Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 177: Move on

The moment I finished speaking, both of them looked at me.

Their eyes stayed on my face, sharp and searching.

"Why would you think that?" Julian asked.

I let out a slow breath. My chest felt tight, like something was pressing from the inside.

"If Camilla was only jealous," I said, "and killed me because of that, I could understand it. Hatred makes people reckless."

My fingers curled against my palm.

"But why strip me?" I continued softly. "Why break every bone? Why couldn’t I have been left whole?"

The memory rose without warning.

"I remember it clearly," I said. "My body was in that stone chamber. I was laid out there. Then more people came. I saw them. One of them was an Auntarian man."

The room went quiet.

Lewis’s brows pulled together. His presence shifted subtle, controlled, but heavier than before.

"From what I know," he said slowly, "before their liberation, the Auntari practiced rituals that involved sacrifice. Skin used as symbols. Bones shaped into tools. Some even sealed the living into foundations."

His voice stayed calm, but the air around us felt colder.

"Your suspicion isn’t unreasonable."

Just hearing it made my stomach twist.

Julian’s hands had gone damp. I noticed the way he rubbed them together, then wiped them on a towel like he couldn’t get the feeling off his skin.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

Maybe he was thinking about Camilla. About the nights he had trusted her. About how close she had once been to him.

Fear showed in his eyes.

He looked up at Lewis. "Uncle Lewis... what do we do now?"

Lewis didn’t answer right away.

"We protect Elena," he said finally. "Until we know exactly what they want."

He glanced at me, his gaze steady. Grounding.

"For now, we stop moving openly. Damian will keep going back under the excuse of repairs. Slow. Careful."

He paused, then added, "With the New Year coming and Camilla’s wedding so close, they won’t act yet. Not immediately."

But there was a warning in his tone.

Lewis turned to Julian.

"She’s been clinging to you for a reason," he said. "That means she has plans tied to this family."

Julian stiffened.

"You don’t need to be warm," Lewis continued. "But don’t cut her off either. Stay close enough to watch."

His voice lowered.

"Part of what happened to Elena traces back to you. I hope you’ll take responsibility. Find out who’s standing behind Camilla."

Julian’s fear didn’t disappear but something else replaced it.

Resolve.

He straightened, lifting his head. "I know what I have to do."

"Be careful," Lewis said.

"I will."

Lewis waved his hand once. "It’s late. Let’s eat. We can’t let the old man sense anything unusual."

Julian left shortly after.

I stayed where I was.

Long after the room quieted, unease still clung to me. It wrapped around my thoughts, tight and restless.

Knowing the danger was close close enough to touch but being unable to strike back was worse than not knowing at all.

Somewhere nearby, someone was waiting.

Lewis could tell I was restless.

He lifted his hand and gently patted my head, a calm, grounding gesture that instantly slowed my breathing.

"Patience matters," he said quietly. "The people we’re facing have planned for years. If we rush, we expose ourselves. We need to stay steady."

I leaned against him, resting my weight there without hesitation.

"I’m really grateful to have you," I said softly.

To me, Lewis was stability. When everything felt dangerous and uncertain, he was the one who kept the ground from shifting under my feet.

At lunch, Jeffrey stared at the empty seat beside Julian and let out a long sigh.

"If Elena were still here," he said, voice heavy, "our family would finally feel whole."

Julian’s hand tightened around his fork. He didn’t look at anyone.

"It’s my fault," he muttered. "I didn’t protect her."

Jeffrey straightened slightly. "Fate has already chosen. Now that you’ve formed a bond with Sera, let her move into the residence after the New Year."

Julian put his fork down. "Grandpa... isn’t that too soon?"

"You postponed the bonding ceremony because of Elena’s funeral," Jeffrey replied firmly. "You can’t delay forever. I know your feelings aren’t strong, but she cares for you. That counts."

He paused, then added, more gently, "The past can’t be fixed. But you can handle the present. Choose a good day. Don’t let Sera live with regrets the way Elena did."

James and Vicky joined in, quietly urging the same thing.

Julian said nothing.

Lewis kept serving food onto my plate, completely ignoring the tension at the table. His focus stayed on me, as if everything else was noise.

Then Vicky turned toward me.

"Riley, what do you think?"

I was halfway through chewing a shrimp. I swallowed.

"Me?" I said lightly. "As long as Julian agrees, I don’t have any objections."

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment too long.

Something about it felt... deliberate.

Could Vicky be connected to Camilla?

Camilla was sharp and calculating. Vicky felt far too soft, almost unaware. If she had even a bit of Camilla’s awareness, she wouldn’t still be struggling the way she was.

Thankfully, the house Lewis and I were renovating was almost finished. We wouldn’t be living here much longer. Distance would make things easier and safer.

After dinner, I had just reached the top of the stairs when Julian hurried up behind me.

"Aunt Riley..."

At least he still remembered that.

"Yes, Julian?" I asked.

"Are you really okay with Sera moving in?"

I turned and gave him a calm smile. "Elena is gone. You should move forward."

"What if I can’t?"

His eyes reddened slightly. One hand pressed against his chest, as if something inside him refused to settle.

"There’s still a place here," he said hoarsely. "Only for her. I’ve never loved anyone else."

I looked at him quietly.

"What choice do you really have?" I asked. "The dead don’t return. And Julian... not everyone will wait forever."

Before he could answer, the elevator doors opened behind us.

Lewis was there, seated at the entrance, watching us in silence.

His presence alone shifted the air steady, dominant, and quietly protective