Revenge of His Stolen True Mate

Alaina Cole POV:

I stepped outside, greedily gulping the fresh air of freedom. The sun was warm on my skin, but I felt nothing but an icy calculation inside me.

I didn't head straight for the clinic. I knew the money Susan had given me was barely enough for the cheapest procedure, let alone enough to bribe a nurse to forge a document.

I needed more money. And right now, there was a walking bag of cash in this town, a man who was desperate to get his hands on me—Billy Hicks.

According to my memories of my past life, at this very moment, he would be drinking in the town's only bar, waiting for the "good news" from the Michael family.

I changed my direction and walked towards the bar. As I passed a shop window, I glanced at my pale, thin reflection. I deliberately messed up my hair, making my eyes look redder and more swollen, the perfect picture of a girl who had just been weeping her heart out.

I pushed open the bar door. The blast of loud music and stale air hit me. I spotted him immediately, sitting in a corner booth. Billy Hicks. His ill-fitting leather jacket and crude posture made him stand out.

I walked straight towards him. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he stood, his face a mask of undisguised lust. "What are you doing here? Is it done?"

I didn't answer. I just lowered my head, my shoulders trembling slightly, putting on a show of being on the verge of tears.

Billy grew impatient. He grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it hurt. "Speak! What's wrong?"

I looked up, my eyes glistening with unshed tears. "My... my aunt and uncle... the money they gave me isn't enough for the Healer's fee. The Healer said... she won't perform the ritual without full payment, and she won't give me the certificate."

I deliberately called the abortion a "ritual" and the forgery a "certificate," blurring the crucial details.

Billy's thick eyebrows furrowed. "They dare to play me? They promised me a 'clean' one!"

I seized the moment, my voice a mixture of dependence and pleading. "Billy... I know you truly want me. Could you... could you give me the bride-price now? I can take the money, settle things with the Healer, and then... then I'll be all yours."

I said the words "bride-price" with perfect clarity. In my last life, that money was swallowed whole by the Michaels. I never saw a cent of it.

A flicker of suspicion crossed Billy's eyes, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the possessiveness my words ignited. He looked at my helpless, fragile form, and his base Alpha instincts created an illusion of complete control.

He laughed, a rough, grating sound. "You're a smart one. Fine! Here's the money. But you'd better be quick. I'm coming to your house tonight to pick you up."

He pulled a thick envelope from his jacket and shoved it into my hands. I could feel the solid weight of the cash inside.

I took the envelope, my heart pounding with triumph, but my face remained a mask of tearful gratitude. "Thank you, Billy! You're so kind!"

I turned and left the bar quickly, not wanting to spend another second in his presence. I knew the money in my hand, combined with what Susan gave me, was more than enough.

I left the bar and cut through a few back alleys, arriving at the dilapidated clinic on the edge of the territory.

I pushed the door open. The young nurse, Evans, was sitting at the front desk. She looked surprised to see me.

I walked right up to her. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small wad of cash Susan had given me, but instead of placing it on the counter, I held it up for a moment, then tucked it back. Evans's eyes followed the money greedily.

I lowered my voice. "I need a certificate. A magical signature that shows the life signs of the pup in my womb have vanished."

Evans's face paled. "That's... that's illegal! I can't-"

I didn't waste time arguing. From Billy's thick envelope, I carefully counted out a few notes—barely a fraction of the total—and laid them on the counter. Just enough to whet her appetite.

"This is just the down payment," I said calmly. "There will be another payment—a decent one—when it's done."

Evans stared at the small stack, clearly disappointed, but greed flickered in her eyes. She bit her lip, then swiftly swept the money into a drawer. She pulled a piece of parchment and a special quill from under her desk. "... Follow me. And remember, this is a one-time thing."

I followed her into an empty examination room.

She didn't perform any tests on me. She simply scribbled some symbols I didn't understand onto the parchment, then tapped the paper with the end of the quill.

A faint gray light flashed across the page, forming a complex seal. It was a forged magical signature. It would emit a weak energy fluctuation, similar to the end of a life force, enough to fool most werewolves not skilled in the healing arts.

She handed the parchment to me, her voice hoarse. "It's done. Now, give me the rest of the money, get out of here, and never come back."

I nodded, and from Billy's envelope I pulled out a few more notes—still far less than what Susan had given me earlier—and pushed them toward her. She snatched them up, counting quickly, her face tightening with disappointment at the amount.

"That's all you're getting," I said flatly. "Take it or leave it."

She glared at me, but she knew she had already committed the forgery. With a bitter grunt, she stuffed the money into her pocket.

I turned and walked out of the clinic, the heavy, still‑mostly‑full envelope from Billy safely tucked inside my coat, and the small sum from Susan still hidden in my other pocket. I didn't look back once.