Alina's POV

Chapter 6

Alina's POV  

The world around me blurred, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I stared at the phone that had slipped from my hand. My mind refused to process the words I had just heard.  

My father. My mother. Tessy.  

Gone.  

A sharp ringing noise filled my ears, drowning out everything else. My hands trembled as I clutched at my chest, struggling to breathe.  

"Alina!"  

A strong pair of hands gripped my shoulders, shaking me slightly. I blinked, realizing Damien was in front of me, his face tight with concern. His voice cut through the chaos in my head.  

"What happened?" he demanded, his eyes dark with urgency.  

I couldn't speak. My throat closed up, the words choking me before they could escape. Instead, I grabbed the phone from where it had fallen, my fingers numb as I brought it back to my ear.  

"Wh—what do you mean they're gone?" My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.  

The person on the other end hesitated before responding. "I'm so sorry, Miss Alina. Your home was attacked. It was brutal. There were... no survivors."  

A strangled sound escaped my lips. My body went rigid, the weight of those words suffocating me.  

Damien took the phone from my shaking hand. "Who the hell is this?" he snapped, his voice laced with authority.  

There was a moment of silence before the caller answered, "This is Officer Graham from the security team. We arrived too late. The house was already burning when we got there. There were signs of a struggle. Miss Alina’s family... They didn’t make it."  

A shudder ran through me, my vision tunneling.  

No.  

No, this couldn't be real.  

Damien hung up abruptly, turning his full attention to me. "Alina, look at me." His voice was softer now, but I could hear the tight control behind it.  

I shook my head violently, backing away from him. "No. No, they can’t be dead. This is some kind of mistake!" My voice cracked, desperation clawing at my throat.  

Damien caught me before I could stumble, his grip steady, grounding. "Alina, I need you to breathe," he said, his forehead nearly touching mine. "We will find out who did this. But you need to stay with me right now."  

Tears burned my eyes, blurring my vision. My entire body felt cold, like all the warmth had been drained from me.  

Gone.  

They were gone.  

Tessy’s playful laughter. My father’s protective presence. My mother’s gentle touch.  

Ripped away.  

A deep, agonizing scream tore from my lips before I could stop it. My knees gave out, but Damien caught me before I could hit the floor, wrapping his arms around me. I clung to him, my body wracked with uncontrollable sobs.  

Minutes passed, or maybe hours. Time had lost all meaning. All I knew was the unbearable, soul-crushing pain.  

When my cries finally dulled to silent shudders, Damien pulled back slightly, his eyes unreadable. "Alina," he said firmly, "we need to go there."  

I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands fisting his shirt. "I want to see them," I choked out. "Take me there, Damien. Now."  

He hesitated for a second before nodding. "Alright. But you need to prepare yourself. Whatever happened… it was brutal."  

I swallowed hard, my jaw tightening. Brutal or not, I needed to see it with my own eyes.  

Because once I did, there would be no going back.  

I was going to find whoever did this.  

And I was going to make them pay.  

###  

We arrived at my family’s estate in record time. The second Damien parked the car, I was out, sprinting towards the house—or what was left of it.  

The mansion I had grown up in was nothing but charred ruins. Smoke still lingered in the air, the sickening stench of burnt wood and something far worse clinging to my nostrils. My stomach twisted violently.  

Officers were scattered around, but I barely noticed them. My legs moved on their own, carrying me forward until I saw it—  

Blood.  

Splattered across the stone pathway leading to the entrance.  

My breathing became erratic.  

My father’s blood. My mother’s. Tessy’s.  

A guttural sound rose from my throat, something between a sob and a growl. My entire body trembled with rage and grief.  

Damien was beside me in an instant, his hand gripping mine tightly. "Alina, stop," he said sharply.  

I wrenched free from his hold, stepping closer, desperate for answers. An officer moved to stop me, but I shot him a look so venomous he faltered.  

"I need to see them," I demanded.  

The officer hesitated, his face pale. "Miss Walker, their bodies have been taken away. The scene is… not something you should see."  

"Who did this?" My voice was ice.  

The officer exchanged a wary glance with Damien before sighing. "We're still investigating. But…" He hesitated, then lowered his voice. "There were signs of a wolf attack."  

A sharp, electric fury surged through me. My nails dug into my palms.  

A werewolf did this?  

Damien stiffened beside me, his own energy crackling with restrained anger. "Do you have any leads?" he asked coldly.  

The officer shook his head. "Not yet. But we'll find out."  

I wasn't going to wait for them to figure it out.  

I turned on my heels and marched back toward the car, my mind spinning with a single thought.  

Viktor.  

Damien caught up to me, grabbing my wrist. "Alina, wait."  

I faced him, my chest heaving. "It's him. I know it," I hissed. "Viktor did this. He threatened to take everything from me, and now my family is dead!"  

Damien’s jaw tightened, his eyes burning with the same fury I felt. "If it was Viktor, we’ll make sure he pays. But we need proof first."  

Proof?  

I didn't need proof. I needed revenge.  

"I’m going to kill him," I said, my voice shaking with unrelenting rage. "I don’t care what it takes, Damien. He’s going to die by my hands."  

Damien’s expression darkened, but he didn’t try to stop me. Instead, he nodded. "Then we do this right. Together."  

I met his gaze, and for the first time, I realized—Damien wasn’t just my fake mate anymore.  

He was my ally.  

And together, we were going to destroy Viktor.