Billionaire Alpha's Plus-Size Mate

Chapter 14 Failed

Hayes' POV

I had been sitting in my office for nearly an hour, yet the document in front of me remained on the same page.

That alone irritated me.

It wasn't like me to lose focus, especially over something that had already been decided. The Elders had questioned my choice from the very beginning. To them, Lillian was nothing more than a rejected, wolfless, plus-size woman with no place carrying the bloodline of Arrowfang. Every argument they had made was based on logic, and under normal circumstances I would have agreed with them.

Yet something about her had made me choose differently..I still couldn't explain why.

Perhaps it was because every instinct told me there was more to her than anyone could see. Or perhaps I simply refused to believe that someone so ordinary could survive the auction, stand before me without collapsing, and then do something no one else in our history had ever done.

Whatever the reason was, it refused to leave my mind.

A knock sounded on the office door, pulling me away from my thoughts.

"Come in."

Lola stepped inside as quietly as she always did before lowering her head in greeting.

"The procedure wasn't successful, Alpha."

I placed the report back on my desk and looked at her. Although her face remained as composed as ever, I noticed the hesitation in her voice. It wasn't fear of me. It was uncertainty.

"What happened?"

"The Moon Silver was absorbed."

For the first time since she'd entered the room, I remained silent.

Absorbed?

Lola continued before I had the chance to question her.

"The doctor prepared everything exactly as he always has. The healer confirmed the ritual was performed correctly, yet the moment the Moon Silver touched Lillian's skin it began to glow before disappearing into her body."

She paused briefly.."No trace of it remained."

I leaned back slightly in my chair, considering what she had just told me.

The Moon Silver had been part of Arrowfang's traditions for centuries. It was impossible to count the number of women who had undergone the same preparation.

Not once….Had anyone absorbed it.

"I warned you," Lola said carefully. "She isn't the right woman. The doctor believes allowing her to carry your child would be extremely dangerous. We still have time to bring another candidate."

Another candidate..Another stranger. Another woman whose only purpose would be to risk her life for mine. I had already rejected that idea once. I wasn't about to change my mind now.

"They're looking at the wrong problem," I said quietly.

Lola frowned ever so slightly. "The wrong problem, Alpha?"

"They're asking why the procedure failed."

I stood from my chair and slowly buttoned my jacket. "The question they should be asking is why Lillian absorbed the Moon Silver in the first place."

Lola didn't answer immediately..She understood what I meant..Failure could be repeated..The impossible demanded an explanation.

"Should I prepare another woman anyway?"

I looked at her.."No."

She seemed genuinely surprised this time.

"The decision stands."

"But the procedure..."

"The procedure failed."

I interrupted her before she could finish. "Lillian didn't."

She hesitated again before speaking. "There is only one option left."

Her voice was noticeably quieter. "The traditional method?”

I nodded briefly. For several moments neither of us spoke.

Everyone in Arrowfang knew the rule I had lived by since becoming Alpha. No woman entered my bed.

Not after everything that had happened. It wasn't a matter of desire. It was a decision I had made years ago, and I had never seen a reason to break it.

Until now.

"Prepare Lillian," I said.

Lola slowly lifted her eyes, clearly searching my face for some sign that I might change my mind. She found none.

"As you wish, Alpha."

****

By the time I reached the medical chamber, everyone inside had already been informed of my arrival.

The doctor, the healer and the Rune Keeper immediately bowed.

Lillian remained asleep on the bed, completely unaware of the discussion surrounding her.

The doctor stepped forward first.

"Alpha, we sincerely believe proceeding would place both you and the woman in unnecessary danger."

I walked past him until I was standing beside the bed.

Lillian looked different without the fear that constantly followed her..Her breathing was slow and even, while the faint colour had finally returned to her face. She looked... peaceful..An unusual sight.

"What exactly happened?" I asked.

The healer answered this time. "The Moon Silver should have remained on her skin throughout the preparation. Instead, her body absorbed every grain of it. We've examined her several times and found nothing that explains how or why."

The Rune Keeper nodded in agreement. "I've searched every record available to us. Nothing like this has ever been documented."

"So you have no answers."

The three exchanged uncomfortable glances before the doctor finally admitted,

"No, Alpha."

I continued looking at Lillian. Weak. That was how everyone described her. Ordinary. Forgettable.Powerless. Yet she had just accomplished something no powerful wolf in history had ever managed to do. None of it made sense.

"Leave us." I ordered. The room fell silent.

The doctor hesitated for only a second before bowing.

"As you command."

Within moments, everyone had gone.

Only Lillian and I remained.

For reasons I couldn't explain, I found myself studying her a little longer than necessary. There wasn't anything remarkable about her appearance. She looked exactly as she had at the auction, except now the fear had disappeared from her face.

Then she frowned in her sleep.

Her lips moved almost soundlessly. "Please..."

I listened.

"Please don't hurt me..."

Her breathing became uneven, as though she were reliving something she wished to forget. I wondered who had put that fear in her..Her family?.The man who rejected her?.Or had life simply taught her that people only approached her when they wanted something?

The thought was unnecessary..It wasn't my concern. Still….It stayed with me longer than I expected.

The door opened quietly behind me.

"Lola."

She stepped inside.

"You called for me, Alpha?"

"I want everything you can find on Lillian."

She looked puzzled. "Everything?"

"I want to know where she was born, who raised her, whether she was adopted, who her grandparents were, and what bloodline she belongs to. Speak to anyone you have to, but don't return until you have answers."

She lowered her head immediately. "It will be done."

As Lola left, movement behind me caught my attention. Lillian's eyelashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened.

The instant she saw me standing beside the bed, every trace of colour drained from her face.

She tried to sit up too quickly, but the medicine was still affecting her body. Before she could lose her balance, I reached out and steadied her by the arm.

She stiffened beneath my hand.

Even after I let go, she kept her eyes lowered, unable to look directly at me.

"What..." she whispered, her voice still weak. "What happened?"

"The procedure failed."

She closed her eyes briefly before letting out a shaky breath. "I knew it would." There wasn't relief in her voice. Only resignation. "I told you I wasn't the right woman."

When she finally looked up, her eyes were filled with quiet hope. "So... you'll let me go now?"

I held her gaze. "No."

The hope disappeared almost instantly. "But the procedure failed."

"It did."

"Then how am I supposed to give you a child?"

I watched her carefully before answering. "We'll use the traditional method."

Confusion crossed her face. "The traditional method?"

"Sex."

The single word hung between us.

She stared at me as though she'd forgotten how to breathe. Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.

There was fear in her eyes.

"Prepare yourself," I said as I turned toward the door. "I'll come to your chambers tonight."

Her voice finally returned. "Tonight?"

"The sooner we begin, the sooner we'll know whether you're capable of carrying my heir."

Without waiting for a response, I left the chamber.

For years I had lived by one rule that I never imagined breaking. Tonight, for the first time, that rule no long

er mattered.

Lillian had become a mystery. And I had never been the type of man to walk away from one.