Chapter Four

Author's POV

“Stop!!! Please…… Stop!!!”

Rhea's voice cracked as she shrank against the corner of the filthy cart, her nails clawing at the rough wood behind her. Her eyes were wild with terror, chest rising and falling as panic wrapped around her.

"Stop?" one of the rogues chuckled, his voice thick with mockery. "Your Alpha gave you to us. You belong to us now. You think we care about your screaming? Most of us haven’t tasted a woman in months. And tonight? You’re ours."

The words twisted in her chest like a knife. Her throat tightened, and she gasped for air as another man climbed into the cart.

His gaze devoured her with sick hunger. She recoiled, but he yanked the rope binding her and dragged her down like she weighed nothing. The others gathered like vultures, laughing, ready to tear her apart.

"Wait!" Rhea cried out, desperation flooding her voice. "I can pay you! I swear! More money than you’ve ever dreamed of!"

For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then their laughter exploded through the air.

"Did you hear that?" one man howled, clutching his sides. "She says she has money! You hear that, boys? The whore Alpha Logan tossed out thinks she’s still a princess!"

Rhea's voice trembled. "I’m the only daughter of the Griffith family. We’re the richest in Crescent Fur Pack."

The name landed heavily. Even these savages had heard of the Griffiths. Tales of gold walls and diamond chairs weren’t just rumors. For a moment, their lust paused, replaced with greedy curiosity.

Then one of them spoke. "Fifteen million. If you’re worth anything, you’ll get that."

Rhea’s stomach dropped. Fifteen million. Her parents would never lift a finger, not after throwing her away. But she had her own fortune, a silver mine, hidden and carefully built over the years. "Fine. I’ll transfer it. Just give me a phone."

They tossed her a cracked old phone like it was a bone. Her hands trembled as she punched in the number, praying her asset manager picked up.

The line clicked instantly. "...Hello?"

"It’s me, Rhea. Listen to me carefully. I need you to transfer fifteen million to this account right now. The number is....."

"Miss Rhea, I’m sorry. Your accounts have all been frozen."

Her heart stopped. "What do you mean? Why?"

"Your parents ordered it. Everything you owned has been seized. Cash. Real estate. Stocks. Jewelry. Even your offshore accounts."

She staggered back, barely able to stand. Her voice cracked. Now, she knew the whole world was against her, even the moon goddess. "They can’t. That money is mine. I earned it. I built it myself."

"They said it was Griffith wealth. And since you’re being exiled to rogue territory, you don’t need money anymore. You are not more part of the family."

She couldn’t breathe. Her fortune, everything she fought for, everything that gave her a sliver of independence, was gone. Stripped from her like the rest of her identity. Her family didn’t just abandon her. They destroyed her completely.

The line went dead.

The rogues were watching her closely now. Their amusement turned to suspicion.

"So? Where’s our money?"

Rhea’s voice cracked, her body trembling. "It’s not coming…… they took everything."

The silence that followed was short-lived. One rogue’s voice rose with fury. "You lying bitch! You played us!"

They lunged. Hands grabbed at her, filthy nails ripping through the thin fabric of her clothes. Their touch made her stomach twist with fear.

Her pulse roared in her ears, and without thinking, she drove her knee hard into one man’s stomach. He groaned and stumbled back, cursing.

She didn’t wait. She ran. Her legs moved before her mind caught up. She pushed through the undergrowth, brambles clawing at her arms. Behind her, the rogues howled.

"Catch her! Don’t let that bitch escape!"

She ran faster. Her lungs burned. Every breath cut through her like glass. But she didn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop.

Then came the sound that shattered everything—a gunshot.

Pain exploded in her leg, white-hot and merciless. She screamed as her body hit the ground. Her hands dug into the dirt. She tried to crawl, but the world spun.

They were coming. She could hear their boots, their growls, their excitement. She was going to die here. Or worse.

Tears filled her eyes. She thought of Natalie’s fake smile. Logan’s cold stare. Her mother’s silence. Her father’s disappointment. They had taken everything from her. And they were laughing in the safety of the pack house while she bled out in the dirt.

"Who goes there!" a voice thundered from deep in the forest.

The rogues froze.

"Shit! It’s the Golden Claw Pack warriors!" one of them shouted, running dearly for his life. The Golden Claw Pack were the strongest and richest pack in the Northern region. Even the packs in the Southern region feared them. The pack name itself alone wreaked terror in the heart of powerful Alphas of the world.

In the blink of an eye, the woods were flooded with warriors. Their silver armor glinted in the moonlight, blades flashing. Screams echoed as the rogues scattered like rats. Those who hesitated were slaughtered without mercy.

A man knelt beside Rhea, breathless. His voice was gentle but urgent. "Miss, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Rhea opened her mouth but no words came. Her lips quivered.

"She’s hurt badly! We need to move now! Someone help me!"

Strong arms lifted her carefully. The world tilted, lights blurring together. Her body was limp, her mind barely clinging to awareness.

"Wait," one soldier muttered, leaning in closer. "I know her... she’s Alpha Logan’s Luna."

"The same one he rejected? I thought she vanished."

The man who recognized her stood straighter. "We don’t answer to Crescent Fur. If Logan wants to question us, let him take it up with Alpha Xerxes. We save her. Now."

They carried her to the waiting car and sped away.

Rhea lay on the stretcher, her face pale, her mind floating between pain and silence. Then came the sharp scent of disinfectant, voices whispering around her. Doctors leaned over, faces startled, voices hushed.

"Look... the mark on her lower back. A golden claw mark….. it’s real."

"Tell Alpha Xerxes. Right now!! This is the girl he’s been searching for."

Far away, in the Alpha’s suite of the Golden Claw Pack, a very handsome young man stood at his desk, flipping through reports. The door burst open.

"Alpha Xerxes!"

Then the soldier sauntered in, breathing heavily, eyes bright.

"We found her!! The woman with the golden claw birthmark. She’s here."

Alpha Xerxes froze. "Are you sure? Her scent? Her age?"

"Everything matches. She was taken twenty-two years ago. Switched in the delivery room. We found your sister."

His hands trembled. He didn’t try to stop the tears. "My sister..........she’s alive?!"

He turned sharply. "Take me to her. Now!!!"

"As you wish, my Alpha."