Grayson took me back to Ethan’s pack territory. The familiar surroundings felt strange now, lik visiting a place from a distant dream.
The moment Ethan saw me approaching, his eyes widened with concern. He couldn’t help bu rush forward, his face filled with worry.
“Emma, what happened to you?” he asked urgently, his hands reaching toward me. “I heard you were injured. Are you-”
But before he could get any closer, Grayson gave him a warning look that made Ethan’s wol tremble deep inside his chest.
The Alpha King’s authority was absolute. Ethan froze mid–step, not daring to move another inch.
“She’s under my protection now,” Grayson said coldly. “You have no right to touch her.”
Ethan’s jaw clenched with frustration, but he stepped back obediently.
Grayson guided me toward the Silver Prison, a grim stone building at the edge of the pack territory. Ethan followed us at a distance, his worry evident despite Grayson’s warning.
As we approached the prison entrance, the scent of silver and despair filled the air. The guards bowed deeply when they saw Grayson.
“Show us to the prisoners,” Grayson commanded.
The head guard led us down a narrow corridor lined with silver–reinforced cells. The metal gleamed menacingly in the torchlight.
When we reached the deepest part of the prison, I could hear sounds of suffering echoing from
the cells.
The scene that greeted us was both tragic and satisfying.
My so–called parents were huddled in one corner of their cell, their bodies covered in bruises and cuts. Their clothes were torn and filthy.
Scarlett was in an even worse state, curled up like a broken doll. Her once–perfect hair was matted with blood and dirt.
They had been deliberately imprisoned with the rogue wolves who had been arrested because of their scheme. The rogues, furious about their capture, had been taking out their anger on the three conspirators.
Fresh wounds covered all of them. The silver bars of their cells had left burn marks on their skin wherever they had accidentally touched them.
‘Please,” one of the rogue wolves growled at Scarlett. “You said this would be easy money. Look where your lies got us.”
Scarlett whimpered and tried to crawl further into the corner, but there was nowhere to hide.
When the prisoners saw Grayson and me approaching, the entire corridor fell silent.
My father immediately dropped to his knees, pressing his face against the silver bars despite the pain it caused him.
‘Emma!” he called out desperately. “My daughter, I really know I was wrong. What I said before
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was just angry words–I didn’t really want to hurt you.”
His voice cracked with false emotion as he continued his plea.
“After all, you are my daughter. Please, talk to the Alpha King. Ask him to release your mother and me. We’re family!”
I looked down at him with cold amusement. A sneer twisted my lips.
“Am I really your daughter?” I asked, my new Alpha voice carrying authority that made him flinch. My father’s eyes showed visible panic, but he quickly tried to mask it with forced calm.
“Of course you are,” he stammered. “If you’re not my daughter, whose daughter could you be? Your mother and I gave birth to you and raised you.”
His voice grew more desperate as he continued.
“How can you think about not recognizing me as your father just because of this misunderstanding?”
I laughed sarcastically, the sound echoing off the prison walls.
“Give birth to me and raise me?” I repeated mockingly. “You mean feed me poisonous herbs to suppress my Alpha blood for years?”
My father’s eyes widened in complete shock. His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air.
For a long moment, he couldn’t say a single word to defend himself.
I reached into my jacket and pulled out a thick folder of evidence. With deliberate slowness, I threw it through the bars at his feet.
The papers scattered across the cell floor, each page documenting years of systematic poisoning.
His lips trembled as his eyes scanned the damning evidence. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead despite the chill of the prison.
“This… this isn’t…” he stuttered, but the words died in his throat.
“This is good news, actually,” I interrupted him coldly. “At least now I won’t be confused about why my parents never loved me anymore.”
The truth was liberating in its own twisted way.
Grayson moved closer and wrapped his arms around me protectively. His warmth contrasted sharply with the cold prison air.
“You will always have me,” he said softly, his voice gentle despite the fury I could feel radiating from him.
A little warmth bloomed in my chest at his words. For the first time in my life, I truly felt loved and protected.
My father tried to kneel again, reaching through the bars toward me with shaking hands.
“Please, Emma, I can explain everything-”
“Enough,” Grayson’s voice cut through his pleas like a blade. “I’ve heard more than enough.”
His ice–blue eyes turned to focus on my cowering parents.
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“Richard and Margaret Thompson,” he announced formally, “you are hereby sentenced to remain in the Silver Prison for the rest of your natural lives.”
My parents‘ faces turned ashen gray at the pronouncement. They knew what that meant.
In the Silver Prison, they would be whipped and burned with silver whips every day. Their wolves would be in constant torture and pain, slowly weakening until they could barely function.
For werewolves, being imprisoned here was far more painful than a quick death.
“No, please my mother finally spoke, her voice hoarse from screaming. “We’ll do anything! We’ll make it up to her
“Have mercy, Your Majesty! my father joined her desperate pleas.
But Grayson simply released the crushing pressure of his Alpha King authority.
The power slammed down on them like a physical weight, forcing them to their knees. Their bodies shook uncontrollably as they pressed their faces to the floor.
They couldn’t speak. They couldn’t even lift their heads under the crushing dominance.
Finally, Grayson’s cold gaze moved to Scarlett, who had been hiding in the corner throughout this entire exchange.
She was trembling so violently that her teeth were chattering. Blood and tears had dried on her face, making her look like a broken porcelain doll.
‘As for you… Grayson said slowly, his voice carrying deadly promise.
Chapter 26
