4

LEONARDO

Fire had consumed the entire pack. The smoke had turned the sky colorless, and the silence—the eerie stillness of death—was all that remained. My hands trembled as I watched the bodies littered around me. They were all dead, and I had killed them.

Then, they brought her to me.

His daughter. Her name? I didn’t know it.

Her face was dirty, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was the last living being of the pack—the last one. But I wasn’t going to kill her. It would be too easy, too quick.

“Sell her. Sell her into slavery. Let her be a reminder that she belongs nowhere—a mockery to her father, who dared to betray me!”

The girl raised her head. She couldn’t have been older than five, yet her eyes—those eyes—held an emotion so strong, so potent, it almost consumed me. Almost.

My beta and half-brother, Jethro, picked her up without a fight. She didn’t struggle, didn’t cry, didn’t say a word. She only stared at me, her gaze sharp, like a knife cutting into me.

I turned my eyes away from her. Her gaze was pulling me in, as if it was an endless ocean, and I couldn’t drown in it. My next sight stopped my breath.

My mate.

She was lying among the pile of bodies I had killed. Her hair matted with blood, her face a gruesome display of death—half her flesh had been torn away, revealing the skull beneath.

Suddenly, she shifted.

I gasped.

“Why… why… why?!” Her body jerked in an unnatural, horrific movement.

I tried to run, but I stumbled and fell, crashing onto something warm. I turned to look, and it was her again—her mangled face staring back at me. It was horrifying

“Ahh!” I gasped, sitting upright, my heart racing. My bed was already soaked with sweats. 

I pressed my hand to my forehead, shaking. The dream wasn’t new. It had haunted me for fourteen years—the same torment, the same images. I had destroyed that pack, killed them all… but it was them who had betrayed me first. It was my mate who had been killed by that Alpha. He had betrayed me, not the other way around.

Yet, here I was, consumed by guilt. Why? Why was I the one to feel guilty?

It had to be the little girl from back then. The hatred in her eyes—it had pierced through me, cut deeper than anything else. And this was the reason I had been searching for her thinking she could bring an end to all of these nightmares. 

My beta, Jethro, told me he had sold her, but when he went to track down the buyer, they were gone. Since then, I’ve been looking for her. But the dream… it wouldn’t stop.

I got up from the bed, slipping on my slippers. I stepped into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. I hadn’t slept much, but the sun was already up. I made sure to stay awake at night to avoid these dreams, but it didn’t matter. No matter when I slept, the dreams always found me.

A knock came at the door.

“Come in,” I called out, my voice hoarse.

It was Jerald, my messenger who was responsible for my predicament. He was the one who harbored the slut that took my one chance at having an heir. She took the portion and then bolted for reasons best known to her. 

“Any news?” I asked walking over to the bed side table where a box of cigarette laid in the middle. I picked it up and lighted it before placing it between my lips. 

I didn't kill Jerald even after the mistake he made because I have any more blood on my hands, not after the massacre I led. It has been six month and we still haven't found her. She was a mere slut yet she hid so well. I had sent my men after her, promised rewards to anyone who could find her. All to no avail. Plus, Jerald was the only one who recognised her, I never looked at her face. 

But then I wouldn't deny that she was so good, especially with her mouth that I almost gave into the pleasure. One I hadn't done since the death of Bianca. 

Jerald hesitated. “Actually, yes. There’s a new restaurant. It’s run by women—no men allowed. The owner is six months pregnant, and she fits the description of the woman you’re looking for.”

I exhaled a puff of smoke, my mind racing. “Her face?”

He shook his head. “No, I didn’t get a good look. The restaurant uses masks—everyone wears one. Plus, men are not allowed in.” 

I chuckled darkly. “Nice tactic. The thief stole my baby and decided to hide behind a mask.”

I stood up, a surge of anger flooding through me. “Prepare the car, Jerald. We’re going to meet this thief. Even if I have to drag her back here, I will.”

He nodded quickly and left, closing the door behind him. I stared out the window, my thoughts a mess.

The door opened again. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was my half-sister. I recognized her voice without looking.

“Brother, you called me?” Her soft voice made me pause.

I turned to face her. “I did. I need to ask you something.”

She looked up at me, her eyes wide and trusting.

“All my exes—the women I’ve been with… did you take care of them like I asked you to?”

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, I did everything you told me. You always said to compensate them—buy them houses, cars, businesses outside the pack. I did it all.”

I stared at her, the briefest hint of satisfaction warming my chest.

 “Good.”

I had to be sure. Bianca—my mate—would have wanted them to be well taken care of. The same way I had promised to take care of her, to never betray her. The guilt I felt for selling that little girl into slavery all those years ago still gnawed at me. I had been angry—angry at her father for betraying me. But I knew Bianca wouldn’t have forgiven me for that. That’s why I searched for her. I needed to find her.

But I never did.