Chapter Forty-Eight: The Uncertainty
Liam’s heart was pounding in his chest, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him as he sent a quick command through the pack link to Dorian. His mind raced with a hundred different scenarios, but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand: getting answers.
‘Dorian, get to the clearing near the eastern woods—now. There’s a body. Charlie thinks it’s infected with the werewolf disease.’
Liam’s thoughts were a whirlwind of worry and fear, but one thing was clear—he needed to be sure. Charlie believed Leah had been infected, but Leah had always been manipulative. Just because she’d claimed to have the disease didn’t mean it was true. What if it’s a lie? What if this was all part of Leah’s twisted revenge, one final attempt to tear Charlie apart from them?
Sitting in the clearing, Liam’s eyes drifted to Charlie, who was seated next to Leah’s lifeless body, her knees drawn to her chest, staring off into the distance. The blood on her clothes had dried, creating dark patches on the fabric that contrasted with her pale skin. She looked… lost, as if her mind were somewhere far away.
Inside his head, Al, was pacing relentlessly, growling in frustration. The bond was pulling Liam toward her, and every instinct screamed for him to rush over and pull her into his arms.
‘We are strong Alphas,’ Al kept growling, his voice laced with irritation. ‘This disease doesn’t scare me. Go to her. Our mate needs us.’
Liam knew that Al wasn’t speaking out of logic, but out of love and desperation. He wanted to comfort Charlie, to assure her that everything would be okay. But even if he believed himself immune to the disease—which he wasn’t—the last thing Liam wanted to do was put the rest of the pack in danger.
Liam took a deep breath, trying to push his wolf’s agitation aside as the minutes dragged on. Finally, a figure emerged from the trees. Dorian, the pack’s doctor, moved with purpose, his face a mask of professionalism despite the obvious tension in the air.
As soon as Dorian entered the clearing, his eyes widened at the sight before him—Charlie, sitting beside Leah’s body, blood staining her clothes and skin. His shock was evident, but he quickly masked it, hurrying forward with a pack slung over his shoulder.
Charlie, sensing his approach, slowly rose to her feet, her movements stiff from exhaustion. She took a step back from Leah’s body, her eyes darting toward Liam, checking to make sure he hadn’t moved from his spot by the tree.
Liam, who had been sitting with his back against a thick trunk, raised his hands in the air, signaling to her that he wasn’t going to move any closer. He had promised her he would stay put, and he intended to keep that promise. Charlie nodded slightly in acknowledgment before taking two more steps back, putting more distance between herself and both Liam and Dorian.
Dorian didn’t waste any time. He pulled on protective gear—gloves, a mask, everything he would need to examine the body safely. His brow furrowed as he approached Leah’s still form, crouching down beside her as he began his examination.
The clearing was deathly quiet, save for the sound of Dorian working. Every slight movement he made, every shift in his posture, sent a fresh wave of dread through Liam. He watched the doctor’s face carefully, his own heart clenching every time Dorian’s frown deepened.
Charlie stood off to the side, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, watching everything unfold with a blank expression. She had already said what she needed to, and now all that was left was waiting for Dorian to confirm what she feared the most.
Liam’s wolf howled in frustration, the tension unbearable. He wanted to stand, to do something, but his fear of what the doctor might say kept him frozen in place.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dorian stood up from his crouch, pulling off his gloves and mask with a solemn look on his face. His eyes moved from Leah’s body to Charlie, then to Liam, the weight of what he was about to say hanging heavily between them.
“That’s Leah’s blood you’re covered in?” Dorian asked, his voice gentle but full of concern. His gaze locked onto Charlie, and Liam’s heart lurched at the shift in his tone.
Charlie nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Yes. I had no choice… she attacked me, and I—” Her voice broke, and she swallowed hard before continuing, “I had to kill her.”
Dorian’s expression tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line as he processed her words. He turned back toward Leah’s body, a look of deep concern crossing his face as he nodded slowly, confirming his suspicions.
Liam’s wolf growled low in his chest, sensing something was wrong. Dorian straightened up, his face lined with worry, and he turned fully to face Liam.
“You can’t come near her,” Dorian said, his voice firm but cautious. He held up his hand to stop Liam from moving. “Not unless you want to risk becoming infected as well.”
The words hit Liam like a punch to the gut. His heart stuttered, his mind reeling as Dorian’s warning sank in. The disease. It was real. Leah had been infected, and now Charlie had been exposed to it.
“No…” Liam whispered, his throat tightening. He took a step forward, his body shaking with the urge to defy Dorian’s warning, to rush over to his mate. But he forced himself to stop. For Charlie. For the pack.
Charlie took another step back, her eyes wide as she shook her head, panic flashing across her face. “I told you,” she said, her voice cracking. “I told you I’m infected. You can’t come near me.”
Liam’s heart shattered at her words. He had known this was a possibility, but hearing her say it out loud made it real in a way that left him feeling helpless and raw.
“Charlie,” Liam said, his voice shaking. “We’ll find a way to fix this. We can—”
“There’s nothing to fix,” Charlie interrupted, her voice filled with despair. “I’m infected, Liam. You can’t come near me, and I can’t be around the pack. I have to be isolated.”
Dorian gave a solemn nod, glancing between them both. “She’s right,” he said softly. “We don’t know how this disease spreads yet, and we can’t risk it reaching the rest of the pack. Until we’re sure…”
Liam’s fists clenched at his sides, his entire body tensing as he fought the urge to argue. He couldn’t accept this. He couldn’t accept losing her. Not like this.
“I’m sorry, Liam,” Charlie whispered, her voice trembling. “I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Liam’s vision blurred as he watched her take another step back, the distance between them growing larger and more unbearable. His wolf howled inside him, a raw, aching sound that mirrored the pain in his chest.
Dorian, still standing over Leah’s body, met Liam’s eyes and shook his head. “Until we know more, it’s best to keep her away from the pack.”
The words hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, Liam could do nothing but stare at Charlie, his heart breaking in a way he hadn’t thought possible. He had fought for her, for them, for their future together. And now, all of that was hanging by a thread.
“We’ll figure this out,” Liam said, his voice thick with emotion. “We’ll fix this, Charlie. I swear.”
But even as he said the words, a part of him couldn’t help but fear that they were running out of time.
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