Chapter 4

Then Alex's voice exploded like a firecracker.

"Fiona, come to the club. Now. Or you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Hearing this, I didn't hesitate. I rushed out of the hospital without even changing out of my hospital gown.

When I arrived at the club, Alex was slouched on the velvet sofa, a glass of wine in his hand, legs lazily crossed.

He looked up and smirked, sipping his drink with a cold glint in his eyes.

"I warned you not to make trouble, Fiona. But you just can't help yourself, can you?"

He stood up and slowly walked toward me, each step full of menace.

I took a step back and demanded, voice trembling,

"Where is my father? Did you do something to him?"

My heart thudded painfully. Deep down, I already knew the answer.

Alex didn't reply. Instead, his hand suddenly shot out and grabbed my jaw—hard. His grip was bruising.

"Where are the three sisters? Tell me now, or I swear, I'll kill you!"

I struggled against him, tears stinging my eyes from the pain.

"I—I don't know! I've been in the hospital this whole time!"

He glanced at my hospital gown and sneered.

"You think I'll fall for this pathetic act? Throwing on a hospital gown to play victim? I'm not that stupid, Fiona."

"I said I don't know! Why won't you believe me?"

I choked out the words, my wolf howling in agony deep inside me. I could feel her pain as if it were my own.

Alex's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening.

"Then you'll never see your father again. Let's see how long you can keep lying."

Suddenly, the door was thrown open.

His guards stormed in—with the three sisters trailing behind them.

They were sobbing, their hair messy, clothes torn just enough to appear distressed—but not truly harmed.

They ran straight into Alex's arms like lost children.

"Alex, it was horrible," Jessica cried, clutching his chest. "We were kidnapped by wolves in black masks. They ripped our dresses and threatened us to leave you."

"One of them said it was Fiona who sent them," Elsa whimpered, wrapping her arms tightly around Alex's neck like a frightened pup.

Catherine pointed toward the entrance, her voice ice-cold.

"Yeah, ask the rogues yourself. They're still tied up outside."

Alex turned slowly, like a beast on the edge of shifting.

His claws extended, and his aura grew so intense, the air turned thick with danger.

He grabbed one of the rogues by the throat.

"Who ordered you? Speak. Or die."

The rogue coughed, panicked.

"It was… her! She gave us money—told us to kill the girls!"

Alex turned to the second one and snarled, his claws digging in.

"You. Confirm it."

"I swear—she paid us!" the second rogue screamed.

Before I could react, Alex's hand slammed across my face with full force.

I flew backward through the air like a ragdoll, crashing against the corner of the table. A searing pain shot through my waist as I collapsed to the floor.

Gasping for air, I lay there, too stunned to move.

Meanwhile, Alex knelt beside the three sisters, checking them over with trembling hands. Once he was sure they were safe, he smiled.

"Perfect. You're the best gift the Moon Goddess could've given me."

"Tomorrow, our bonding ceremony will be unforgettable."

Then he turned and looked at me lying broken on the floor.

And in his eyes—

There was nothing but contempt.

"Make sure she doesn't leave this room."

Alex ordered coldly, not even sparing me a glance as he walked away.

"Alex! Please—where is my father? The three sisters are safe now. Just let him go!"

I tried to reach out, but the guards stepped in and grabbed me by the arms, their grips rough and unkind.

Alex didn't turn back.

"You'll see him—after the ceremony."

His voice was distant, final.

As the door slammed shut behind him, the air turned heavier.

I was still reeling when the guards exchanged a glance I didn't like.

One of them sneered.

"Still acting like a Luna, huh? Even as an ex-mate, you're quite the sight..."

I stepped back, heart pounding, but there was nowhere to run.

Their laughter echoed around the room—crude, twisted, wrong.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted, voice trembling but fierce.

But they didn't stop.

When I wake up the next day, all of them had gone.

I looked down at myself—wounds still raw, bruises dark across my skin—but I didn't have time to care.

Dragging my battered body forward, I moved through the corridor like a ghost, searching for one last flicker of hope.

Then I heard it—a faint noise behind the restroom door.

I pushed it open.

And the world stopped.

My father was tied to a chair, his wrists bound tightly, his mouth gagged with cloth soaked in blood. His head hung to the side, motionless.

"Dad?"

I rushed to him, voice trembling, hands fumbling to untie the ropes. But the moment I touched his skin—cold. Ice cold.

Blood had dried beneath his nose.

His chest didn't rise.

"Dad!" I screamed, my voice cracking the silence like a whip. "Please, open your eyes!"

He didn't move.

My hands slipped as I held him tighter, sobbing silently now. The kind of grief that has no sound, no breath—just the hollow echo of everything lost.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." I whispered, pressing my forehead to his. "You died because of me…"

Something inside me snapped.

My vision blurred as hot blood filled my mouth. I clenched my fists so tightly my nails pierced skin.

"Alex... I will never forgive you."

A wave of black overtook me.

I collapsed, my father still in my arms, as everything faded into silence.