CHAPTER 3: DETERMINATION

KATHLEEN SILAS (Wolf: Leen)

Both men turned. Alpha Hades's brows shot up in shock and confusion. "Kathleen?"

It felt as if the ground should open and swallow me up. But let's face reality. If I left here, where else would I get the money from?

I found myself nodding repeatedly, Beta Fin's words still replaying in my head.

‘The pay will be generous, enough to change a life.’

"Y-yes, Alpha. Can I apply？," I said again, the words tasting bitter in my mouth.

My heart was pounding loudly. Goddess knew, at this point, I was already regretting it.

Beta Fin stood and began circling me, his eyes dragging from my head down to my toes as if he were inspecting me.

"Are you a virgin?" he asked, without holding back.

I gulped and nodded nervously. "Yes. I have known no man," I said, trying hard to keep my voice from shaking.

I was already hating myself.

No one would want to sell their body to become a surrogate mother. But I was left with no choice .

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Beta Fin asked, and for one strange second, it almost sounded like he was hoping I'd say no.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. I knew if I opened my mouth, I'd take it all back.

Fin considered me for a moment, nodding slowly. "Okay — but you'll have to apply. Other girls will apply as well. My Alpha will choose himself." Then he left.

I dragged my feet out of the Alpha's mansion and stood outside the gate. The realization finally seemed to be dawning on me.

I shook my head immediately. "Leen, I can't do it," I murmured. "I can't give up my body for another woman." I shook my head, heaviness settling in my chest.

I couldn't even bring myself to call the one person who had always been my anchor — Betty. Calling her now, about this, would feel like one more burden on her.

No. I'd have to handle this myself.

I quickly flagged down a cab, and he drove me back to the hospital, while I kept turning Beta Fin's words over in my head.

*

The moment I reached the hospital and stepped into my mother's ward, I found Toby fighting with my father. My mother was struggling to force out a word to stop them.

I barged in and threw myself between them, shoving Toby back by the shoulders as my father staggered against the wall, blood already welling at his lip from a blow Toby had landed.

"Toby, what happened?" I asked, gripping his shoulders to steady him, his fists still clenched, his whole body shaking with rage.

"I walked in here, and found Father — he — he—" He was stammering, struggling to get the words out, tears clouding his eyes, his lips quivering.

"Talk to me, Toby."

"Father was suffocating Mother with the pillow. He wants her dead!" Toby cried, and his knees gave out beneath him.

His words struck me somewhere deep in my chest, and my hands went weak and slid off his shoulders.

"Yes! I did it. She has to die!" my father suddenly yelled, pointing at my weak mother, who lay shaking, tears sliding into her ears.

Suddenly, I recalled his words to his mistress.

"How could you be so cruel!" I screamed, shoving him back. He staggered but caught his balance before he could fall.

"She's been sick for years. I was just helping her rest in—"

"Are you insane?!" I shouted at the top of my voice, unable to understand how a grown man could say something like that out loud.

Before I could blink, Toby lunged and threw himself at him again. Father wasn't expecting it — Toby's fists caught him across the face hard enough to draw blood.

"You should be the one to die, not my mother!" Toby shouted, throwing punch after punch.

Security rushed in to break up the fight, wrestling Toby back. Goddess, the boy was strong — he kept fighting them even as they hauled him off.

"To— Toby." My mother's voice broke through, weak and struggling, and the moment I heard it I turned and rushed to her side, sitting beside the bed.

"Mom." My voice cracked as I called out to her. She tried, shaking, to lift her hand toward Toby. I spun back around. "Toby, please — stop!" I yelled.

He stopped instantly, turned toward her, and rushed over, crying, taking her hands in his.

Security dragged my father out of the room.

Then my mother's eyes began sliding shut. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her. Her chest kept rising and falling, faster now, like her body couldn't decide whether to breathe or give up entirely, and her eyes rolled back.

"Mother!" We both shrieked, panic tearing through us.

I bolted out to call the doctors, and they came immediately, wheeling in machines I didn't have names for.

One of them said something about her heart giving out under the strain, about how a body and brain already fighting one battle couldn't survive being handed another.

Toby and I stepped outside to let them work. I already knew what would come next — they'd need money, and it would be soon.

I suddenly recalled Beta Fin. At this point, he was my only hope.

I turned to Toby. "Stay here. I'll be right back," I said. He stared at me, confused, but I just walked away.

I rushed outside the gate and flagged down a cab. "Take me to the Alpha's mansion," I said in a rush, trying to steady my breath.