Chapter 4

He glanced at Marcus. Bone-chilling eyes.

"Or your partner's daughter. Tonight, she guards the entire sector alone. One girl, patrolling past the border wards, surrounded by those feral beasts."

Marcus's face turned deathly pale.

"You're threatening me with my daughter's life!"

Marcus's voice shook.

Hector didn't answer. He just looked back at me.

"And this trash lab of yours. If my daughter dies... Tomorrow, this place gets leveled. I'll burn it to the ground."

Chloe stepped forward again. Begging eyes.

"Dr. Valerie. Hector and I grew up together. My daughter is like his own flesh and blood. Please save her, okay?"

She reached out, trying to grab my arm to play nice.

"My daughter is in there. She must be so scared. So cold. The wolfsbane is melting her from the inside out!"

I yanked myself back. I dodged her touch.

"Don't touch me."

Chloe's hand froze in midair. A flash of annoyance crossed her face.

Then she quickly switched back to her pitiful, wronged look.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to offend. I'm just so worried."

Hector pulled her back to his side. He glared at me. A low, warning growl rumbled in his throat.

"Last time. Your answer."

I shook my head. "No."

He laughed. A wild, arrogant laugh.

"Fine."

He pulled out his phone. He dialed a number right there.

"Hello? Northern Border Watchtower? Make the new girl, Maya, guard all high-risk patrol points tonight. Yes. Alone. Deep into the redwood forest."

Marcus snapped. He charged like a madman. His eyes completely crimson.

"Hector! You bastard!"

A guard instantly stepped up. He shoved Marcus to the ground.

Marcus hit the dirt hard. He smashed his forehead. Blood seeped out.

"Valerie!"

He scrambled up. He fell to his knees right in front of me again.

"Please! Save my Maya!"

Hector hung up. He watched the scene with a victor's smirk.

"See? Such a simple thing. You just had to do this the hard way."

I looked at the blood oozing from Marcus's forehead.

I looked at him kneeling on the freezing ground. Shaking in total despair.

Then, I looked up at Hector.

Ten years ago, it was like this. Now, it's still like this.

Other people's lives were just bargaining chips to him. Made to be crushed and sacrificed.

"You think I'm scared?"

"Doesn't matter if you are." He shrugged lightly.

"If you don't go, his daughter gets torn to shreds tonight. Your lab gets shut down. Risking everyone's future and lives for your pathetic stubbornness. Is it worth it?"

Chloe stepped up again. Voice as gentle as a viper's tongue.

"Dr. Valerie, you really just need to visit the hospital once. Then this is all over. You get the money. I'll tell Hector to spare your lab. And Marcus's daughter comes back safe."

She smiled.

"I mean, why do this to yourself?"

I closed my eyes. I took a deep breath of the freezing air.

The smell of bleach mixed with the biting autumn chill. It scraped my cheeks like blades.

I opened my eyes. My gaze pinned Hector's face like poisoned daggers.

My voice wasn't loud. But it burned with fatal resolve.

"I will never save that girl. Just like ten years ago. You gave the pack's only antidote to this bitch's daughter for a pathetic little allergy. You let our pup scream to death under the torture of wolfsbane."

I ripped off my medical mask. Revealing the horrific, jagged scar where my mate mark used to be.

"Hector. If you force me to go today, I will personally inject lethal poison into your precious daughter's veins. I'll let her taste exactly how my daughter died."

The words dropped. The air instantly froze.

The severed mate bond. Ripped wide open in a bloody mess right here and now.