My Fated Alphas Cruel Game novel Chapter 90

90 Chapter 90 Ghosts Still Breathe

Elena’s POV

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Marcus made it crystal clear that he wasn’t budging from my car. His jaw was set in that stubborn line I knew too well, arms crossed as he leaned against the passenger door like some kind of human barricade. I needed to see my mother with my own eyes, needed to know she was truly safe, so when he yanked open the passenger door and slid inside without invitation, I found myself hesitating for only a heartbeat before climbing behind the wheel.

The drive to the packhouse felt like traveling back through time. Every familiar landmark we passed sent another spike of anxiety through my chest. Marcus sat rigid beside me, his presence filling the car with tension so thick I could barely breathe. Neither of us spoke during the short journey, but I could feel his eyes on me, studying my every reaction.

When we pulled up to the imposing structure that had once been my home, my hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel. Marcus noticed immediately, his expression softening for just a moment before that mask of control slipped back into place. He climbed out first, waiting by my door like some twisted gentleman, and I forced myself to follow him up those familiar stone steps.

The interior hit me like a physical blow. Everything remained exactly as I remembered it. The same dark wood paneling, the same heavy furniture, even the same lingering scent of pine and something uniquely pack that I’d tried so hard to forget. My stomach clenched as memories threatened to overwhelm me, but I pushed them down. I wasn’t that broken girl anymore.

Marcus started up the grand staircase without looking back, his boots heavy on each step. I took a shuddering breath and forced my legs to carry me after him, all the way to the third floor where the silence felt even more oppressive. The hallway stretched before us like something from a nightmare, and when Marcus stopped at a familiar door, my heart nearly stopped beating entirely.

He pushed open the bedroom door and stepped aside, letting me enter first. What I saw inside made my knees nearly buckle.

My mother lay in the center of the massive four–poster bed that had once seemed so grand, now looking like it might swallow her whole. She appeared impossibly small,

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90 Chapter 90 Chosts Sul Breathe

impossibly fragile, her once–vibrant frame reduced to nothing more than skin and bones beneath the heavy blankets. A doctor I didn’t recognize stood beside her, his face grave as he checked something on a clipboard.

When the doctor spotted me, he immediately moved toward the doorway, gesturing for both Marcus and me to follow him into the hallway. My legs felt like lead as I stepped back outside, dreading whatever he was about to tell us.

“What happened to her?” I demanded, my voice harsher than I’d intended. My eyes found Marcus’s face, searching for some sign of guilt or responsibility.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Marcus shot back, his own voice tight with what might have been pain. “I’ve been taking care of her.”

“Have you really?” The question came out as pure challenge.

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“This isn’t something anyone did to her,” the doctor interrupted before Marcus could respond. His tone was gentle but matter–of–fact. “Honestly, I’m surprised she’s held on this long. This should have happened years ago.”

“What do you mean?” My voice came out as barely more than a whisper.

“Without her mate, your mother’s been slowly fading away. Your father’s death is finally catching up with her body. She can’t get out of bed anymore, barely touches food, hardly speaks to anyone. Her soul is dying by degrees. It’s the only way I can explain what’s happening to her.”

“Her soulmate is gone,” I said, the words scraping my throat raw. “She’s not losing her soul. She’s just letting go of what’s left of it.”

The doctor nodded sadly. “Exactly.”

I couldn’t stand in that hallway another second. Pushing past both men, I went back into the bedroom and dragged a heavy chair across the floor until it sat right beside the enormous bed. My mother looked even smaller up close, almost lost in the sea of blankets and pillows.

When I reached for her hand, her fingers felt like paper in mine. At the contact, her head turned slowly on the pillow until her eyes found mine. She looked like she wanted to smile, but the effort seemed beyond her capabilities.

“It’s okay, Mom,” I whispered, squeezing her hand gently. “You don’t have to say anything. I just needed you to know I’m here with you.”

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90 Chapter 90 Ghosts Still Breathe

“You shouldn’t have come back,” she breathed, her voice so faint I had to lean closer to

hear her.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle myself. I couldn’t leave you alone like this.”

“But you got away,” she said, her eyes shifting toward the doorway where Marcus’s shadow fell across the floor. “You escaped from him.”

“And I’m still free,” I assured her firmly. “He can’t drag me back into this life. He has no power over me anymore. He can’t force me to stay.”

“He’s your mate,” she whispered.

“No. He’s not. I rejected that bond completely. I have a whole new life now, a new pack. I want to take you there with me.”

“I can’t leave your father,” she said, her breathing becoming more labored. “I want to be buried beside him when my time comes.”

“Don’t talk like that,” I said quickly, panic rising in my chest.

“It won’t be much longer now,” she continued, ignoring my protest. “But before that happens, you need to know something important.”

“Mom, you should rest. We can talk later.”

“Elena,” she said with more strength than I’d heard in her voice since I’d arrived. “You have to hear this.”

“What is it?” I asked, dreading the answer.

“Marcus’s grandfather didn’t inherit this pack,” she said, each word carefully measured. “He stole it from your grandfather. And Marcus’s father didn’t die defending against rogues. He murdered your father in cold blood. The rogue attack was just a story he created to cover up what really happened.”

“I already discovered that truth,” I told her quietly. “I found out shortly after I left this place.”

Her eyes widened with surprise. “You already know?”

“Yes. I know what they did to our family.”

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