Chapter Forty-Seven: The Sacrifice
Liam stood frozen in place, the weight of Charlie’s confession pressing down on him like a boulder he couldn’t move. His heart ached, each word she spoke deepening the cracks that had already started forming the moment she had told them she was infected. His mind whirled, trying to grasp the reality of the situation, but every thought ended with the same, terrifying conclusion: Charlie was in danger.
He couldn’t lose her. Not like this.
Charlie’s breaths were shaky, her eyes darting between him and Luther as she prepared to tell them everything. Her face was pale, streaked with blood and tears, and her entire body trembled with exhaustion and fear. Despite the wildness of her appearance, she looked so fragile in that moment, like she might shatter if Liam so much as breathed too hard.
"I was walking back from the orphanage," Charlie began, her voice small and hesitant. "Everything was fine at first. The sun had just set, and I was following the same path I always do." She paused, her gaze dropping to the ground. "But then… I heard someone crying out for help. It was faint, but I knew someone was out there."
Liam’s heart clenched at her words, and his wolf stirred restlessly within him. He wanted to go to her, to wrap her in his arms and tell her that everything would be alright, but he forced himself to stay put, knowing that any sudden movement might send her retreating further into the nightmare she was reliving.
Charlie glanced up at him, her eyes brimming with guilt. “Raven told me to find you and Luther. She warned me that something wasn’t right, but… I didn’t listen.” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. “I thought I could handle it. I thought I could help whoever was out there.”
Liam took a shaky breath, every part of him aching to reassure her. “It’s not your fault,” he said softly, his hand inching forward instinctively. He took a tentative step toward her, his fingers outstretched. “You were just trying to help—”
“Please don’t come any closer,” Charlie interrupted, her voice rising in panic as she scrambled back, dragging the bloody body with her. Her eyes were wide, wild, as if she expected him to ignore her request and charge forward.
Liam stopped immediately, his heart breaking all over again. He raised his hands in surrender, nodding his head in agreement. “Alright. I won’t. I promise.”
Charlie visibly relaxed at his words, but the distance between them remained—a chasm that felt far too wide.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again, her voice so faint it was barely audible. “I should have listened to Raven. I should have come to you both.”
Liam’s chest tightened at the sight of her guilt, but he knew now wasn’t the time to dwell on what she should have done. They needed to know what had happened—why she was covered in blood and why a body lay lifeless at her feet.
“What happened after you went into the woods?” Liam asked gently, his eyes never leaving hers.
Charlie took a deep breath, her gaze shifting to the bleeding body. “It was Leah. She was the one calling out for help.” Her lips twisted into a bitter, pained expression. “She wasn’t happy to see me. In fact, she was disgusted that it was me who had come. But then, I realized… she wasn’t just angry. She had formed a plan.”
Liam’s fists clenched at his sides, his wolf snarling at the mention of Leah. He had always known she was dangerous, but the idea that she had been planning something—this—made his blood boil.
Charlie’s eyes flickered with pain as she continued. “She must have realized she had the perfect opportunity for revenge. She attacked me, with the intention of infecting me with the same disease that was destroying her.”
Liam felt his stomach drop, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fall into place. Leah, banished from the pack and desperate for vengeance, had used her illness as a weapon. She had wanted to infect Charlie, to make her suffer the same fate.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Charlie said, her voice shaking as the memories flooded back. “She came at me, and I—I fought her. I didn’t want to, but she wouldn’t stop. I had to—I had to rip out her throat.” Her voice broke as she relived the fight, her hands shaking violently. “I killed her, and her blood…it drenched me.”
The scent of blood hung heavy in the air, and Liam’s eyes darted to the body once again. Leah’s lifeless form was a grotesque reminder of what Charlie had been forced to do. Her throat had been ripped open, leaving her lying in a pool of blood. A pang of grief hit Liam—not for Leah, but for the pain her actions had caused his mate.
“I don’t know how this disease spreads,” Charlie continued, her voice soft but steady. “Whether it’s by touch or by bodily fluids. But either way, I’ve been exposed to both. It’s only a matter of time.”
Liam’s heart twisted painfully at her words. His body tensed, every instinct screaming at him to protect her, to find a way to fix this. But as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t fight the disease. He couldn’t stop what had already begun.
“It’s for the best,” Charlie said, her eyes filled with sorrow. “It’s for the best that neither of you come near me, and that I’m isolated from the rest of the pack until we know for sure.”
Luther, who had been standing silent and still up until now, let out a low, mournful howl. The sound was so full of anguish, so raw, that it sent a shiver down Liam’s spine. Without warning, Luther shifted into his wolf form, his body trembling with emotion. His large, black wolf let out another sorrowful howl before turning and sprinting into the woods, disappearing into the darkness.
Liam’s instinct was to follow him, to make sure his brother didn’t do something reckless in his grief. But his feet stayed firmly planted in the clearing, his eyes locked on Charlie. As much as he wanted to chase after Luther, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her. Not now. Not when she needed him.
“We can’t lose you,” Liam said, his voice barely above a whisper, his throat tight with emotion. He took a step forward, but stopped himself just as quickly, respecting the distance she had demanded. “Charlie, we’ll find a way. We always do.”
Charlie shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t want to risk it. I don’t want either of you getting sick because of me.”
Liam’s wolf growled softly, the idea of being kept away from their mate unbearable. But Liam knew Charlie’s fear wasn’t for herself—it was for them. She was willing to sacrifice her own happiness, her own safety, to keep them safe.
But Liam couldn’t accept that. He couldn’t just let her slip away from them.
“We’ll figure this out,” Liam insisted, his voice firm but gentle. “You’re not going through this alone.”
Charlie didn’t respond. Instead, she looked down at Leah’s body, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had finally crushed her.
Liam’s heart broke all over again.
He couldn’t lose her. Not to this. Not to anything.
There had to be a way out of this nightmare.
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