CHAPTER 4

"Track her," Cameron barked into his comms, his voice shaking with a vibration that wasn't just the helicopter’s rotors. "I want to know where that bird lands and who owns it."

Lexi clutched his arm, her scent sour with fear and jealousy. "Why do you even care, Cam? She’s a traitor. She probably had this 'alpha' waiting in the wings the whole time we were mated."

Cameron shook her off, his jaw tightening so hard a tendon jumped in his neck. "Shut it, Lexi. I have to report this to Naomi. If she finds out I let her favorite 'relic' disappear into thin air, there’ll be hell to pay. Sierra’s life is nothing to me, but my pack’s reputation is."

Lexi gnashed her teeth, a low growl vibrating in her throat. She hated how Naomi Brooks always looked at Sierra like she was a queen in waiting.

The Northlands blurred beneath us. Freedom tasted like the biting wind whipping through the cabin.

Thirty minutes later, the helicopter descended toward the roof of a fortress-like structure overlooking the jagged peaks. As the skids touched down, two rows of wolves in obsidian tactical gear snapped to attention.

"Welcome home, Lady Sierra!" their voices boomed in a unified roar that vibrated in my chest.

I stumbled back. This wasn't a rescue; it was a military honors ceremony.

At the end of the line stood Patricia, looking smaller than usual, and a man who looked like he had been carved out of the mountain itself. He wore a dark, tailored suit that couldn't hide the massive frame of a high-ranking predator.

"Sierra, you're here." Patricia rushed forward, pulling me into a crushing hug. "I knew you were suffering in that Steele den. Thank the Moon you’re out. You can start over now. No more hiding."

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

"Come," Patricia said, wiping a tear. "Meet your eldest. This is Landon Vaughn."

I looked up at Landon. He was beautiful in a terrifying way—stark, arrogant, and radiating a dominant power that made the air feel heavy. He looked exactly like the kind of Alpha who broke worlds for breakfast.

Landon scanned me. I felt the weight of his gaze on my thin wrists, my ragged clothes, the exhaustion etched into my face. His knuckles whitened as he balled his fists, his scent turning sharp and jagged with a protective fury he was clearly trying to suppress.

"Um... hi," I whispered, the word feeling small. "Nice to meet you."

Landon winced. The distance in my voice seemed to hit him harder than a physical blow. He moved toward me tentatively, as if I were a wounded animal that might bolt.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. "Anything at all. Name it."

I looked at my scuffed boots. "I want to go home."

Landon’s eyes darkened. Home. He probably thought of the Steele Residence. He didn't know that for me, home was a tiny, drafty room where I hid from the world.

"We’re not going back there," Patricia intervened, sensing the tension. "Your brothers and the rest of the Vaughn Circle are converging as we speak. You’ll meet them, and then we go to the Vaughn Estates. Home is where the blood is, Sierra."

Landon led us toward the elevators. "I've secured the top three floors. We'll eat first. You look like you haven't been fed in a week."

We descended into a lavish dining hall. It was all gold leaf and ancient stone—the kind of place Cameron only took his 'real' associates. I felt like an intruder.

Landon stepped away to take a call. A woman’s voice—bright and sharp—came through the speaker. "Dominic? I’ve got the deeds to the valley, the silver-fox furs, and the keys to the armored fleet. Tell me what she likes."

Landon sighed, rubbing his temples. "Set it aside, Ivy."

"Why?"

"She isn't interested in the gold, Ivy. I think... I think I've already messed this up. She looks at me like I’m a stranger. Because I am."

"Of course you are, you idiot! You lost her for twenty years. You can't just throw villas at her and expect a hug. Try being a human for once. Or at least a brother."

In the restaurant lobby, Patricia squeezed my hand. "Landon’s rich, Sierra. Beyond Steele's wildest dreams. You'll never have to scrap for a meal again."

"Rich families are just bigger cages, Auntie," I muttered. "I was dumped once. Who says they won't do it again?"

"Don't you dare say that! You’re a Vaughn."

Suddenly, the glass doors hissed open. Two people I never wanted to see again stormed in: Bob and Mary, my adoptive parents.

"There she is! The ungrateful little bitch!" Mary shrieked, her voice echoing off the marble.

"You found your gold mine and forgot the people who kept you alive?" Bob spat on the floor. "We took you in when you were a stray! We saved you!"

I stepped in front of Patricia, my eyes cold. "You didn't save me. You used me as a servant. You let me starve until Aunt Patricia forced you to give me up. And Uncle James? He’s dying because you refused to pay his debts."

Mary lunged forward, her claws half-extended. "I'll teach you some respect, you brat—"

"Who thinks they're touching my sister?"

Landon’s voice didn't just carry; it commanded. He strode over, the air around him crackling with Alpha pressure. The bodyguards moved like shadows behind him.

Mary froze, looking up at Landon’s towering frame. "I'm her mother! I'm disciplining my child!"

"She is a Vaughn," Landon said, his voice deathly quiet. "She was never yours."

Bob’s eyes lit up with sudden greed. "Oh, so you're the rich brother? Look, raising a kid isn't cheap. We want compensation for the years of food and shelter. Five million. Cash."

Mary nodded frantically. "Yeah! Five million or we tell the press you're harboring a runaway!"

Landon tilted his head, a dark, amused smirk playing on his lips. "Only five million? You're insulting her."

He stepped closer, his shadow swallowing them both. "My sister is worth at least a hundred million in blood-debt alone. Tell me... how would you like to be paid? In gold... or in broken bones?"