Chapter 19
These days, Carmen didn’t dare give himself a moment of rest.
Whenever he slowed down, Liora’s corpse, her living image, the ripped–up bond–breaking deal, and Evelynne’s desperate accusations before her death all replayed relentlessly in his mind.
He kept asking himself why he never said those three simple words: “I love you.”
If only he had said them once, just once, Liora might have had a chance to live. But he didn’t.
Not only that, but every time she needed him, he spoke harshly to her, causing her pain again and again.
He dreamed repeatedly of Liora–dreams where he traveled back to the past, where Liora asked him for those words, and he freely gave them. In his dreams, Liora was surprised, as if she couldn’t understand how easily she’d been given a second chance. But when he woke up, the empty room reminded him that Liora had long been dead.
That chance for him to say those words was gone forever.
Regret wrapped around him like poisonous vines, tightening day by day. He couldn’t understand how he had become this way.
He hated Liora. They were enemies. But when the truth was revealed, when Liora was gone forever, he realized how ridiculous his hatred had been.
And his wolf scolded him day and night and then stopped speaking to him altogether.
Liora was dead, buried along with his heart.
While torturing Evelynne, he told himself it was revenge. Once Evelynne was gone, he could finally be at peace. But when Evelynne really died, with no excuse left, a crushing emptiness flooded him like a rising tide–one that threatened to drown him.
Each day, as calm settled in, his thoughts returned to Liora, only to be met with the cold truth that she was truly gone.
That bitter ache sat heavy in his chest, and he dared not admit the feelings stirring inside him. How could he possibly love Liora?
But now, he couldn’t hold it back any longer.
He vented his fury, smashing everything in the private room. His voice echoed through the bar, raw with pain and anguish:
“I did fall in love with Liora! I loved her! But now she’s dead, and I’m left alone!”
“What else could I do? The last time I saw her, she was already gone! I had countless chances to save her, but I did nothing!” Carmen wept openly, his long–suppressed emotions exploding all at once, shocking everyone present.
They could hear the heavy sorrow in his cries–the first time anyone had seen him so broken.
Once proud and untouchable, Carmen was now a man consumed by regret over Liora.
But unfortunately, there was no chance left to make things right.
The bar was filled only with Carmen’s sobs and screams, like a desperate beast unleashing the love he could never express. Just as he poured out his pain, his beta Luca suddenly rushed in, breathless.
“Alpha Carmen! Bad news–Evel–Evelynne–she’s looking for you!”
Carmen froze suddenly. Evelynne was dead. How could she appear again?
Then he remembered Liora’s words about the extra five days, and a spark of hope suddenly flared in his eyes.
If Evelynne could come back to life, why couldn’t Liora? There had to be a way!
7
Chapter 19
