SWNOVELS Chapter 3
I could feel my heart was beating faster. My gaze fixed on my trembling palm. I just slapped my sister, and when I looked up to look at her offended and slightly tearful eyes, I felt a sense of relief.
She deserved this!
Standing up, cleaning any dirt on my clothes, I looked up both at Nayra and Balthar. Needless to say he was furious, I could smell the warning scent coming out of him.
I used to be cautious around him, but now. What do I have to fear? Balto… everything had been taken away from me
“You‘ re uncontrollable, Elmyra! Don’t you realize you‘ re hurting your sister?” Balthar shouted. I let his words fell on deaf ears. My own rage still building up inside of me and I couldn’t tear away my glare at Nayra.
“You watch your words, Nayra,” I warned Nayra. “You had no freaking rights to slander my son like that. Our blood ties be damned!”
Nayra held Balthar closer to her, I could sense fear coming out of her voice. “A–alpha Balthar, let’s just drop this matter. If my sister couldn’t admit his son is faking his illness, then let it be. Don’t fight because of me.”
“Balto was really ill!” I screamed at the top of my lungs then shifted my gaze to Balthar.
Holding back my tears from overflowing, I asked him with restrained voice. “Balthar, do you really, really, think that Balto wasn‘ t sick? Didn‘ t you see how pale he had became in the past few months?”
Balthar‘ s silence was enough for an answer.
My heart broke once more knowing that he had doubts of Balto‘ s honesty. My son had a genuine soul. He still had the typical child behavior of wanting attention, but he’d never fake his own illness for that.
Balto was suffering, for more than a year. If only I got a part of Balthar’s influence as an alpha, I would‘ ve brought Balto abroad if needed. We I exhausted most sources around Night Howl Pack but not yet contacting healers from abroad.
If it weren‘ t from Balthar‘ s restriction, I was certain we could‘ ve created a better treatment for Balto’s condition.
If Balthar had bothered to truly sit down, and truly see what had happened to Balto. How my son‘ s condition significantly deteroriate within the span of months, Balthar wouldn’t even believe the lies Nayra was feeding him.
Yet, in reality, he did none of those. He didn’t care.
“Right, of course you didn’t notice. You‘ re too busy with your ‘tight schedule‘ to care. between sobbed as I wiped the tears off my face.
I said
I recalled how Balto had insisted that I just stay by his side. He didn’t want to see any more healers or doctors. His voice, frail and trembling, echoed in my mind as he confessed that he might not have much time left. But he also said he was happiest when I was with him, far more than when anyone else was trying to treat him.
At the time, I refused to accept it. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. But deep down, I knew–his condition wasn’t improving. The remedies I could find were limited, and hope was slipping away faster than I could grasp.
That’s when I made a decision. I left Balto, promising him I wouldn’t be gone long.
I traveled far, seeking out Balthar, who had ignored my mind link more than once. I went straight to his office, fell to my knees, and begged. I swore that if he granted me permission to reach out to doctors abroad, it would be the last favor I’d ever ask of him.
I still remember the flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. It was as if he had been waiting for me to say those words for far too long. His reaction stung, but I pushed the feeling aside–my focus was entirely on saving Balto.
Unfortunately, I was too late. The best healers from abroad could only come the fastest by next week and Balto had died before any of them could treat him.
As my mind returned to reality, I saw Balthar glanced around, a hint of suspicion in his gaze. “Where is that boy? I don‘ t sense him anywhere,” he asked, his voice sharp. And then the accusation, “Are you hiding him from me?”
I was stunned, disappointment washing over me.
Why now? Why only after Balto’s death did Balthar care enough to ask?