The Alpha's Silent Bride: Seventh Time's The Charm novel Chapter 102

Chapter 102: 102: Memory lane

~ ROSELLE ~

Even though I didn’t find the answer I was looking for in the book, I’m still not convinced that Irina is my mother or that I’m somehow destined to become a monster. The whole idea sounds too impossible to believe, and I refuse to accept it without proof. One conversation, no matter how emotional—can’t erase everything I’ve believed for the last years.

I can’t be a Lycan. Ronan had said the Lycan they captured was originally a werewolf before he was turned. The most likely explanation is that he was bitten and infected by a true-blooded Lycan before the transformation began.

If that’s the case, then Irina obviously knows something about the conversion.

The thought twists my stomach into knots, and a cold shiver races down my spine. If I’m right, then whatever Irina is planning isn’t an act of kindness.

It’s something far more sinister.

My pulse quickens as I make my way toward the medical wing. Each step echoes louder than the last, my breathing growing uneven as I silently pray that the truth waiting for me isn’t worse than the lie I’ve already convinced myself to believe.

The familiar scent of antiseptic greets me the moment I step inside.

Pack members move in and out of treatment rooms while nurses hurry through the corridors carrying trays of medicine.

"Roselle."

I turn at the sound of my name and find Elias looking up from the reception desk with a warm smile.

"Good morning."

"Morning," I reply, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. "Is... Irina around? I wanted to speak with her."

His brows lift slightly, but he nods without asking any questions.

"She’s in her office." He gestures toward the hallway.

"The last room on the right."

"Thank you."

I offer him a small nod before turning away.

Without waiting another second, I make my way down the quiet hallway, my footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor.

My heartbeat pounds harder with every step, and I rub my damp palms against my jeans, trying to calm the nervous energy coursing through me.

When I finally reach the door Elias directed me to, I stop in front of it and stare at the wooden surface for a brief moment.

I draw in one slow, steady breath before lifting my hand and knocking.

"Come in."

My fingers tighten around the doorknob for a split second before pushing the door open.

Irina looks up from a stack of medical files, and the moment her eyes meet mine, she freezes in place.

The file slips from her fingers and lands on the desk with a soft thud, but she doesn’t seem to notice.

"Roselle..."

She pushes back her chair and rises so quickly that its legs scrape loudly against the floor.

Her blue eyes instantly turn glassy with tears, and her lips tremble as she stares at me.

"I didn’t think you’d come."

An awkward silence settles between us, and neither of us moves as we simply stand there, looking at each other.

After a long moment, she gathers herself and slowly closes the distance between us, steps after step.

"I’m... I’m sorry."

Her voice breaks on the last word, and she presses her lips together as if trying to keep her emotions under control.

"I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through."

She swallows hard, her throat bobbing as she struggles to steady herself, while I remain rooted to the spot, unsure of what to say.

"I know yesterday was a lot." She clasps her trembling hands together, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know I shattered everything you’ve ever believed, but I couldn’t keep lying to you anymore. You deserved to know the truth."

Her gaze searches my face anxiously, as though she’s trying to read every emotion I refuse to show.

"Are you... are you alright?"

Instead of answering, I fold my arms tightly across my chest and square my shoulders.

"I have a question."

She nods immediately without hesitation, her expression softening with cautious hope.

"Anything."

I draw in a slow breath, but the words still feel heavy on my tongue.

"If you’re really my mother..."

My voice catches, and I have to force myself to finish the sentence.

"...then why are you dead?"

The question drains every ounce of color from her face, and she blinks at me in stunned silence.

Her eyes dart toward the office door before narrowing to the narrow glass panel overlooking the hallway, as though making sure no one is listening.

Without saying another word, she walks across the room, reaches for the lock, and quietly locks the door before turning back to face me.

The soft click of the lock echoes through the room. And finally she turns back to face me, the sadness in her eyes has deepened, and the weight of it makes my chest tighten.

"It’s a long story," she whispers.

She walks over to the desk and gently pulls out a chair, inviting me to sit.

"I promised myself that if you ever came looking for answers, I would tell you everything."

She lowers herself into her seat and takes a slow, shaky breath, as though preparing to relive memories she’s spent years trying to bury.

Silence again, before she finally gathers the courage to speak again.

"I wasn’t born a Lycan."

I stare at her without blinking, trying to make sense of everything she’s saying.

"I was an ordinary werewolf."

Her fingers lace together so tightly that her knuckles turn pale, betraying the anxiety she tries so hard to hide.

"I met your father when we were young. He wasn’t King yet, but everyone already knew he would become one someday."

A faint, wistful smile flickers across her lips as though the memory briefly carries her back to a happier time.

"We fell in love."

Her eyes soften, and for the first time since I walked into the room, warmth replaces the grief on her face.

"It wasn’t political, or arranged,"

She lets out a faint, humorless laugh before looking back at me.

"It was real."

The words leave her lips with quiet certainty, and she presses a hand against her chest as if she can still feel the love she once had.

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