Chapter 200: It Is You
Chapter 200 of "Mated To The Crippled Alpha" begins unfolding events: I stood to the side and watched everything unfold.It all felt absurd.Not long ago, the... Continue reading!
I stood to the side and watched everything unfold.It all felt absurd.
Not long ago, the Morrigans and Julian had bared their teeth at me, defending Camilla like she was some sacred Luna chosen by fate. I could still remember the way they cornered me, their words sharp, their eyes full of judgment.
And now?
The Morrigans looked broken.
Julian who once looked at Camilla like she was the only mate worthy of his claim now stared at her as if she were something rotten.
How quickly loyalties shift in a pack.
Malcom had even dyed his hair black for the bonding ceremony. He wore a custom suit, stood tall, tried to look like a proud father offering his daughter to a powerful bloodline.
But the exhaustion in his scent betrayed him.
"Fine," he muttered finally. "Do whatever you want."
It was the voice of a man who had lost control of his territory.
The doctor arranged the procedure quickly. Julian followed them down the hallway, his back straight, steps cold and steady.
"Camilla," he said without looking at her, "this time Iâm watching you. Letâs see how you fake this."
"Julian... do you really hate me that much?" Her voice trembled. "After all the years we spent together, I "
"Shut up."
His tone cracked like a whip.
"I know exactly what kind of woman you are. I donât want to hear your voice. I only care about the result. If that child isnât mine, Camilla... I wonât let you walk away from this."
The air thickened.
Once, his gaze toward her had been warm. Protective.
Now it was pure disgust.
Malcom sank onto the hallway bench as the door to the procedure room closed.
He stared at it for a long time.
Then, softly almost as if he had lost himself he whispered, "Elena..."
My chest tightened.
I pretended not to hear and turned away.
Meanwhile, Silas had been taken into surgery. A nurse handed me his examination report.
Several ribs broken.
Internal injuries.
But nothing fatal.
His right hand, though... shattered beyond repair.
I studied the paper, then looked at Lewis.
"This wasnât random," I said quietly.
Lewisâs lips curved faintly.
"If he were less useful," he replied calmly, "his left hand would be gone too."
My pulse didnât even change.
Silas was still in surgery when Camilla was wheeled out of the procedure room.
Julian stood by the door.
"When will we know?" he demanded.
The doctor adjusted his mask. "Normally three to four weeks. But if expedited, seven days."
"Seven," Julian said. "And if anyone tampers with the results, youâre all finished."
The doctor swallowed. "Understood."
Lewis subtly had Camillaâs people removed from the area. No interference. No whispered instructions. No hidden claws.
Seven days.
That was all it would take.
Camilla had been injured earlier. She was bleeding. After the procedure, she needed injections to stabilize the pregnancy.
By the time I entered her hospital room, she looked drained.
Her face had returned to its natural shape, though still pale. The fight was gone from her eyes replaced with something fragile.
The moment she saw me, she forced herself upright.
"It was you," she hissed. "Wasnât it?"
"Ms. Morrigan," I replied gently, "Iâm not sure what you mean."
I kept my expression calm. Neutral.
Inside, I felt nothing.
Her eyes burned. "Lewis has been investigating me. And youâve been helping Lincy. Otherwise, how could that idiot expose what happened between Silas and me?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"Camilla," I said softly, "if you donât want things exposed, maybe donât do them."
Her jaw tightened.
"You schemed against me first," I continued. "You used Melissa to try and destroy my reputation. You arranged for those men to hurt me. Tell me what did I ever do to you that deserved that?"
The room fell silent.
Camilla locked eyes with me.
Her gaze was sharp, searching, as if she were trying to peel back my skin and see who I really was beneath it.
"Didnât you start this, Riley?" she snapped. "I had no grudge against you. Yet you plotted against me at the Hale pack and humiliated me at the art competition. And now you dare to question me?"
She dropped the sweet act completely. No more soft voice. No more fragile tears.
Just claws.
I couldnât help but laugh.
"Camilla, have you forgotten?" I said lightly. "At the painting competition, you stole Elenaâs work. And at the Hale territory? You were the one trying to get rid of me. I simply survived. Where do you get the nerve to accuse me?"
In her world, she was always right.
If something went wrong, someone else must have caused it.
She narrowed her eyes. "Riley, what are you really planning?"
I stepped closer to her bed, lowering my voice.
"I already died once," I said calmly. "Now I just want to live properly."
Her breath hitched.
Then I took a document from my bag and placed it on her lap.
"By the way, Ms. Morrigan," I added softly, "Iâm sure youâre dying to know about your lover. Hereâs his medical report."
The moment she saw Silasâs condition written in black ink, her fingers trembled.
Her eyes filled with tears instantly.
"You did this on purpose," she whispered.
I tilted my head. "On purpose? I didnât touch a single hair on his head."
I folded my arms.
"Iâm just curious. Back at the Hale pack, you acted like you were madly devoted to Julian. So in love. So loyal. But now you look genuinely worried about this man. Could it be... heâs the one you truly care about?"
For a split second, guilt flickered in her eyes.
Then it vanished.
"Youâre talking nonsense!" she shot back. "Itâs not like what you think!"
"Oh?" I smiled faintly. "Then what is it like? Iâm listening."
"Dream on," she spat. "Why should I tell you? Riley, if you dare mess with us, youâll pay. One day youâll die tragically. Then youâll understand."
Her words were like a spark against dry leaves.
"Youâre in no position to threaten me," I said coolly. "But your lover? He wonât be so lucky. You lied to Julian. And you know what an Alphaâs pride is like when itâs wounded."
Her face went pale. "Whatâs Julian going to do to him?"
I shrugged casually. "Who knows? Male jealousy burns hotter than you think. Camilla, if youâre going to blame anyone, blame yourself. You tried to hold two bonds at once. Now itâs snapping back at you."
I turned toward the door.
"Itâs late. I should go."
"Donât go!" she cried suddenly. "Riley, you need to explain yourself!"
She tried to grab me.
But her body was too weak.
She slipped off the bed.
The moment her feet hit the ground, she gasped.
Bright red blood began spreading across her hospital gown.
The sight froze me for half a second.
That red.
Six months ago, I had collapsed just like that. Blood soaking through my clothes. Crawling toward the door. Leaving a trail behind me while no one came to help.
The memory flashed through me like lightning.
"Blood... so much blood..." Camilla whispered in panic.
Her hands trembled as she pressed against her abdomen.
What goes around comes around.
I hadnât pushed her.
I hadnât touched her.
Yet she was now standing on the same edge I once stood on.
Her eyes locked onto mine, wild and afraid.
"Riley," she begged, her voice breaking. "Get the doctor!"