bookrandom Chapter 187: For Five Years
Chapter 187: For Five Years
Liam’s POV
Five years.
It had been five long, agonizing years since Scarlett left this world, and I still couldn’t believe I was breathing. If someone had told me back then that I would survive sixty months without her smile, without her scent, without the soft sound of her voice echoing through the pack house, I would have called them a liar. I didn’t believe I could live for five years without Scarlett. But I did.
And it was the most useless, lifeless, and colorless time of my life.
Every single day felt exactly like the one before it. The sun would rise, but it brought no warmth. The pack would go about their business, but there was no joy in leading them. The world had turned completely gray the day she left. My wolf, who used to be proud and ferocious, now spent most of his time curled in the darkest corners of my mind, sleeping just so he wouldn’t have to face the empty reality of our existence. We were alive, but we weren’t living. We were just ghosts occupying a massive, empty throne.
Suddenly, the harsh ring of my phone shattered the heavy silence of my office. I glanced down at the screen, seeing the official, encrypted number of the Alpha Council. I let out a rough breath and snatched the device off the mahogany wood, pressing it to my ear.
"Speak," I commanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
"Alpha Liam," a senior council member spoke on the other end, his voice tight and formal. "I am calling to inform you that we have received the final paperwork regarding the petition. Your case, and that of your brothers, for the complete annulment of your current marriages... the council has finally agreed to a formal hearing."
A dark, irritated growl rumbled deep in my chest, vibrating through the phone line. I didn’t want a hearing. I didn’t want debates, and I certainly didn’t want a group of old wolves sitting around a table deciding my future.
"Listen to me very carefully," I snarled, my voice dripping with pure Alpha authority. "You men better agree to this annulment before you even step into that courtroom. I am not asking for your permission, and neither are my brothers. We are telling you how this is going to end. I don’t want to stay married to that woman for another single second, and my brothers feel exactly the same way about their situations. If the council tries to drag this out, or if you deny our right to cast them aside, I will personally march my warriors to the capital and dismantle the council piece by piece. Do you understand me?"
The council member swallowed hard, his breath catching in his throat. Even through a phone, the raw power of a supreme Alpha was enough to make him tremble. "W-we understand your position, Alpha Liam. The hearing will be a mere formality to sign the papers. We will ensure it passes."
"Good. Don’t waste my time again," I snapped, and I ended the call without waiting for a reply, tossing the phone back onto the desk.
I rubbed my temples, trying to soothe the pounding headache that had been brewing all morning. The situation with our marriages was a disaster, a toxic trap we had been fighting to escape for years.
Needing a change of scenery before I lost my temper completely, I stood up and made my way out of the office. But as I walked into the grand living room, a familiar scent hit my nose, and a figure stepped directly into my path, blocking the exit.
It was my mother.
She looked thinner than she used to, her face lined with a deep, permanent sadness. But when I looked at her, I didn’t feel pity. I only felt the cold, hard wall of resentment that had built up inside me over the last few years.
"Liam," she pleaded, her voice breaking as she looked up at me. She reached her hands out, but stopped short of touching me, knowing better than to cross that boundary. "Please, Liam... haven’t I suffered enough? It has been two years since the incident, and you still haven’t forgiven me. You won’t even look at me."
I stared at her, my expression completely blank, my eyes cold as ice.
"You have asked your men not to let me see you," she continued, tears finally spilling over her eyelids. "You have completely cut me off. You have even blocked me from teleporting to you. Please, Liam. Please, I am your mother. When will this punishment end?"
A harsh, bitter frown twisted my lips. What she did—the secrets she kept, the manipulation, the choices she made that ultimately led to the tragedy of losing my true mate—was something I simply couldn’t look past. She had broken the ultimate bond of trust, and no amount of time could erase the damage.
I stepped closer to her, towering over her small frame, letting the full weight of my icy gaze crush whatever hope she had left.
"If you can bring Scarlett back to me alive, then I can think of forgiving you," I told her. "Bring her back to me. Let me feel her heartbeat. Let me see her breathe again. Bring her back to me alive, Mother... and then we can talk about forgiveness."
She gasped, her hand flying over her mouth as a fresh wave of sobbing racked her shoulders. She knew it was an impossible task. We all knew it. And that was exactly the point.
Without waiting for her to say another word, I brushed past her, my heavy boots clicking firmly against the marble floor. I walked out of the pack house and straight into the back seat of the waiting black sedan. My driver caught my reflection in the rearview mirror, saw the dark fury etched into my features, and wisely kept his mouth shut. He immediately started the engine and drove out of the estate.
Today, I was forced to attend a high-profile charity auction in the upper city. It was a tedious, political obligation. The pack needed to maintain its public image of wealth and generosity, and as the Alpha, I had to be the one to show our face. But my mind was miles away, buried in a grave that had been dug five years ago.
The drive was quiet, the city lights passing by in a blur of gray. When we finally arrived at the luxury hotel venue, the atmosphere was buzzing. The grand ballroom was blindingly bright, filled with affluent wolves, politicians, and high-society couples dressed in expensive clothes and diamonds.
As soon as I stepped through the doors, the organizers rushed toward me.
"Alpha Liam! We are incredibly honored by your presence tonight," the lead coordinator gushed, bowing deeply. "Right this way, sir. We have reserved the prime table at the very front for you."
I gave a curt nod, not offering a single smile or a word of polite conversation. I let them lead me to my seat, a solitary figure surrounded by a sea of whispering guests. I sat down and crossed my legs, staring apathetically at the massive stage in front of me.
The auction began shortly after. One by one, items were brought out under the flashing lights. There were rare diamond necklaces, ancient historical artifacts, vintage bottles of wine from centuries ago, and sculptures crafted by renowned artists. The auctioneer’s voice boomed through the microphone, driving the bids higher and higher into the millions.
I had absolutely no interest in any of it. It all felt like meaningless garbage. I just needed to wait for the right moment, find one decent item that caught my eye, bid a few million dollars on it to satisfy our charity quota, and then walk away. I wanted to get back to the silence of my room.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the auctioneer’s voice took on a mysterious, excited tone, drawing the distracted crowd’s attention back to the stage. "We have a very special, highly anticipated addition to tonight’s catalog. This next piece is a painting, completely unique, and it comes to us from a mysterious artist known only as ’Faceless.’"
A murmur ran through the ballroom. I remained leaning back in my chair, my eyes half-closed in boredom.
"The artist has never revealed their identity, nor have they ever sold a piece to the public before tonight," the auctioneer continued, gesturing to two assistants who rolled out a massive, heavy easel. On it rested a large canvas, completely covered by a thick, royal-blue velvet cloth. "We are told by the artist’s representative that this specific painting is her most precious work. A masterpiece she has kept hidden from the world until now. All proceeds will go to the orphanages of the northern territories."
The assistants stepped to either side of the easel, their hands gripping the edges of the velvet cloth.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we give you... The Safe Haven."
With a swift, dramatic tug, they pulled the velvet cover away, revealing the painting beneath the harsh spotlight.
My heart completely stopped. The air inside my lungs turned to solid ice.
"Fucking hell. No way!" I gasped.