Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 348: HE IS A LUNATIC

Everything twisted in Yael led back to Amber.

I spread the ointment over another cut and asked gently, "Can you tell me about your parents?"

He hesitated, then slowly opened up.

"My dad loved my mom very much," he said. "But she never loved him. She hated him. And she hated me and Vito even more for being born."

"Do you know anything about her family?"

He nodded. "You mean the Hales? She doesn’t acknowledge that connection. She forbids us from contacting them."

That fit everything.

No wonder Amber spent so much time at the Hale residence. Tiffany could cling to her, demand things from her, act spoiled around her. Amber gave more warmth to Tiffany than she ever gave Yael or Vito.

I kept my voice casual. "How many siblings are in the Hale family?"

I was steering toward the truth now, and Yael was not stupid.

His eyes lifted to mine. "Elena... you’re asking about Lewis’s mother, aren’t you?"

"Yes," I said. "Can you tell me about her?"

"I don’t mind," he said, "but I don’t know much. I never met her. All I know is that she and my mother were twins. My mother relied on her a lot. But she died a long time ago."

So that was it.

That was why Yael knew so little about the grudge between the Hales and the Boltons. Amber must have had deep ties to the Hales, but her care for Lewis likely came from somewhere else too.

Her sister.

If Lewis was her dead sister’s only child, then maybe Amber’s protection of him came from that last remaining thread.

If that was true, then I really did have leverage.

I finished applying the ointment and threw the used cotton swabs away.

"Don’t let water touch your back for the next few days," I said.

He nodded obediently. "Got it."

"I’m going to check on Whitney."

His eyes widened. "Elena, aren’t you afraid of her?"

He meant Amber.

The shock in his face was almost childlike. The fact that I had come back from Amber unharmed already felt impossible to him.

"I’m not afraid," I said simply.

Then I opened the door and headed upstairs.

The doors to Vito and Whitney’s rooms were slightly open. A sick feeling hit me at once. I was scared Vito might be forcing Whitney into something.

So I didn’t knock.

I pushed the door open and walked right in.

What I saw made me stop dead.

Vito was gripping Whitney with one hand.

And his other hand was caught between Whitney’s teeth.

She was biting him so hard blood was running down his skin, and she refused to let go.

"Whitney!"

Her eyes lit up the second she saw me.

She let go of Vito immediately and ran straight into my arms.

"Elena!"

We held each other tightly, Whitney’s body trembling against mine. I could feel the fear still clinging to her like a scent in the air.

"Elena, did she hurt you?" Whitney asked quickly, pulling back to look at me.

"No. I’m fine," I said softly.

She didn’t believe me.

Whitney released my hands and slowly circled me, her eyes scanning every inch of my body as if she expected to find blood or bruises hidden somewhere. Her movements were tense and protective, like someone ready to fight if she had to. Only after checking my arms, shoulders, and neck did she finally breathe out.

Relief softened her face.

Vito stood nearby, holding his wrist where fresh blood still stained his skin. The metallic scent hung faintly in the air, sharp and warm. My instincts noticed it immediately, even if I tried not to react. Whitney had clearly fought him hard.

"She didn’t touch you?" he asked, disbelief written all over his face.

I glanced at his wrist again before meeting his eyes.

"Not only did she not hurt me," I said calmly, "she’s going to send me back herself."

Vito frowned.

"You really believe that?"

"I do."

He stared at me for a moment, then shrugged slightly. "Well... you’re standing here alive. So I guess it’s possible."

Whitney stepped closer immediately, grabbing my hands again.

"Then you need to leave right now, Elena."

Her voice carried a quiet urgency that made my chest tighten.

Leave.

Of course I wanted to leave.

But not yet.

If everything went the way I planned, Amber wouldn’t just let me go. She would personally release Whitney as well. That was the only outcome I would accept.

Still, Vito stood beside her like a wall. His gaze kept drifting back to Whitney, possessive and watchful. I could almost feel the tension in the air between them, heavy and territorial.

I knew better than to say anything in front of him.

Instead, I reached out and gently cupped Whitney’s face.

"I just want to spend a little more time with you," I said quietly.

Whitney shook her head, her brows knitting together.

"Elena... you’re too naive."

Maybe I was.

But I also knew something she refused to admit.

Vito had been using me to control her for years.

Whitney could have left the pack a long time ago. She was strong enough. Brave enough.

Yet she stayed.

For the Morrigans family.

For the people she believed she had to protect.

If she could endure all of that for so long... then helping her now was the least I could do.

"Don’t worry about me," I said with a small smile. "Just rest. Stop thinking so much."

Whitney nodded slowly.

But the worry in her eyes never disappeared.

Both she and Vito knew Amber far better than I did. If Amber had truly wanted me dead, I wouldn’t still be breathing right now.

The fact that she hadn’t touched me meant something.

It meant I still had a chance.

Night fell quietly over the pack house.

By the time the halls went silent, the entire building felt different. The energy shifted, like the calm before a storm. My footsteps echoed softly against the polished wooden stairs as I moved through the darkness.

Amber probably believed sparing me was already an act of mercy.

She never expected me to push further.

She definitely never expected me to walk straight into her territory at midnight.

Amber Blackwell.

The woman everyone feared.

The one no one dared challenge.

And tonight, I was about to walk into her bedroom like a lunatic.

The door lock clicked softly when I opened it.

Amber immediately sat up in bed.

"Who’s there?" she demanded sharply.

I stepped inside slowly, my footsteps steady.

"Amber," I said calmly. "It’s me."

She squinted through the darkness.

"Don’t you remember?" I continued quietly. "I’m the one Silas stabbed. One blade straight through my chest."

The memory still made my skin feel cold.

"It hurt so much," I murmured. "And it was freezing."

Click.

Her bedside lamp turned on instantly, flooding the room with warm yellow light.

Amber’s icy gaze locked onto mine.

"Elena," she said sharply. "Have you completely lost your mind? What are you doing sneaking in here like some ghost in the middle of the night?"

I chuckled softly.

"Amber... are you sleeping well these days?"

Without waiting for permission, I lifted the blanket and slid into the bed beside her.

Amber stared at me like she had just seen something impossible.

"You’re pushing your luck," she hissed. "Do you think I won’t kill you?"

I turned my head and met her gaze, smiling faintly.

"Oh, I believe you would."

I paused, letting my words settle.

"But if I die... Lewis won’t survive for long either."

Her expression froze.

"Could you handle that?" I asked quietly. "Amber, I finally figured out your weakness."

My smile widened slightly.

"You already lost this game."

Silence filled the room.

"Since you don’t care about Whitney," I continued calmly, "why not just remove the control chip and let her leave the pack? It costs you nothing."

Amber’s eyes darkened.

"Has anyone ever told you," she said slowly, "that no one has ever dared threaten me?"

Her voice dropped lower.

"You can cut yourself. Scream. Even kill yourself. I wouldn’t care."

She pointed toward the door.

"Now get out of my sight."