The silver blade pressed against my throat seemed to finally break through Ethan’s delusions. His face went completely white as he stared at the thin line of blood appearing on my neck.
“Emma, no…” he whispered, his hands dropping to his sides in shock.
The moment his grip loosened, I didn’t hesitate. I dodged around him and ran straight for the
front door.
My feet barely touched the ground as I sprinted away from the house that had become my prison.
Behind me, I could hear Ethan calling my name, but I didn’t look back. Not once.
I reached the main road and immediately flagged down the first car I saw–a taxi heading toward the city.
“Royal territory,” I gasped to the driver as I collapsed into the back seat. “Please, as fast as you
can.”
The driver nodded and pulled away from the curb. As we drove into the night, I finally allowed myself to breathe.
But the relief was short–lived. In the quiet of the moving car, my grief crashed over me like a tidal
wave.
I pulled out the small cloth bundle I had carefully gathered–the broken ceramic fragments and precious white powder that was all I had left of my grandmother.
My trembling fingers stretched toward the sharp pieces, tears falling silently onto the cold wreckage.
“Grandma, I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking with each word. “I couldn’t protect you. couldn’t keep you safe.”
The tears came harder now, years of suppressed pain pouring out as I mourned this irreparable loss.
“I’m so sorry, Grandma,” I sobbed quietly, trying not to disturb the driver. “You were the only one who ever really loved me, and I couldn’t even protect your memory.”
My phone suddenly vibrated against my leg, startling me out of my grief. Grayson’s name appeared on the screen.
I quickly wiped my eyes and tried to compose my voice before answering.
“Hello?” I said, hoping I sounded normal.
“Emma, sweetheart,” Grayson’s warm voice filled the car. “Have you finished packing your things? When will you be moving to the Royal territory?”
His concern and kindness made my chest tighten with fresh emotion.
“I’m… I’m on my way there now,” I managed to say, though my voice came out rougher than I intended.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Grayson’s voice changed, becoming sharper and
more alert.
Chapter 17
3/3 54.8%
7:41 pm D DD
“What happened?” he asked directly. “Your voice sounds wrong. What’s going on?”
I closed my eyes, trying to keep my composure. The last thing I wanted was to distract him from the important work he was doing at the border.
“It’s okay,” I lied, forcing my voice to sound steady. “Everything’s fine.”
But Grayson wasn’t fooled. His voice became low and dangerous, carrying the full authority of the Alpha King.
“Who bullied you?” he demanded. “Tell me right now. I’m coming back from the border immediately.”
The protectiveness in his tone made my heart skip, but I couldn’t let him abandon his responsibilities for me.
“No, Grayson,” I said quickly. “The border situation is more important. Your people need you.”
“James can handle everything here,” he said without hesitation. “The northern packs have sent reinforcements.”
His voice softened, becoming gentle but absolutely serious.
“Nothing is more important than you, Emma. Nothing.”
Hearing the deep concern and love in his tone broke something inside me. My nose burned as fresh tears started falling.
“I miss you, Grayson,” I whispered, unable to hold back the truth any longer.
“I’ll be there in a day,” he promised immediately. “Less than that if I can manage it. Hold on for me, okay?”
“Okay,” I whispered back.
After we hung up, I settled back into the seat and tried to rest. The journey from Ethan’s pack territory to the Royal lands was long–at least six hours by car.
The gentle motion of the vehicle and emotional exhaustion from the day began to make me drowsy. My eyelids grew heavy as the miles passed.
Just as I was starting to drift off, my phone rang again.
Ethan’s name flashed on the screen.
Without hesitation, I hit the decline button and sent his call to voicemail.
Almost immediately, the phone rang again. Ethan, persistent as always.
declined that call too.
But he kept calling. Again and again, the phone buzzing insistently in my hands.
was about to block his number entirely when a text message appeared on my screen.
‘Little Wolf, I know you are angry with me, but the situation is very urgent!”
The message made me pause. Ethan only used that tone when something was genuinely wrong.
My phone rang again. This time, I hesitated with my finger hovering over the decline button.
Against my better judgment, I answered.
‘What do you want, Ethan?” I said coldly.
2/
The moment I picked up the phone, his anxious voice came rushing through the speaker.
“Emma, thank god you answered,” he said, his words tumbling out in a panic. “The pack was attacked by rogues. Your parents were taken away.”
