The Alpha King is unavailable novel Chapter 246

Chapter 246

I left without looking back, my heart heavy but my purpose clear. I would protect my daughter, whatever the cost.

(Olivia’s POV)

I sat silently in Lucas’s car, watching Connor’s dejected departure from Rosewood Haven. His shoulders were slumped, his steps heavy with the weight of his discoveries.

“He didn’t believe us,” I murmured, disappointment settling in my chest.

Lucas’s gray eyes remained fixed on Connor’s retreating figure. “He will. The seed of doubt has been planted.”

I nodded, hoping he was right. Despite Connor’s past actions against me, I couldn’t help feeling sympathy for him. Victoria had

manipulated him just as she had manipulated everyone else.

“My men will follow him,” Lucas assured me. “Make sure he doesn’t do anything rash.”

The tension of the evening washed over me suddenly, leaving me exhausted. The confrontation with Connor, the evidence of

Emma’s abuse, Victoria’s cruelty–it was overwhelming.

“Thank you,” I said softly, leaning back against the headrest. “For everything.”

Lucas turned to me, his expression softening. “You don’t need to thank me, Olivia.”

My eyelids felt heavy, the events of the day catching up with me. I fought to stay alert, but exhaustion was winning.

“I should get back,” I murmured, my words slurring slightly. “Ethan will be wondering where I am.”

“Let him wonder,” Lucas replied, his voice a comforting rumble in the quiet car.

I meant to respond, to insist he take me home, but my eyes closed of their own accord. The last thing I remembered was the

gentle weight of Lucas’s jacket being placed over me as I drifted into sleep.

I don’t know how long I slept, but I awoke to the sound of voices–one calm and measured, the other sharp with anger.

Lucas sat beside me, his body tense but his expression controlled. He was watching someone through the window, his gray eyes

narrowed.

“I won’t ask again, Blackwood,” came a familiar voice, cold with fury. “What are you doing with my mate?”

Ethan. My heart lurched as I blinked away sleep, immediately grasping the tense situation.

A sharp knock on the car window made me jump. Ethan stood there, his amber eyes blazing with anger, his face a mask of barely controlled rage.

“Get out of the car, Olivia,” he commanded, his voice carrying even through the closed window.

I straightened, pushing Lucas’s jacket off my shoulders. “I should go,” I whispered, not meeting Lucas’s eyes.

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Lucas caught my hand. “You don’t have to.”

His touch was warm, comforting. For a moment, I was tempted to stay, to let him drive away with me still in the passenger seat.

But my mother’s face flashed in my mind. Her treatment at the medical center depended on Ethan’s goodwill.

“I do,” I replied softly. “But thank you.”

Ethan’s knuckles rapped against the glass again, harder this time. “Now, Olivia.”

I squeezed Lucas’s hand once before releasing it. “You should go. This will only escalate if you stay.”

Lucas’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Call me if you need anything. Anytime.”

Then he was gone, taillights disappearing around the corner.

I pulled my arm from Ethan’s grasp and walked toward the building without acknowledging him. My apartment was on the third

floor–if I could just get inside and lock the door…

Ethan followed silently, his anger a palpable force at my back. In the elevator, he stood too close, his breath hot against my neck.

When we reached my door, I fumbled with the keys, my hands shaking slightly. Before I could insert the key, Ethan’s palm

slammed against the door, keeping it closed.

“What were you doing with him?” he demanded, his voice dangerously soft.

I kept my eyes on the door. “Nothing that concerns you.”

“Everything about you concerns me,” he growled, turning me to face him. “You’re my mate.”

“In name only,” I replied coldly.

His eyes flashed with anger and something else–hurt, perhaps? “Is that why you were with Blackwood? Looking for a

replacement?”

I laughed bitterly. “As if you haven’t replaced me a hundred times over with Victoria.”