Chapter 42: Retribution
Chapter 42 Retribution
(Sarah’s POV)
I rushed into the sacred healing den, the scent of wolfbane and herbs choking the air Daniel lay on the makeshift bed, his face pale and forehead
slick with sweat.
ed to a faim
His wolf’s presence flickered weakly beneath his skin, its usual vibrant dominance reduced to a faint whimper
My heart clenched at the sight of my son–my pride, my future Alpha–laid low like this. But more than sympathy, a simmering fury boiled within me
Tell me what happened i demanded, stepping closer to him
Daniel struggled to sit up. His breath came in shallow gasps. “She humiliated me,” he rasped, his voice raw with a mix of rage and shame. His unfocused amber eyes barely looked at me as his fists clenched, trembling against the white linen sheets.
That greature, Scarlett, snuck into the Council gathering like she belonged there.” He spat the words like acid. “When I called her out, she struck me like I was nothing. Nothing
His voice broke on that last word, and through the bond I shared with him, I felt every fragment of his pride shattering anew.
I leaned in closer, speaking softly but firmly. “You’re not nothing. Daniel She’s the problem here, not you. She always has been
His breathing steadied slightly, but his amber eyes burned with renewed frustration “Mother, we can’t let her get away with this… She walked out of there like she owned the meeting, like she was untouchable. It was an insult to every pack leader!” He clenched his fiats tighter.
I placed a soothing hand on his arm, though my mind churned funously Scarlett had gone too far this time. Her audacity, her complete disregard.
And now, she’d dared to harm my son.
“We won’t let her I assured him, my voice low but firm with conviction. “Scarlett thinks she’s beyond consequences, that her so–called independence shields her. But we’ll remind her, Daniel. We’ll remind her exactly where she comes from and how easily it can all be taken away!
Daniel exhaled sharply, his jaw light. “Cut her off. Everything. Sacred chambers, hunting grounds, healing supplies, Take it all away”
I smiled bitterly. “Exactly what I had in mind.”
His wolf growled faintly, grudging approval simmering below the surface. Still, there was hesitation in his amber gaze.
“But he began, then stopped, visibly torn.
I narrowed my eyes. “But what?”
He shook his head. “She’s still… I don’t know, Mother, She’s still blood. It feels wrong to keep using her like this. Even after everything.”
“Desperate times require desperate measures, I snapped, cutting through his uncertainty. “She left us no ch
choice”
Daniel sagged against the pillows, clearly too exhausted to argue further. Through our pack bond, I could feel has shame fighting against anger, each
emotion pulling him in diferent directions.
I wouldn’t let his indecision slow us down. This wasn’t just about family anymore–it was about survival.
In Grace’s healing chamber, soft whimpers echoed through the sterile space. The sight of her tore at my heart. Her once radiant skin, now grayish
and laced with blackened veins. Her pale blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she lay trembling on the sacred stones.
Alexander hovered nearby, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He looked as though he’d break apart at any moment, his focus entirely consumed by Grace’s worsening condition.
“I can’t stand it,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. She shivered violently as if the room’s temperature had plunged into freezing depths. “The
scents in here.. they suffocate me. The herbs, the stones I can’t I can’t breathe.”
The desperation in her voice pierced my chest.
Alexander knelt beside her, his massive frame mere inches from collapsing himself. “Grace, he began, his voice cracking. “We’re doing everything we can. You have to hold on–please.*
wvrins.
She gasped, clutching weakly at his hands. “But every day is worse, 1-“Her voice faltered, trembling. 1 can feel it creeping through my
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Chapter 42 Retribution
Alexander. It’s like I’m already dying.….”
Her words tore through us both. Havoc rippled down the pack bond, her pain a weight we all carned
111 get you out of here.” Alexander said suddenly, his voice more resolute He turned to me, fire flickering behind his amber eyes
“We need to move her,” he said sharply, his Alpha tone leaving no room for argument. If this place is suffocating her, then we need to find somewhere
she can breathe again. Somewhere better”
“But where?” I pushed back gently, though I already knew what he would say
The seaside mansion” Alexander growled, his frustration nearly breaking free from his skin “That property it’s perfect. The air, the setting, the
privacy–it will help her. It has to
I sighed, shaking my head. “You’ve tried already. They won’t sell. Even tripling the offer hasn’t moved them”
1 don’t care he hit out, his eyes blazing with desperation. “Jason will offer five times.. ten times if we have for
Even my heart ached at seeing his resolve crumble against the realization that money couldn’t solve this. The mansion wasn’t just some property—it
was Scarlett’s now
Grace’s pitiful sobs echoed through the chamber again. The scent of her despair was overwhelming.
“She’ll die in here,” Alexander whispered. His head dropped low, his voice breaking. “We can’t let that happen”
I said nothing. His words reverberated through me, each one sinking like lead into my bones.
Later, I paced furiously across the study after receiving gossip from one reliable source. The image of Scarlett standing tall at her treatment center
enraged me.
Workers unloaded cart after cart of precious healing supplies. The very items Grace needed, now firmly on Scarlett’s turf, smugly guarded.
Claire, Scarlett’s secretary, had been efficient, expertly overseeing the chaos. Meanwhile, Scarlett–the rogue daughter I could no longer recognize
had distributed basic healing potions among her employees. A display, no doubt. Revealing her wealth, her growing power, her sudden independence.
Ignited my teeth. She had turned into someone I no longer controlled, no longer reached. The daughter I raised had dissolved into that cold.
calculating shadow of a wolf.
Fueled by frustration, I tried reaching Scarlett through business channels. With Jason’s help, I framed it as a simple inquiry about Daniel’s condition,
something neutral. It would have worked on the Scarlett I once knew.
But the Scarlett who answered wasted no time. Her voice–or her mocking laughter–barely lasted seconds before the rude “click” of her disconnection rang in my ear
I gripped the handset tighter, my nails biting into my palm.
She was toying with us, the way rogues toyed with prey–showing her power, her detachment, her disregard for the family she once begged to be
part of
by were a warning.
But the marks outside her center and home? Those glowing protectors, steeped in the foreign aura of that mysterious Alpha? They No wolves of mine dared intrude now.
Sophie stormed into view next, having tried her own attempts to reach Scarlett. The young, fiery she-wolf was livid, her face blotched red from anger.
“She laughed,” Sophie seethed, her voice more of a growl. “She laughed, Lunal i screamed at her, begged her to stop toying with Grace this way, and
she laughed at mer
I seethed slow venom, perfectly contained, even as my blood burned beneath my skin.
“She–she’s done this, hasn’t she? Put Grace in this state? For revenge? Sophie snarled, trembling with rage that barely hid her grief
I nodded, every muscle in my body tense.
I tried steadying Sophie with calm words, small assurances. Still, this helplessness weighed heavily. I could feel it crushing my shoulders, reserve after reserve.
And deep down, this bitter irony clawed at me—this was all of my doing. I had chosen to raise Grace, lavished her with love meant for someone else, ignored the warning signs, and now we were paying the price for all of it
My chosen daughter was likely to die, while the one who had survived grew stronger than I could have ever imagined.
Chammer 42. Retribution
twist. But knowing Scarlett, she would call it something else–retribution. And for once, I had no response.
