99 Times for Alpha’s Bestie novel Chapter 19

Seeing me desperately struggling to lick up the filthy water, the Omegas watching turned away in pity.

No one innocent should suffer this punishment. Only rogue criminals were treated this way. Not the Alphas mate.

Finally, Mary, the assigned Omega who has served Stephanie for years, could no longer stand it. She grabbed a bottle of mineral water, knelt, and held it to my lips.

“Luna Stephanie,” Mary pleaded, “She’s already endured the dungeons, suffering starvation and dehydration for nearly a week. Please, remember the pack will suffer if she dies.”

Too weak to refuse, I drank greedily, gulping down the entire bottle. Only then did I feel like I could breathe again.

“Justified punishment! This filth doesn’t belong in the Sterling family. Mark my words, I will make Liam reject her.” Stephanie watched me curled on the ground, scoffing in disgust.

“I-” My eyes snapped open. I rasped, a flicker of strength returning. “I can reject him.”

“Hah! And why should I believe that? Everyone knows you beg for scraps at our table. Why would you leave what little you get?” Stephanie scoffed.

Mary silently offered me a piece of bread.

I didn’t hesitate. I shoved it into my mouth greedily.

As the food hit my system, some strength began to seep back into my limbs.

Pushing myself up with trembling hands, I sat up from the floor, cleared my raw throat, and stated firmly, “I can make it happen. But I have conditions.”

Stephanie’s eyes narrowed sharply.

A faint breeze stirred, brushing the tangled hair back from my forehead.

Despite the swollen face from the beating, despite the torment of confinement and starvation… I stared defiantly into Stephanie’s eyes. I knew she was searching for deceit, but she wouldn’t find it. I wanted to leave as much as she wanted me gone.

“You’d actually be willing to leave?” Stephanie sneered, disbelief heavy in her voice.

I lowered my gaze, rapidly assessing my situation,

Though Liam was titled Alpha of the Sterling Moon Pack and managed most of the Sterling business relations and pack alliances now, he held little real power and few assets in his own name. The bulk of the control remained firmly under Alpha Henry and Luna Stephanie’s control. That was until Liam claimed a Luna, which his parents convinced him to hold off on with me. It kept him controlled, as well, but Liam never saw it for what it was.

A council–approved Rejection would yield me almost nothing. Other than my freedom, that is.

But then, I had never coveted their wealth. Not really.

Yet now, after being trampled, humiliated, scorned… If rejection were the path, I wouldn’t let the Sterlings off unscathed. I had to make Stephanie pay dearly.

“Give me twenty–five million,” I looked up, meeting Stephanie’s gaze directly, “And I’ll disappear from Liam’s life forever.”

“Twenty–five million? Claire! You disgusting wretch, I’ll-” Stephanie shot up from her chair as if she had been stung.

She raised her hand to strike again, but she froze when I laughed mockingly at her from my crumpled state on the ground.

“Think about it. Twenty–five million for your son’s freedom. It’s a steal. Otherwise, I stay. And you know him, he’d never willingly reject me. Should anything happen to me, Liam might even lose his wolf. No heirs to take over, the Sterling bloodline dies with Henry.”

Stephanie froze. The chilling logic hit home.

Back then, they’d opposed the mating fiercely–Alpha Henry had even threatened to disown him- thinking it would scare Liam, but Liam called their bluff, knowing he was their only heir.

Liam had no other siblings. The line would end with him, and Henry was too proud to let it happen. just let Stephanie know that she will never get rid of me without harming the pack’s heir as a result.

But I also knew that Stephanie did not want me to leave with a single penny. Twenty–five million, not a lot to them, but it was their pride stopping her from agreeing.

Stephanie glared at me with pure venom as I continued to mock her with laughter, knowing I had called her hand.

I pushed myself up using the wall and limped towards the exit of the Sterling packhouse. I was determined to walk out of this soul–sucking hellhole under my own power.

But with each step, my legs grew heavier, weaker.

Suddenly, frantic footsteps pounded on the path. A familiar voice called my name, desperate.

I lifted my head, struggling to focus on the figure rushing towards me through the haze. Before I could make out who it was, my vision tunnelled into darkness, and I collapsed.

***

LIAM POV

“Claire!” My voice was ragged, my eyes bloodshot.

I couldn’t believe the state of her body before me. I dropped to my knees, holding her skeletal frame, my heart clenched in agony.

I spent the last five days at the hospital. Breanne’s wound had reopened badly after Claire’s attack; the doctors called it critical, requiring constant monitoring.

At first, furious about the birthday incident, I hadn’t wanted to see Claire. But after three days of silence, panic set in. My wolf felt uneasy and demanded I leave Breanne and find our mate.

He was sure that something was wrong with her, and that there was more to the doll story, a reason for her fury. I would agree with him on that; it wasn’t like Claire to hit people. Not even Breanne.

The more I thought, the more uneasy I grew. Over the last two days, I called her over a hundred times. First, no answer. Then, her phone went dead.

My wolf grew more frantic, pacing like a caged animal, ready to plaster the city with missing person posters.

When I escalated the search, a family member secretly came to me and whispered the truth. Claire had been subjected to pack discipline–locked in the dungeons for five days without food or water.

I couldn’t believe that. Claire was wrong to attack Breanne but she wasn’t a rogue criminal. This punishment was excessive for the minor offence. I couldn’t beleive my parents would do this to Claire.

I raced out of the city and headed back to the pack at breakneck speed.

Seeing her now, my heart shattered. The vivid beating to her face fueled my rage. I rushed forward and roared at my mother, “What you did is unforgivable, mother!”

Mother remained unnervingly calm.

Why was she this calm?

She knelt beside me, feigning concern as she stroked Claire’s battered cheek.

“Liam, you misunderstand! Claire did this to herself. She said she knew she was wrong for hurting

Breanne. She hit herself, over and over. More than a dozen times! Ask them-” She gestured towards the surrounding Omegas.

The Omegas nearby nodded vigorously, eyes wide with fear. Fear of my wolf’s fury or my mother’s words? I still wasn’t sure what to believe.

“She did? Why would she do that? She hates Breanne.” My head filled with confusion.

Mother nodded solemnly. “Of course she did! She requested all of it as penance for her overreaction to Breanne’s thoughtful gift. They all heard her.” She gestured again to the silent omegas watching dumbfoundedly.

My troubled gaze dropped back to Claire’s face. Her breathing was shallow, her skin tinged with an unhealthy pallor.

My heart twisted painfully; I couldn’t bear to look at her physical state further.

This was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so hard on her. I ruined her birthday. I should have listened to my wolf and checked on her sooner.

Desperate to ease my guilt, I grabbed a glass of water and tried to tip it between her parched lips. Her jaw was clamped shut in unconsciousness.

Growing frantic, a thought came to mind. I took a mouthful of water myself. Cradling her head gently, I pressed my lips to hers, transferring the water drop by precious drop onto her cracked, bitter–tasting lips.

Her eyelids fluttered weakly.

Why would she do this to herself? Does she not know that dying can also claim my wolf with her?

She stirred briefly under my care. But then her hand fell limply back to her side.

I felt her slipping away from me, and my wolf seized control, biting our lip, feeding drops of our blood into her mouth.

Alpha’s blood can revive and heal, but only if the victim wishes to continue to fight. It can’t revive the unwilling.