Archie‘s POV
Although I knew my wolf made a valid point, that I should immediately catch up to Alisha to confirm if she was indeed my mate, for some reason, I remained standing there, taking no action.
My wolf persisted, urging me, "What are you standing around for? Move, now!"
But I remained impassive, rooted to the spot, like a statue.
My wolf howled, and I felt like it might just burst out on its own in the next second. "Damn it, Archie, is there something wrong with your brain? I have explained everything, why are you standing here cluelessly! That's our mate!"
Frustrated, I tugged at my hair and then sat down on the floor, gasping for breath. "Stop howling. I won't go see her. Since she has chosen to betray me herself, how can I still have to look for her?"
"You are being a complete idiot! What did you do to make Alisha so angry that she decided to break up with you?"
Upon hearing this, I punched the floor. "It's all her fault! She must wanted to leave the Golden Crest long ago, kept clamoring to leave, and now she got the chance with that two bastards. Even if she truly is my mate, I don't want a promiscuous woman like her!"
"Come on, Alisha is not that kind of person! Archie, you must have misunderstood her! Think carefully, did you do something to upset her without even realizing it?"
"I just don't get it. You are supposed to be my wolf, so why are you always taking her side!"
"Because I have a brain! I know what kind of person Alisha is; she wouldn't betray you for no reason! It must be something unforgivable you did! Moreover, if Alisha truly is the mate we have been seeking all along, even if she made a mistake, I will always stand by her! Now, go and find out immediately what happened!"
Hearing my wolf resolutely choosing to trust Alisha, I smirked cynically and said, "Fine, I will give you this chance to know that Alisha isn't worth your trust at all!"
Then I turned to Brad kneeling nearby and said, "Find out what happened between Alisha and the other two jerks before!"
Brad nodded, "Yes, Alpha," then got up and left. After a while, he contacted me through the mind link, "Alpha, it's said that Luna..." Brad hadn't finished speaking when I interrupted him, "Stop! She is no longer the Luna of the Golden Crest! She is no longer our member, and never address her as Luna again!"
Brad paused for a moment, then replied in a low voice, "Sorry, Alpha, earlier... Earlier, Alisha came back with an elderly she-wolf, and they all seemed to be injured. Then Louie and Gray later went to Erma's and abducted the doctor. Regarding this matter, Lu... Alisha previously contacted us by phone, but you ordered before to prioritize Erma's safety over others, so…"
Brad didn't finish, but I already understood. Erma had previously told me she wasn't feeling well due to some influence from Blood Dawn‘s Dark Forest. To treat her, I had instructed the pack's witch doctor to stay by her side to take care of her.
Did Alisha get angry over such a trivial matter? To the extent of breaking up with me and abandoning her position as the Golden Crest's Luna? She's really gone too far! It must be her excuse to go away with Louie and Gray!
Brad continued, "I have found the witch doctor. Do you want to question him?"
Originally, I didn't want to hear anything more about Alisha, but considering Brad mentioned her being injured, I couldn't help but inquire through the mindlink, "What happened when you were brought to Alisha's place? Don't hide anything, tell me everything."
Actually, I wanted to directly ask about her injuries, but I wished to avoid exposing any hint of concern for that heartless woman; she didn't deserve it!
The witch doctor replied, "Alpha, when I saw Luna..." Hearing someone address Alisha as Luna again made me feel suffocated, but I had no time to correct him at this point. So, I didn't interrupt him and continued listening, "Luna's condition was extremely dire."
Hearing this, a sudden pang hit me. The doctor continued, "Her emotions were highly unstable, seemingly under severe distress or sadness, and had resorted to self-harm. To prevent Luna from hurting herself, her friend knocked her unconscious, allowing me to treat her."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Why would Alisha suddenly become emotionally unstable? What happened that led her to self-harm?
"Then what happened?" I questioned tightly. I wanted to know yet was afraid at the same time. I had a feeling that the answers further down this path would only bring me pain and regret.
"Due to numerous and severe injuries on Luna's body, we had to summon a maid for help. I suspect Luna had previously been through an intense and brutal battle, causing severe injuries. In her struggle, many wounds that weren't properly treated ruptured again, causing substantial bleeding. The injuries were so severe that I even... I'm concerned that Alisha might not have had a chance to... to wake up again..." The healer's voice trailed off towards the end, evidently afraid of my reaction.
However, I was beyond caring about these things now. My heart felt numb hearing the description of Alisha's plight. It was as if I had returned to that night on the island when she lay lifeless in my arms; it was the most cruel scene imaginable.
I had vowed to protect her, so why was she in danger again? And when she sought my help, I had prevented the doctor from treating her because of others! If Alisha met with an accident due to the lack of timely treatment, I had committed an unforgivable mistake!
Just moments ago, I was angrily complaining about Alisha, but now, I was filled with shock and regret. I couldn't understand how Alisha got hurt again in such a short time. How did Louie and Gray protect her, those two good-for-nothings!
Despite Alisha leaving seemingly unharmed when I saw her, I remained concerned. My throat felt tight as I asked the witch doctor, "What happened to Alisha afterward? Did you heal her wounds?"
To my surprise, the doctor shook his head. "In truth, I believe wounds of that severity on Luna were beyond healing. But for some reason, Luna somehow survived. This must be a miracle from the Moon Goodness."
The doctor didn't know the reason why Alisha could survive, and neither did I. Even as her husband, I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most. For the first time, I had a feeling that I truly messed up this time...