.

His eyes go back to sending me a glare, and his voice turns back to being cold again as he scolds, “What game are you playing now?”

Pointing at my bandaged hand, he hisses, “That’s just a small wound, and you’re complaining to people and running to the hospital while Sienna, who is bleeding and on the brink of death and losing a child, is obediently lying in her room and waiting patiently!”

I sneer and meet his eyes. “Child… Don’t you think I deserve an explanation for that?”

His eyes narrow. “Before going and asking for what you deserve, you might as well think back why she’s in that condition in the first place. It’s all because of you, Lillian. Since when did you start acting rogue and hitting people?”

Feeling like I've exhausted all my emotions, I dryly ask, knowing where this conversation is going anyway. “So…What do you want me to do?”

“Sienna lost a lot of blood, donate yours,” he says without hesitation.

Standing up, I shake my head at him and explain, “I didn’t even hit her that hard, Keegan. Having Beta blood, that slap should have been just like a pat on her shoulder. I owe her nothing.”

Anger by my words, he strides over the gap and grips my arm tightly, making me squirm a little. “Whatever! You're going to donate blood. End of discussion.”

My eyes turn sharp. I am done with this shit!

Taking a deep breath, I move my arm swiftly in a back rotation to push and lose his grip on me before pushing him away. With a dead look in my eyes, I decisively inform him, “Let’s get a divorce, Keegan.”