Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 174

Third person POV

The council chamber was buzzing with tension, the faint hum of voices carrying from every corner. Elders sat in their designated seats, guards stationed by the doors with their hands resting near their weapons. The atmosphere was thick, expectant, as though every soul within the pack house knew something significant was about to unfold. Enzo’s boots echoed heavily across the stone floor as he entered with Lisa walking beside him. Her steps were softer but no less commanding; her presence drew every eye in the room.

It had been years since most of them had seen her face, and some never had at all. The healer, the girl who had once vanished, leaving questions and whispers in her wake, now walked confidently, chin lifted, as though she owed none of them an explanation. Her aura was unyielding, her silence deafening.

Enzo guided her toward the center of the chamber where the council table stretched long and wide. His gaze flicked to her every now and then, searching for some sign of softness, some crack in the guarded expression she wore. But Lisa remained unreadable.

Elder Samuel cleared his throat. “Enzo,” he said formally, though curiosity lingered in his voice. “You’ve brought someone unannounced. Care to explain?”

Enzo straightened. “This is Lisa Arden. She is the healer who answered our call.” His voice was even, though he couldn’t help but glance at her again.

Gasps fluttered through the chamber, quiet words exchanged behind cupped hands. Some of the council members leaned forward, their eyes narrowing with disbelief.

“She introduces herself,” Enzo said, stepping slightly aside, giving her space.

Lisa raised her chin, meeting the eyes of the council one by one. “My name is Lisa Arden. Years ago, I walked away from this pack and its wars, but I never turned my back on my calling. I am a healer. I came not for reunion, not for old ties, but because lives are on the line. Your people are sick, wounded, and suffering. That is my concern.”

Her voice was calm, steady, though underneath it trembled a sharp edge of anger held tightly in check. She folded her hands before her, ignoring the way some of the elders whispered her name as if speaking of a ghost returned.

Elder George squinted at her. “You left without word, child. Why return now, after all these years?”

Lisa’s lips curved in a small, cold smile. “Because your Alpha begged. And because innocent people should not suffer for decisions made by leaders.” Her eyes briefly flicked toward Enzo before settling on the council again.

The chamber fell silent. Her words were sharp, striking the tension deeper. Some elders exchanged looks of disapproval; others seemed relieved, perhaps even hopeful. Whatever else she was, Lisa was still the healer they needed.

Finally, Elder Samuel gave a curt nod. “Very well. The infirmary is waiting. Do what you came to do.”

Lisa dipped her head slightly, neither submissive nor disrespectful, and turned to leave the chamber. Enzo followed, though she didn’t ask him to. Her silence said enough—she would tolerate his shadow but not his closeness.

---

The infirmary smelled of herbs, antiseptic, and faint traces of blood. The air was heavy with exhaustion, healers moving from bed to bed, tending to wounded warriors and sick pups. At the far end of the room, Mira stood with her back bent over a patient, her hands glowing faintly with healing energy.

“Mira,” Enzo said softly.

The healer looked up, strands of hair falling from her braid. Her eyes widened as they landed on Lisa. For a moment, Mira froze, disbelief painting her features before she rushed forward.

“Lisa?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Lisa Arden?”

Lisa met her gaze, a gentle smile tugging at her lips—softer than the one she’d worn in the council chamber, though still guarded. “It’s been a long time, Mira.”

Mira’s eyes brimmed with tears as she threw her arms around her. “I thought you were gone forever! Why did you leave us, why—” She broke off, her voice trembling too much to continue.

Lisa held her briefly, then eased her back. “I had to. But I’m here now. That’s what matters.”

Mira searched her face as if trying to read everything Lisa wasn’t saying. She shook her head, still tearful, but stepped aside. “Come. There are too many in need. I’ll show you where you can begin.”

Lisa followed her into the rows of beds, setting her hands gently on a young warrior whose fever burned high. Without hesitation, she began working, her energy flowing into the wounded as though she had never left. Mira stayed close, sometimes watching her, sometimes speaking softly about what had changed in the years she was gone. Lisa listened quietly, nodding, though she never answered when Mira’s words veered toward the question of why she had left.

Enzo stood by the door, arms crossed, eyes fixed on her. He watched the way she worked, the way the pack’s sick seemed to settle at her touch, the way her expression softened when she bent close to comfort a child. Every movement pulled at him, every second reminded him of what he had lost. And yet, the sting of her slap still burned on his cheek, her warning echoing in his head: stay away.

---

Back at the pack house, the atmosphere was heavier. Lisa had gone with Mira to the infirmary for hours, and Enzo returned with Ash at his side. The two men walked into the main hall where Kael and Atlas were waiting.

“Calla,” Enzo called, summoning the young caretaker who often tended to the younger wolves. A slim woman stepped forward, bowing her head slightly. “Yes, Alpha?”

“Take care of the children,” Enzo instructed. “They shouldn’t be caught in the middle of this. Keep them safe, keep them comfortable.”

Calla nodded. “Of course.” She left quickly, going to gather Elias, Aria, Kael, and Lyra. Their laughter echoed faintly as they ran down the hall toward her, their energy filling the air with a brightness none of the adults felt.

Ash leaned against the table, arms folded. His eyes were sharp, calculating as he spoke. “Enzo… you noticed it too, didn’t you?”

Enzo stiffened, though he didn’t answer immediately. His gaze was fixed on the door where the children had disappeared. “What are you talking about?”

“The resemblance,” Ash said bluntly. “Those children… Elias, Aria, Kael, Lyra. They’re not just any kids, Enzo. They look like us. They look like her. And you saw it as clearly as I did.”

Atlas and Kael exchanged glances, their expressions uneasy. Atlas broke the silence first. “I thought it too. The way Elias holds himself—it’s like looking at you when you were younger. And Aria’s eyes, Kael’s smirk, Lyra’s laugh…” He trailed off, shaking his head. “It’s too much to ignore.”

Enzo’s jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists at his sides. “They’re hers. That much is obvious. But are you saying—”

Ash cut him off. “I’m saying they’re ours. Or, at least, yours.”

The words hit like a thunderclap. Enzo’s chest constricted, his thoughts spinning out of control. Images of Lisa flashed in his mind—the warmth of her smile years ago, the betrayal he had felt when she left, the slap she had given him only hours ago. And now… children. Children who bore his blood, his features.

“She never said a word,” Enzo muttered, almost to himself.

“Would you have listened if she had?” Ash asked sharply. His tone softened after a moment. “Look, I’m not saying it’s simple. But we can’t ignore it. Those kids deserve to know the truth. And Lisa—”

“Lisa hates me,” Enzo interrupted bitterly. “She made it clear. She came back for the people, not me. She doesn’t want our past dragged into this.”

Kael spoke up then, his voice steadier than it usually was. “Then we need to find a way to approach her carefully. Not to demand, not to force, but to show her… we’re sorry. That things can be different.”

Atlas nodded in agreement. “We schemed against her once. We can’t repeat the same mistake. This time, it has to be honesty. She needs to hear us, truly hear us.”

Enzo’s eyes burned as he looked at the three of them. His brothers, his comrades, now standing with him in this storm of revelations. For the first time in years, he felt both terrified and hopeful.

“They’re mine,” he whispered under his breath, though he wasn’t sure if anyone heard. “They have to be.”

Ash clapped him on the shoulder. “Then let’s not waste this chance. We’ll plan it right. We’ll make her see.”

Enzo exhaled slowly, the weight of everything pressing against him. Lisa’s return had reopened every wound he had tried to bury. But now, there was more at stake than just his pride or his heartbreak. There were children—four of them—whose laughter already echoed in his bones like an old, forgotten song.

And there was Lisa, the woman he had once loved and lost, now standing in the heart of his world again, whether she liked it or not.