Natalie~

I gripped my father's hand as I struggled to keep up with his long, urgent strides. My legs ached, my breath came in sharp gasps, yet I forced myself forward. Slowing down wasn't an option. My world had already fallen apart.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I risked a glance up at him. "Dad," I asked hesitantly, my voice sounding small. "With everything going on, do you think Alpha Darius will even listen to us?"

My father glanced down at me, his usual warm gray eyes clouded with something I rarely saw in them—fear. "I'll explain everything, Natalie. He'll understand. Just stay close."

I nodded, though dread clawed at my stomach.

Ahead, the Alpha's residence loomed, a fortress of dark stone and towering columns. The structure was as imposing as the man who ruled from within—Alpha Darius Blackthorn. A leader both respected and feared. My father, Evan Cross, was his Beta, his most trusted warrior. But today, my father didn't carry the usual confidence of a man who stood beside the Alpha.

Today, he looked like a man desperate for a miracle.

We entered the grand foyer, its high ceilings and flickering torchlight drawing shadows along the walls. The polished floor gleamed beneath our feet, but no warmth came from the massive stone fireplace. My father barely acknowledged any of it as he strode forward, his steps echoing down the corridor.

When we reached the Alpha's office, he knocked once.

"Enter," came the deep, commanding voice from within.

My father pushed open the heavy wooden door, and I followed.

Alpha Darius sat behind a massive oak desk, his broad shoulders squared, his black eyes sharp as a predator's. A jagged scar cut across his left cheek, only adding to his fierce presence. But when his gaze landed on me, the usual severity in his face softened for a brief moment, a flicker of familiarity I had come to cherish.

"Evan," the Alpha said, his voice steady but firm. "Why are you here? And why does your daughter look like she's seen a ghost?"

My father stepped forward, his hands gripping the edge of the desk. "Darius, it's Isla. She's been taken." His voice wavered, raw with emotion. "I came home this morning and found Natalie in tears. She told me Isla was taken yesterday."

Alpha Darius's brows furrowed. "Taken? By who?"

"We don't know," my father said, his voice cracking. "But I need to go after her. I have to find her."

The Alpha's face hardened. "Evan, this is serious, but you know what today is. The royal family will be here in a few hours. We can't afford distractions. You have responsibilities."

"Darius, please," my father pleaded. "She could be in danger. I'm begging you—let me go."

Alpha Darius leaned forward, his eyes dark as a storm. "No." The word was final. "You are the Beta. Your absence would be an insult to the pack. After the royals leave in four days, I will personally help you find her. But until then, you stay here."

"Four days?" My father's voice broke. "Darius, she could be dead by then! Please, I'll go alone—I just need your permission."

The Alpha's face turned to stone. "No. That is my final decision. Now go and make sure everything is flawless."

My father stood frozen for a moment, his shoulders trembling with barely contained grief. He didn't argue. He didn't fight. But I could see it—the anguish, the helplessness tightening around him like a noose.

As we walked out of the office, his silence was heavier than words. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought he might crack his teeth.

But I knew my father.

And I knew that no force in the world—not even the Alpha himself—could keep him from going after my mother.

Instead of taking me home, he led me to Malcolm's house. His parents welcomed us warmly, though their smiles faltered when they saw my father's expression.

Crouching in front of me, my father took my hands in his own. His grip was strong, but his eyes… his eyes were full of sorrow. "Stay here, Natalie. I'll bring your mother back. I promise."

"But what about the Alpha?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "What if he gets mad?"

My father forced a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and we did our secret handshake—a silly series of taps and gestures that usually made me laugh.

But this time, I couldn't smile.

"I love you, Natalie," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"I love you too, Dad."

He pulled me into a tight hug, holding on longer than usual.

And as I watched him walk out the door, a terrible feeling settled in my chest.

A feeling that told me this might be the last time I would ever see him.

********

That afternoon, I walked with Malcolm's family—his mom, dad, sister, and twin brothers—toward the celebration, despite everything, a bit of excitement thrummed in my veins. The royal family had always been a mystery to me, whispered about in stories and legends. Chosen by the goddess herself, they were said to carry divine blood. My mother often spoke of an ancient prophecy—every two thousand years, the goddess would send her beloved daughter into their lineage, a celestial heir destined to bring light and joy to the world. But no such heir had appeared yet.

Still, the royal family remained a force of power, shrouded in mystery and unquestionable respect.

But my excitement was short lived.

We hadn't even made it to the party grounds before two enforcers blocked our path, their massive bodies looming over us like unmovable statues. Their eyes were sharp, cold. "The Alpha wants to see you," one of them said, his voice slicing through the evening air.

The world around me seemed to slow. Malcolm's mother squeezed my shoulder, but her fingers trembled. No one argued. No one asked why. We simply followed.

As the guards led me through the village, the laughter and music of the celebration faded behind us, swallowed by the heavy silence pressing in.

Inside the living room Alpha Darius prowled like a caged animal, every step exuding tension and contained power. Seeing this, I prepared myself for whatever was coming.

The instant we stepped into his presence, his gaze snapped to me, and his rage detonated.

"Where. Is. He?"

The words exploded from his lips, each syllable laced with raw authority.

My mouth went dry.

He didn't need to say a name. I knew exactly who he meant.

"I—he went to get my mom," I stammered, my voice came out small, weak.

Alpha Darius turned his burning gaze to Malcolm's father.

"Is that true?"

Malcolm's father hesitated, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. "Yes, Alpha. He dropped Natalie off this morning and—"

"And you didn't see it fit to tell me?" Darius's voice dropped to a deadly whisper.

The silence that followed was terrifying.

"I... I didn't think I had to," Malcolm's father managed, sweat beading at his temple. "The Beta often leaves Natalie with us—"

"Shut up!"

The word cracked like a whip.

Alpha Darius stepped forward, his presence making everyone in the room shrink, his fury was like a storm barely held in check. His eyes gleamed with darkness, even as a kid, I could see it.

"You think I'm a fool?" he hissed. "That I wouldn't notice my Beta missing on a day like this?"

I swallowed hard, my legs threatening to give way beneath me.

Darius's gaze snapped back to me, pinning me in place.

"What exactly did he say before he left?" he barked, his eyes locked onto mine like a predator hunting prey. "Did he mention where he was going? Who he thought took your mother?"

I shook my head rapidly. "Nothing! He didn't tell me anything—"

A cruel smirk twitched at his lips. "Lies."

He lifted a hand, and before I could react, his fingers clamped around my throat—not enough to choke, but enough to remind me who held the power in this room.

"You're lying to me," he murmured, his voice laced with quiet menace. "And I don't have time for games."

Terror pulsed through me like a living thing, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. "I swear, I don't know anything," I whispered.

Alpha Darius held my stare for a long, agonizing moment. Then, without warning, he released me with a shove, sending me stumbling back.

"Take them all," he commanded, his voice like thunder. "Throw them in the dungeon. We'll see how long before the truth comes spilling out."

Two guards grabbed me, their grips ironclad.

Panic surged through me. "No! Please, Alpha! I haven't done anything—"

My cries were ignored.

The last thing I saw before we were dragged away was Darius's cold, merciless stare watching me vanish into the darkness.

********

The cold, damp cell became my world for the next four days. Fear gripped my heart, hunger gnawed at my stomach and thirst burned my throat. Malcolm, his siblings and I huddled together for warmth, the fear in their eyes matching my own while their parents were put in another cell.

On the fifth day the enforcers hauled us out. We were weak and dirty and stumbled into the sunlight only to be marched straight to the execution grounds.

The crowd parted as we were forced to our knees in the dirt. Whispers reached my ears: "Traitor's daughter."

"They'll all die for this."

I stared at my parents. My mom looked broken and battered; her once bright blue eyes were empty, kneeling beside my dad who looked like he'd aged years in just days. Why did he come back? Dad shouldn't have brought mom back here.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to me as I knelt beside him. "Be strong, my little moon. The Goddess is with you."

Alpha Darius stepped forward, his presence commanded silence. His voice boomed out, cold and hard, cutting through the crowd like a lash.

"Evan Cross turned his back on this pack, abandoned his pack duties and shamed us before the royal family. His betrayal is inexcusable and for this he and his accomplices will die."

Darius's gaze swept over the gathered wolves, sharp and unrelenting. "As Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, I exercise my authority and sentence you all to death—by the bite of silver bullets."

Tears streamed down my face as I screamed, "No! Please!" But no one listened.

The enforcers raised their guns. One by one, they executed Malcolm's family, I watched them fall like candies. Then my mother. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground, and I felt my soul shatter. The Alpha saved my father for last, making him watch the carnage.

When they reached me, Darius sneered. "You'll live, Natalie. A walking reminder of your father's failure."

"No!" Father begged. "Please, don't punish her for my mistakes!"

Alpha Darius ignored him and pulled the trigger himself. Silencing him with a silver bullet. His body collapsed beside me, and I knelt in the blood-soaked dirt, surrounded by death and despair, as the Alpha's cruel smirk burned into my memory.

My life was over.