Alpha

My wolf got angry when I read that he’d asked her to come down to him. So that’s how he managed to take her? Her hatred and mistrust of me had led her into Marcus’s trap.

Regrets clung to me like leeches, sucking away all peace.

Will she ever forgive me?

To rid myself of these terrible thoughts I couldn’t control, I took out my phone and called my mother, knowing she must be very worried.

"Mom, I saved her. Marcus, his mother, and Cassidy were behind all of this." Mom gasped loudly into the phone. The people she loved and trusted had betrayed her and me in the most horrific way.

She was silent for a long moment before saying in a choked voice, "I feel like I don’t recognize people anymore, Kane. How they toyed with my emotions, planning to hurt an innocent girl. I can’t believe it."

"Me too. This is a lesson for both of us. Trust only family." I exhaled, placing my fist on my hip.

"Give them hell, Kane. I know you won’t leave them to the police. I want their screams to echo through your prison for a long time," Mom said cynically, and I realized all her love for these monsters had died.

"That’s my plan. Tell Dad to evacuate Marieke’s family from my empire. If I find any of them when I return, it will be their last day."

"Leave it to us. Focus on Zara and provide her with the best possible care," Mom said worriedly.

"That’s my plan." The conversation ended, and I looked at the fireworks in the sky, symbolizing the beginning of a new year.

A year that would bring so many changes to my life.

Was I even ready?

It didn’t matter because I had already sold myself to the dark side.

As long as she was safe.

We approached the hospital, and Kaysir opened the door for me. As he came out, he draped my coat over my shoulders.

Olfi and Kaysir remained behind as we entered the emergency room waiting room and saw her family.

Zayar Kincaid paced the room restlessly, a grim expression on his face, while her brother sat tensely, her best friend resting on his shoulder.

I approached the man, and as usual, he tensed upon seeing me. It seemed Zara was still in surgery. As expected, her father lashed out at me. He wouldn’t let me see her, as if she were his property.

I knew Zara, and I weren’t on the best of terms, but I needed to apologize, I needed to see her and hug her, if she’d let me.

This decision was entirely hers. I will respect her wishes, whatever she decides, but I will never stop asking for forgiveness.

So, I told her father the secret I knew no one but her and I knew.

"My mate is pregnant with my child, and not even her father can stop me from seeing her."

Ziar Kincaid was more than stunned. The two lovers sitting in the seats also flinched, as if struck by electricity. Her father, it seemed, was a very calculating and level-headed man. It seemed all of that collapsed when it came to his daughter.

The expected blow came faster than I expected and hit harder than I could have imagined. For his age, he knew how to hit. It made me understand what Zara had meant when she said, "My father trained me."

The sound of my broken nose echoed through the empty waiting room, followed by Sophia’s sigh. Both my bodyguards rushed forward to restrain him.

"No," I replied calmly, clutching my bleeding nose. "Step back," I ordered, and they reluctantly complied.

Ryan stopped his father from attacking me again.

"You fucking bastard..." Zayar screamed, his eyes filled with nothing but hostility.

The nurse behind the counter had to intervene.

"This is a hospital. Not a wrestling arena. Take your arguments outside, or I’ll have to call the police." She glared at us all and pointed to the door.

Olfi handed me a napkin to stop the bleeding, which was now dripping onto my shirt. Yes! I’ll need to clean my nose.

"As soon as she wakes up, I’ll come back to talk to her." I turned and nodded at Kaysir. "My man will stay here until then."

Their shocked faces and angry glances followed me as I walked away, Olfi following close behind.

"We need to take you to the doctor. The cut on your nose doesn’t look good," Olfi said.

"I said, following me outside."

He held the door for me as I climbed in.

I wanted to give her family some space, knowing that after such shocking news, they’d need time to process what had happened.

The car drove away quietly into the night, but I’ll be back soon.

Hopefully, when she wakes up.

***

Zara

I drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness for a while before finally opening my eyes. Even then, my eyelids felt so heavy I could barely keep them open. At least there was no pain.

Where am I?

The last thing I remembered was that bastard Marcus torturing me.

So why wasn’t it painful?

My eyes finally focused, and before I could panic, I found myself in bed, a kind face with a wide smile looking back at me.

I had no idea who she was, but she didn’t seem hostile, and people can be deceiving. Marcus had smiled at me just like that before taking me hostage.

Panic washed over me like a tsunami, and I tried to crawl away from the woman.

"Stay away, who are you? Don’t come near me!" I screamed at her, trying to get up. But I was dependent on IVs and all that.

"Relax, no one will hurt you." The smile vanished from her face as she stepped back, giving me time to catch my breath.

She was dressed all in white. Am I really in heaven? Did that bastard really kill my baby and me? I looked at my hands and saw they were bandaged. Instantly, they wrapped around my stomach.

I gasped. "My baby?"