Mated To The Crippled Alpha-Chapter 357: THE LOST Hale TWINS

At one point, I had thought Amber might be one of the lost Hale twins. But now that felt less likely. If she was not, then the truth had to be something else. It was starting to look more and more like the missing twins were alive somewhere, hiding in the shadows.

Most of Amber’s secrets had already been peeled back by now, and I was certain of one thing: she would not hurt Lewis.

That left another possibility.

The car crash involving Lewis and Esther might have been arranged by the missing twins.

Their hatred was probably never aimed at the Morrigans at all. Maybe the Hales had always been the real target. And if that was true, then Amber’s role in all of this might be far more complicated than I first thought.

Still, those answers would have to wait.

When we returned to Snowville, we could dig into the Hale family and uncover the truth properly. For now, there was something more urgent hanging over my head.

Whitney’s chip.

That thing felt like a thorn lodged in my chest. I could not relax while it was still inside her. I could not even enjoy a meal in peace. Until it was out, I would never feel settled.

Whitney and Vito’s wedding was only three days away.

I stayed at Blackwell Residence to help with the preparations, though the whole place felt anything but festive. No one looked happy. No one moved like they were preparing for a joyful event. Everything felt forced, like a ceremony built on tension instead of blessing.

Vito spent most of his time in silence. He either stood on the porch smoking or stared out into the distance with a face so unreadable it made my skin prickle. There was something deeply restless in him, something dark and heavy. It was like even his instincts were unsettled.

Whitney was no better.

Her mood matched his. She did not look like a woman about to go through a bonding ceremony. She looked drained, distant, and lost in thoughts she would not speak aloud. There was no glow in her, no soft joy, no quiet excitement. Just exhaustion.

The only cheerful one in the house was Yael.

And honestly, that was probably because Amber had been cooking every day for everyone, all because Lewis was there. Yael had clearly decided life was worth smiling about again.

That afternoon, he came over holding up a dress with bright eyes.

"Elena, you should wear this to the banquet," he said eagerly. "It’ll look good on you."

Lewis did not even bother to look at it properly.

He took one glance and threw it straight into the trash.

"Elena," he said coolly, "I already chose a dress for you."

Yael smirked and looked at me. "Aren’t you tired of dealing with this jealous man every day? Doesn’t it make you crazy?"

Lewis’s expression did not change, but the air around him grew colder.

"Whether she’s annoyed or not," he said, "I do know one thing. You clearly haven’t learned your lesson. Do you want me to finish what I started?"

Before the tension could rise any further, Vito spoke.

"Yael, come here."

Yael looked unhappy, but he still obeyed and moved back to Vito’s side like he always did. Those two had a strange relationship. Vito was hard, cold, and difficult to understand, yet when it came to Yael, there was always a protective streak beneath everything else.

Later that afternoon, Lewis stepped away for a while.

The second he was gone, Yael quietly slipped something into my hand.

I looked down and found a bunny-shaped keychain. It had ruby-red eyes and a tiny bell tied around its neck. It was so cute it almost didn’t feel like something Yael would make, but somehow it still suited him.

"Elena," he said softly, "I made this for you. Even if I’m not with you, you’ll think of me whenever you see it."

I looked up at him, surprised.

"Are you saying you don’t want me beside you anymore?"

Yael lightly kicked the side of a potted plant, his face a little awkward. "I know it’s hopeless now."

He was right.

They had already lost their advantage. The old traps, the fear, the threats that once kept everyone in place were slipping apart one by one.

"Elena," he said after a pause, "I’m leaving Jaford after Whitney’s wedding."

"Where will you go?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I don’t know. Vito will decide."

Then he looked straight into my eyes, and for once, he looked younger than he really was.

"Will you miss me when I’m gone?"

My heart softened a little.

Whatever else Yael had done, there were moments when he felt less like an enemy and more like a wounded child who had never learned how to love properly. And maybe that was exactly what he was.

I reached out and patted his head gently.

"As long as you stop hurting me, we can be friends."

There was relief in me as I said that, mostly because by now I understood something important. What Yael felt for me was not truly romantic. It was attachment, obsession, dependence, maybe even longing for warmth, but it was not the kind of love that belonged between mates.

"Yael," I said softly, "keep your hands clean. Stay in the light."

He looked at me quietly, and for a second, I thought he might actually listen.

Maybe Vito understood that too. Maybe that was why he had spent all these years shielding his brother so fiercely. In protecting Yael, he had managed to preserve the last soft part of him. Yael still knew how to smile. He still had some innocence left.

Then his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Great idea!" he said. "How about we take wedding photos together someday?"

I waved her off lightly. "No, I want to take them with Carl."

Riley snorted and folded her arms across her chest. "Hmph. You always put your mate first."

Her tone sounded annoyed, but there was a teasing smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Riley had always been like that—sharp-tongued but soft-hearted.

Before I could respond, Harlan suddenly cleared his throat behind us.