Chapter 20
The next morning, I'd just seen Evan off to work and was about to crawl back into bed for a quick nap when the doorbell rang.
I dragged myself to the door, grumbling, "Forgot your keys again, huh?" But before I could finish, a group of burly wolves rushed in, and everything went black.
Two hours later, I came to in an abandoned factory, my body strapped with explosives. The timer on the bombs was ticking down. Thirty minutes left before I'd be blown to bits in this desolate place.
"Help! Is anyone out there? Help!" I screamed until my throat was raw, but all I got back was the echo of the empty factory.
Just as despair was about to swallow me whole, the door was kicked open with a bang.
Brittany strutted in, smug as hell, and slapped me hard across the face. "You filthy she-wolf! If you hadn't seduced Derek, we'd already be bound by now!"
"It's because of you that Derek's turned into this broken, ghostly mess!"
Her chest heaved with rage, her eyes wild. I tried to calm her down. "Brittany, take a breath. You've got your whole life ahead of you. Why waste it on a wreck like Derek?"
My words only set her off more. Another stinging slap landed on my cheek. "You hypocrite! Everyone else can tell me to turn back, but not you. You don't get to say that!"
"Hannah, before you showed up, do you know how much Derek loved me?" Brittany's voice softened, lost in some dreamy memory of her and Derek's better days, too caught up to notice the ticking bombs.
Every word she spoke shaved precious seconds off the countdown. Sweat poured down my face as fear and longing clawed at my heart—fear that my life was about to end, and longing for the moments I'd shared with Evan.
With ten minutes left on the timer, I heard Derek and Evan's voices at the door. "Let her go!" they shouted.
Evan's face went pale when he saw me rigged with explosives, his body trembling like his blood had turned to ice. "Hannah!"
"Stay back!" Brittany shrieked, holding up a remote. "One step closer, and I blow her up!"
Evan and Derek froze in place.
Derek's face was dark as a storm cloud. "Brittany, what the hell do you want?"
"What do I want?" Brittany let out a manic laugh. "I want to grow old with you, Derek, never to be unbound!"
"Derek, if you swear to form a sacred bond with me and love only me, I'll let Hannah go."
Derek hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. I'll bond with you. Just let Hannah go."
The mention of my name seemed to snap something in Brittany. "Don't move!" she screamed. "You think I'll fall for your lies again?"
She tossed a contract at Derek's feet and forced a pill down my throat. "Sign this, swearing your loyalty to me for life! Or Hannah dies from the poison I just gave her—a special blend I had brought in from the northwest territories. Without my antidote, she'll bleed from every hole and drop dead!"
With the bomb's timer down to two minutes, Derek didn't hesitate. He signed the contract.
While Brittany was distracted checking it, Evan kicked the remote out of her hand. In a flash, he was at my side, untying the straps.
The enforcers' sirens wailed outside, but the timer was at thirty seconds.
In a split second, Derek tackled Brittany to the ground. "Go! Get Hannah out!" he yelled.
For once, Evan and Derek, lifelong rivals, were perfectly in sync. Their only goal: save me.
Evan didn't pause. He grabbed my hand, and we bolted for the door. By some miracle, we made it out just one second before the explosion.
But Derek and Brittany—they were gone, swallowed by the rubble.
Once we were safe, I frantically checked Evan for injuries, tears streaming down my face, my heart still racing with the terror of almost losing everything. "I'm so sorry," I choked out. "This is my fault. I dragged you into this mess."
The moment I saw Evan burst into that factory, I'd never been so scared. I'd already lost one love before. I couldn't bear to go through that again.
Maybe the heavens heard my prayers, because we'd made it out alive.
Evan gently wiped the tears from my eyes. "Hannah, this isn't your fault. You don't owe me an apology. Brittany and the ones who hurt you—they're the ones who were wrong. Don't carry their mistakes."
For the next three days, Evan and I bounced between the hospital and the enforcers' station. When the case was closed, I made one last trip to the station.
"Hannah," an enforcer said, "Derek listed you as his emergency contact. We can't reach his family. Will you claim his body?"
No anger, no sadness—just calm. I claimed Derek's body and arranged a dignified funeral. Whatever love or hate we'd shared, I let it all go.
Because of the funeral, Evan and I pushed our binding ceremony back six months. In that time, I threw myself into rebuilding my career. I'd retired from figure skating, but my passion for it never faded. So, I studied for my referee and coaching certifications.
Three months later, I aced the exams, earning a spot as the head coach for the pack's top team.
Evan bragged to everyone, "My mate's a hero who brings honor to the great pack."
His parents weren't shy either, telling anyone who'd listen, "Our daughter-in-law's a world champion!"
Word about me spread fast through the elite circles. One curious rich she-wolf even dug into my past, becoming an instant fan. She posted a long piece on social media, laying out evidence to clear my name and Eleanor's.
The Sullivan pack's stocks tanked overnight, teetering on bankruptcy.
The justice I'd once craved finally fell into place.
Still, I couldn't help but sigh, "It's only when you're on top that the world's full of good wolves."
Evan just laughed and tapped my nose. "Don't be so cynical, silly."
Our binding ceremony came quick. In the hotel we'd booked six months earlier, I sat in front of the mirror, my white dress glowing, my face done up in bridal makeup. I stared at myself, lost in thought.
Years ago, on a day like this, I'd given up on love. I never dared dream I'd wear a dress like this or form a sacred bond with the wolf I loved. Countless sleepless nights, I'd wrestled with a thousand urges to end it all.
But every time, I pushed through. A voice in my heart kept urging me—be strong, be brave, be happy.
I endured for years.
And now, happiness had finally found me.
"Hannah, you ready?" Evan's voice came as he pushed open the door. His handsome face lit up with a gentle smile, his eyes sparkling as they locked on me. "Hannah, you're stunning."
I blushed, teasing, "What, I'm only stunning today?"
He shook his head, dead serious. "You're always gorgeous, Hannah, but in that dress? You're three times as breathtaking. Knowing you're really about to bond with me—it's like my dreams are coming true."
"The first time I saw you, I was hooked," he said, his eyes brimming with sincerity.
My heart swelled, half-sweet, half-aching, as I recalled his mother's words: "Pup, you and Evan have been through so much."
But the bitterness had turned to sweetness.
"Ready?" Evan asked softly. "Step out that door, and you're officially my mate."
I looked at this nervous, wonderful wolf and placed my hand in his. He grinned, and we walked out together.
The music swelled, the doors opened, and we stepped forward, hand in hand. Guests whispered along the red carpet.
"They're perfect together! Talk about a power couple!"
"A world champion and a pack heir—what a story!"
"I heard they had eyes for each other years ago. Who'd have thought they'd circle back like this? It's fate's finest work!"
We exchanged rings, embraced, kissed, to the crowd's cheers.
At the ceremony's end, Evan grabbed the mic from the officiant and announced the results of our pre-bond property agreement. He'd transferred all his assets to my name.
"Hannah, I know it's not classy," he said, "but I want to give you the best I've got. Thank you for fighting your way to me."
The crowd gasped.
But I knew the real gift wasn't the wealth—it was Evan's all-in love. He was showing the world that everything he had was mine.
In the roar of the crowd, I glanced out the window at the sky.
Mom, look. There's one more wolf in this world who loves me.
[The End]
