I Forgot I Loved You Alpha (Ellie and Nolan) novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Nolan POV

I stood before the gathered pack, my shoulders squared, every inch the Alpha they expected me to be. They would never know by looking at me that my heart was racing with anxiety about the lie I was about to weave.

My icy gaze, honed over years of practice, settled on the reporters in the crowd. The low murmur of voices silenced as my gaze swept across them, lingering on no one in particular, yet heavy enough to make even the most seasoned reporters avert their eyes.

“You all deserve an explanation,” I began, my voice carrying easily. “When Elaine was attacked, when she vanished from our sight, it wasn’t just an assault on her. It was an attack on Silver Fang itself. On me. On every one of you.”

A ripple of unease moved through the crowd. I let it settle before continuing.

“I did not know where Ellie was. That is true.” My jaw flexed, but my voice didn’t waver. “And that was by design. The night of the attack, I discovered something far worse than a single rogue with a vendetta. I discovered rot in our own walls. Traitors. Hidden among our own pack.”

Gasps echoed, but I pressed on before I could lose my nerve.

“I could not risk her location being discovered-not by the enemy within, nor by those who had already proven they would see her harmed. So yes-I searched. I raged. I drove our warriors into the night, and I demanded answers from allies. I let our enemies believe I was desperate. That I was blind. But the truth is this: the search was not for Ellie, who was being kept safe by a trusted ally. It was to flush out the vipers among us. To see who would slip. To see who would betray their true intentions.”

I let his words hang, scanning the crowd again, daring anyone to breathe too loudly.

“And now?” I turned slightly, motioning for Ellie to step forward. “Now my wife stands beside me once more. The Goddess has returned her to us, and the conspiracy meant to break us has failed. Silver Fang stands. Stronger than ever. And I will not rest until every last traitor is dragged into the light.”

The reporters burst into a frenzy of questions, but I didn’t respond to any of them. I kept my arm firmly around Ellie as I led her away from the chaos. Guards blocked the push of the crowd as I quickly ushered her into the waiting car.

She sat beside me, looking pale and uncertain as the car pulled away and silence settled between us.

Neither of us spoke a word until we were back in the packhouse, safely in my office.

I kept my eyes fixed on Ellie, but my hands were tight fists at my sides. The room felt smaller somehow, the air thick with things unsaid and emotions I couldn’t swallow. My wolf was restless, pacing behind my ribs, echoing every heartbeat, every sharp intake of breath she made.

“That was… more intense than I expected,” she admitted softly.

I nodded, trying to soften my stance. I didn’t mean to frighten her. I couldn’t quite understand why she seemed so disturbed. Then again, she’d been home for a couple of days now, and I hadn’t had the time to fully apprise her of everything we’d learned about her attacker since she vanished.

“We’ve been continuing the investigation,” I said carefully, trying to keep my voice level, but failing. “The man who attacked you… he’s still in custody. He hasn’t said much, but we’re not letting him hide anything.”

Her gaze lifted to me, tentative, soft, like she wanted to reach out but feared my reaction.

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Chapter 101

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“I… I want to make him pay, Ellie,” I admitted, the words rough, jagged. “I want him to feel-know-what he’s done. To you. To… everything we’ve lost.”

My throat tightened, the word lost heavier than I could bear. My wolf growled low in my chest, a protective warning and a manifestation of the anger that wouldn’t settle.

“He hurt you,” I continued, voice breaking slightly. “He hurt our babies. And I will-nothing will stop me until he pays for that. Not just him. I’ll hunt down everyone involved and I’ll make them all pay.”

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