Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 166: This was War

Though Lewis always looked calm and unshakable, I knew the truth. He had grown up without warmth, without the steady presence of a pack that chose him first. That kind of absence didn’t fade with time it settled deep, teaching him to doubt even the gentlest words spoken to him.

Every time I praised him, I could feel that hesitation in his silence. As if he were asking himself whether he truly deserved it.

It broke my heart.

He was strong. He was steady. He carried authority so naturally that others followed without question. And yet, part of him still lived in a quiet, forgotten corner watching life instead of stepping into it.

I imagined him there, listening to laughter he thought wasn’t meant for him. Watching light spill through a doorway he didn’t believe he was allowed to cross.

Maybe that was why he’d watched me for so long. Maybe my noise, my stubborn joy, had pulled him forward inch by inch. Not because he needed saving but because he wanted to feel alive.

I wrapped my arms around his waist, slow and careful, grounding him. My touch wasn’t urgent. It was patient.

"Lewis," I whispered, resting my forehead against his chest, "don’t doubt yourself. You’ve always been good to me."

He lowered his head slightly, his breath brushing my hair. "Elena..." His voice was soft, almost fragile, nothing like the tone he used when giving orders.

In that moment, it felt like the world narrowed to just us. Two people shaped by pain, learning how to stand side by side instead of alone.

Beyond the thin wall, voices rose and fell. Grant and Monica were putting on a messy, desperate performance. It was obvious how starved she was for attention, clinging to him with a hunger that had nothing to do with love. Watching it made my stomach turn.

I was just about to look away when a hand covered my eyes.

"Don’t look," Lewis murmured.

I tilted my head toward him. "Are you jealous?"

He stiffened, then looked away, ears faintly warm. "I just don’t want you looking at other men."

The contrast made me smile. The same man who faced enemies without blinking suddenly looked unsure in front of me. It was... adorable.

I leaned closer and whispered near his ear, "If I can’t look at other men... can I look at you?"

His breath hitched. Before I could tease him further, his arms tightened around me.

"Elena," he said quietly, "you started this."

Being pulled into him felt natural, like stepping into a space that had always been mine. Whatever was happening outside faded into background noise.

Still, part of me couldn’t help noticing the absurdity of the situation. We’d come here to observe, to gather information about moves being made against the Ashbourne . Instead, we were trapped in a front-row seat to someone else’s chaos.

I covered my mouth and muttered, half curious, half amused, "Is it really done like that?"

Lewis froze.

When I looked up, he was staring a little too intently. The second our eyes met, he turned away, ears unmistakably red.

I laughed and leaned into him. "Are you secretly studying too?"

He cleared his throat. "Studying... a little."

I raised a brow. "Don’t tell me you don’t even have a hidden folder."

He shook his head, embarrassed. "I’m usually busy. I don’t have time for things like that."

And I believed him.

For years, his life had been about duty recovering, repaying old debts, protecting the pack, stepping aside so Julain could have what he thought he didn’t deserve.

So many years spent watching instead of living.

I held him tighter, silently promising myself that from now on, he wouldn’t have to stay in the shadows anymore.

He built everything he had with his own hands. No shortcuts. No backing from elders or powerful names. Just grit and endless nights. I couldn’t even imagine how lonely it must have been for him, standing his ground in a foreign land, carrying pain no one saw.

I reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, slow and gentle. My voice softened without me trying.

"Don’t think about all that now, Lewis. We have time. We’ll figure the rest out together."

That night, after I showered and came back into the room, I noticed a plate of chicken wings waiting on the table. Still warm. Still steaming.

Of course, he had prepared it.

Lewis looked up at me and smiled, the kind that never felt forced.

"Are you hungry?"

I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind, resting my cheek against his back.

"How are you this wonderful?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Because you deserve it," he replied simply.

My chest warmed. "Then I’ll eat happily."

Being with him felt easy. Natural. Like a bond that didn’t need ceremonies or public claims to feel real. Just us. Just trust. Just warmth.

Then the TV ruined everything.

Monica’s voice filled the room.

"Lena might be pregnant."

I froze mid-bite.

"She’s all Grant cares about now," Monica continued bitterly. "And that crazy RIley keeps taking everything from me and Lincy."

I slowly lifted my eyes to the screen.

Monica was curled up in Zack’s arms. If they were twenty years younger, maybe the scene would’ve looked romantic. But now? Her stiff smile pressed against his thick chest made my stomach twist.

I turned away and focused on my food, forcing myself to chew.

"Pregnant?" Zack scoffed. "You’re foolish. After all these years, you still don’t have a proper bond with Grant. If you did, half of the Ashbourne would already be yours."

I didn’t need to see his face to know the greed written all over it.

Grant was trash in his own way, but he carried himself like someone born into power. Zack, on the other hand, wore his hunger openly. A man who rose too fast often forgot restraint.

And yet Monica adored him. I would never understand taste like that.

"If Lena has a son," Zack continued coldly, "everything we planned is ruined."

Monica’s voice shook. "Then... what do we do?"

"There are two options," he said calmly. Too calmly. "The first is getting rid of the child."

My appetite vanished instantly.

Monica swallowed. "And the second?"

"You win Grant’s trust. Get him to sever his bond with Lena. Then you take her place. I’m done waiting."

My fingers tightened around the plate.

"Get him insured," Zack added casually.

Monica hesitated. "W-what do you mean?"

I glanced back at the screen just in time to see Zack smile. And that smile sent a chill straight down my spine.

"Once you secure your place," he said, voice flat and cruel, "we remove him. Then the Ashbourne belong to us."

The room felt colder.

Lewis reached out and turned off the TV without a word. His presence grounded me instantly, his hand firm against mine, steady and protective.

In that moment, I knew one thing clearly.

This wasn’t just greed.

This was war.