Chapter 14 The Price of Blood
You think deleting the footage and stealing the ring means I’ve got no proof?
I held up my phone and shook it a little. “Don’t forget that night I passed through that intersection, and my food delivery app
tracked it.”
I smirked. “Sure, that delivery log might not be solid evidence that I saved Adrian, but Leticia doesn’t even have an order from that night. Don’t you think Adrian might start asking questions?
“But hey,” I added, calm and deliberate, “instead of stirring up trouble for myself and maybe never seeing a dime from Alpha King Adrian, I figured I’d let Leticia take the credit. That way, you’ll stop coming after me.”
I laid it all out like it was no big deal. The truth was that the delivery never even made it to the customer, which meant the app data was useless in court. That was why I didn’t speak up when Leticia lied straight to Adrian’s face. But against the Dunnes, who clearly had something to hide, even a bluff like this was enough to make them sweat.
Leticia stared me down for a long moment before speaking. “How much do you want?”
shrugged. “Since Luna Zoe went through the trouble of giving birth to me, I’ll cut you a deal. Let’s call it 100 million.” Zoe’s brows shot up. “A hundred million? Are you out of your damn mind?”
Leticia gave me a mocking little grin. “You’ve really lost it, Melissa.”
“You think you’re somebody?” She sneered. “You don’t even have a damn wolf. And you’re standing on our turf demanding a payout like you’re the queen of the pack?”
I was done arguing. I turned to leave.
“If that’s a no, then I’ll go straight to Mrs. Harlow. She’s the Alpha King’s grandmother and one of the Elder Wolves. She’ll make sure I get a fair deal.”
No matter how much they looked down on me, even the Dunnes wouldn’t dare cross her.
“Wait!” Just like I thought, Leticia called out before I could take another step.
“We’ll need to talk to Dad about this. Sit tight.”
She grabbed Zoe’s arm. “Come on, Mommy. Let’s go call him.”
The two of them disappeared into the house. I waited outside, arms crossed.
–
Then it hit me my ears were picking up everything. Every tiny sound inside the house: the clinking of dishes, the whoosh of a broom, whispers between maids.
Was it because my wolf had finally awakened? It was the only explanation I could come up with. The overload of background noise was starting to drive me nuts–until I caught wind of their voices. Leticia and Zoe.
“She’s greedy and dangerous,” Leticia hissed. “She looks just like me. As long as she’s alive, she’s a threat.”
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“And with Mrs. Harlow so taken with her,” she added, bitterness thick in her tone, “there’s no way I’ll ever become Adrian’s Luna with Melissa still in the picture.”
So that was her endgame–marry Adrian, no matter the cost.
Zoe’s voice sounded uncertain. “Leticia, I get it, but we still need her alive for the blood transfusions. And don’t forget, we already put her adoptive parents in the hospital. You want to go further than that?”
“Mom,” Leticia snapped, “are you serious right now? As long as Melissa’s breathing, she’s in my way. Unless …
Her voice dropped, cold and venomous. “Unless you make her fall into a vegetative state. If she’s in a coma, we can take all the blood we want. She won’t fight back. She won’t even know.”
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Her voice was rising now, practically trembling with rage.
“But what about Mrs. Camile?” Zoe asked nervously. “You said she’s got her eye on Melissa. If we make a move now…”
I stood frozen in place, fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms. Every word was burned into my brain.
Two months ago, Phillip and Zoe showed up out of nowhere, claiming they wanted to “bring me home” to the Silverblood Pack. But the condition? I had to donate blood to their son, who’d been poisoned by wolfsbane.
They said Leticia couldn’t risk weakening herself–being the Alpha heir and all–so they needed me like I was just a backup battery.
I refused without hesitation. Then, a month ago, my adoptive parents were hit by a car and nearly killed. While they lay in critical condition, the Dunnes came back, promising they’d cover the hospital bills if I agreed to donate blood.
I hesitated at that time. A part of me wanted to believe they wouldn’t go that far. They were my birth parents, after all. Surely they had some line they wouldn’t cross. Turns out I was just being naïve.
The truth was worse than I’d imagined. They didn’t just cross the line–they bulldozed over it.
My whole body trembled with fury. I grabbed the doorknob, ready to storm inside and confront them.
