The situation was indeed chaotic, but the most important thing was that the warriors of the Nimbria Pack had been pushed back. Frostholm Palace was safe.
Cora took a deep breath. She couldn’t imagine what might have happened if Garth and the others hadn’t arrived in time. Something terrible might have happened, and she might not have been able to carry out Usher’s orders.
“It seems that something happened to us. Do you think so?”
Cora was startled and turned to see Garth approaching. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sure you felt the strangeness during the battle,” Garth said, sitting next to Cora. He briefly assessed Cora’s condition. “Didn’t you?”
Cora took a deep breath and leaned back. “At first I sensed something strange when I saw Berg and the guards retreating. It was highly unlikely that Berg would do that. He wouldn’t retreat and would defend the perimeter as best he could, but that’s exactly what happened.” She paused, as if remembering the battle vividly. “Then I realized there might be a reason for Berg’s decision. I felt it myself. My body suddenly weakened, and there were whispers in my head.” She turned to face Garth. “You know? I was afraid for a moment.” Her expression hardened, reflecting her intense hatred. “I’m sure it has something to do with Mireya.”
Garth remained silent. Cora’s explanation led him to the conclusion that whether they were fighting in the palace or at the Vione and Mireya-Phillip exchange point, they were experiencing something similar. Cora’s suspicion seemed very plausible.
“Mireya must have done something to us. She must have manipulated us like she did with Alpha. That damn demon woman,” Cora growled, clenching her fists. “I’m so glad she’s dead.”
Cora had heard the general details of what had happened during the Vione and Mireya-Phillip exchange. Her feelings were mixed. She knew Mireya would do anything to hurt Vione, but fate had chosen its own target.
Still, that didn’t mean Cora was completely satisfied. Vione was also badly hurt by the incident. So, her curses against Mireya continued to echo in her mind.
Cora had seen it before, before she went to deal with the remaining chaos: Usher had arrived carrying Vione, who was covered in blood. Usher had panicked and Scott had operated immediately. Now Cora wanted nothing more than to join Usher and wait for Vione’s operation to be completed.
“Alright,” Cora said as she rose from her seat, her feet getting ready to move. “We should go and assist the Alpha.”
But Garth held Cora’s hand and stopped her.
Cora turned to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“Your hand,” Garth replied, pointing to the large wound on Cora’s left hand, specifically her upper arm. There was only a makeshift bandage around the wound and blood continued to seep through. “Treat your wound first before you see Alpha.”
“Oh, that.” Cora looked at her injury with a nonchalant expression. “It’s just a small wound. Nothing to worry about. Besides…” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “… I consider it a punishment from the Moon Goddess for speaking ill of you.”
Garth furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
Cora scratched her neck before answering. “A few days ago, I said something to Greisy to intimidate her. I told her it would take you an hour to defeat me, which was obviously a lie.” She shrugged slightly. “You didn’t even need five minutes to beat me in the Beta selection finals.”
Garth closed his eyes dramatically, while Cora simply smiled. Nevertheless, she finally followed Garth’s advice. Her wound was treated with twenty stitches. Only then did they go to see Usher, who was sitting outside the palace operating room.
Usher was motionless, as if indifferent to Garth and Cora’s presence. His pale face was bent and his gaze was blank, fixed on the cold floor beneath his feet. He looked utterly devastated, like someone lost in an endless storm. His breathing was slow, almost inaudible, all his energy drained by the unrelenting worry.
So, Garth and Cora both decided not to say a word. They remained silent, praying in their hearts for Vione’s safety. It was the first time they had seen Usher so vulnerable. The normally strong and unshakable Alpha was struck by palpable uncertainty and fear.
Time passed in an increasingly piercing silence. Every second felt agonizingly slow, as if it was deliberately toying with them in unbearable suspense. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do but wait with hope in their hearts.
The silence was broken by a short ring from Cora’s phone. She moved slightly to answer the call. “What’s going on?”
“There is a woman asking for permission to enter the palace. We have denied her, but she insists that the Alpha knows her.”
Cora frowned. “What is her name?”
“Rowena.”
Usher blinked at the same moment. He turned and asked, “What is it, Cora?”
Cora held the call for a moment and answered Usher’s question. “There is a woman named Rowena requesting permission to enter the palace, Alpha. She says you know her.”
“Yes,” Usher nodded instinctively. He confirmed it, though he had some doubts. He knew that Rowena was the one who had provided him with the antidote through Garth. But that didn’t mean that he knew Rowena personally, and strangely enough, his memories suggested otherwise. Various strange flashes of memory swirled in his mind. “I know her, Cora. Let her in.”
“Understood, Alpha.”
Moments later, after the call ended, Rowena arrived with hurried steps. She ran to Usher without hesitation.
Rowena clasped Usher’s hand with trembling fingers. Fear was evident in her tear-filled eyes. “How is Vione? Is she all right?”
Usher did not answer right away. He realized that Rowena’s face was familiar to him. At the same time, the strange memories in his mind began to fit together.
It all seemed illogical and beyond reason. But Usher had proven the truth of those memories time and again, and if this one was correct, he would have no doubt that Rowena was the one who had saved him from death time and again.
“Rowena.”
Usher rose from his seat. He took Rowena’s hand and squeezed it gently. He could feel Rowena’s immense fear, which mirrored his own.
They were both afraid of losing Vione. To them, Vione was half their lives, Vione was their breath, Vione was their love.
Finally, Usher realized something. That maybe Rowena’s kindness all along had not been just to help him. Rowena had no obligation to continue helping the Frostholm pack. Rowena didn’t have to sacrifice herself to save him from death. Rowena didn’t have to do all that, but she did. Because a mother only wants her child to be happy.
*