Zayair

Children don’t always share such details with their parents. Precisely to avoid the kind of behavior I’d exhibited. I leaned back in the metal chair and closed my eyes.

There was no peace, only chaos.

"Daddy, please... for Zara’s sake. This kind of stress is bad for your health." I felt Ryan sit down next to me, placing his hand on mine.

I wanted to say so much, so many emotions were bursting to the surface, but Ryan was right.

If Alpha thought he would remain a part of my daughter’s life, he was sorely mistaken. I can remain silent for the sake of peace, but I will not let him near my daughter.

Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours, when the doctor finally came out to tell us the news.

The Alpha had left behind stood by the door the doctor had come out of, as if guiding her. We rushed to the doctor, hoping for at least some news. He gave us a weak smile.

"Hello! I’m Dr. Tames. She’s in stable condition. She’s still unconscious, but stable." Sophia hugged Ryan. They both rejoiced at these words, and I, holding back tears, listened to what he had to say next.

"We’ve examined her thoroughly. There are a lot of bruises, but no signs of sexual assault."

This news brought peace to my heart. "She’s severely dehydrated and exhausted, so we’ll be monitoring her for the next 48 hours." He paused, making sure we were all taking this in.

"She’s also in pain due to the nature of the wounds, so we’ve given her sedatives and painkillers. She just needs rest and peace, as this must have been very traumatic for her."

I simply nodded, biting my lower lip. I know she is a wolf and heals automatically. Ryan and Sophis listened attentively, nodding their heads occasionally.

"And yes, her unborn child was unharmed. The pregnancy is in its very early stages, but your daughter is very brave, and your grandson will be a very strong child." I knew the doctor added the last part to ease the tension, unaware that we hadn’t even known she was pregnant. He was merely confirming Alpha’s words.

I cringed at this news, unsure how to react or what to say. Ryan glanced at me and changed the subject.

"Thank you! Doctor Tames, we appreciate your concern for my sister. When can we see her?"

"We’ll keep her in intensive care for 48 hours. Judging by the initial reports and the questionnaire you filled out, she spent about 84 hours in captivity. Her body has been through a lot. Physical trauma, psychological trauma, starvation..." He looked at us sympathetically. Sophia grabbed Ryan’s hand, and I tried to stay on my feet.

"She needs time to recover. We’ll let you know... but for now, you can rest. Stay here, take turns." Dr. Tames smiled one last time and left.

Ryan turned to face me. "Dad, go to the hotel and rest. Sophia and I will stay here and call you when visiting hours are cleared."

"No way. I’m not going anywhere. You two get some rest tonight and come back tomorrow." I sat back down in the chair.

"Dad, you won’t argue with Alpha anymore... until we talk to Zara and get all the facts. We won’t talk to him. Promise me," Ryan said firmly, and Sophia agreed.

"Fine, but I’ll stay here until I see my daughter."

Ryan shook his head. "You’re turning into a stubborn old man."

I didn’t object and watched them leave. After that, we spent the next two days trying to maintain our sanity.

The detectives visited me regularly in the hopes that Zara would come to his senses and testify. They also informed me that there was no trace of him anywhere. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Neither Marcus nor his girlfriend was found. A wealth of evidence against them was found in their house, exonerating Alpha.

No one mentioned Alpha, and I concluded they had no idea Alpha had done anything to Marcus and his accomplice.

I chose a chair, stayed on it, and tried not to talk to Alpha when he returned later. My mood darkened, and I wanted to give him a few more blows, but I had to respect this place and the promise I made to my son.

He mostly ignored me, and I did the same. He was accompanied by his men, who took turns guarding the door to the intensive care unit.

Only once did he approach me and calmly say, "If you were involved in the murder of Doran Blackthorn and his burial in an unmarked grave, it would be to your advantage to move his remains. Karen knows about this and will talk to the police." After that, he casually left, as if nothing had happened.

Then I called Kyle, my trusted wolf, and told him to take care of it. The skeleton of the past had to stay buried.

Sophia and Ryan took turns bringing me food and drinks, but I didn’t budge. I didn’t leave because I wasn’t sure when Zara would wake up.

And then the nurse arrived with the news I’d been waiting for. "Mr. Kincaid, your daughter has woken up. She’s asking about you."

Joy finally settled in my heart. I’d finally see her.

I rose triumphantly from my seat, knowing that bastard could hear us. He stayed here, just like me, rarely leaving this place or going to bed.

His calculating gaze followed me as I walked toward Zara, but he chose silence.

***

Zara

"Calm down, Moonlight. We know, we know everything," Dad tried to take my face in his hands, but I shook my head.

"No, where is Alpha? Tell me the police didn’t catch him. He’s innocent, Dad. Marcus framed him," I said desperately, unable to control my heartbeat. It was pounding uncontrollably.

"The police found out. Alpha wasn’t caught. Relax," he replied, his expression hard, hostility clear in his eyes.

I knew I’d messed everything up... Dad knew everything, and he wasn’t going to forgive either Alpha or me.

"What about Marcus? Did they catch him? Did Alpha get to him first?" I had so many questions, and I knew he wouldn’t answer them all.