Sophia's POV

The prison gates creaked open behind me as I stepped into the sunlight. Warm rays touched my face—but they carried no warmth. Not for me.

My body was frail, every step a strain. I lifted my head—and stopped cold.

A sleek luxury car sat idling by the roadside. Beside it stood a woman, her silhouette framed in the golden light. I knew her instantly.

Ava Miller.

The daughter of our former Beta. My best friend since childhood.

Her eyes locked onto mine. In an instant, emotion surged across her face—relief, sorrow, something like guilt. Tears welled up before she could blink them away.

She ran to me and pulled me into a fierce embrace, her voice catching on the edge of a sob.

"Sophia... you're finally out..."

I couldn't hold my tears back either. Ava had been the only one who stood by me through everything. The only one who never gave up on me.

She held me tight, her hand gently patting my back, murmuring like a lullaby.

"Don't be afraid. From now on, you're with me. If I have a bite to eat, so do you."

She drew back, her eyes searching mine, hesitating.

"Sophia, there's something you may not know... about your father, William."

A foreboding chill crawled down my spine.

"What about him?"

Ava's expression darkened.

"After you were imprisoned, everything in the pack changed. William found out—Lucas and Isabella weren't his children."

The blood drained from my face.

"What?" I barely got the word out.

"It shattered him. After realizing he'd indirectly caused your mother's death—and put you behind bars—it broke him. Completely. He spiraled. Lost his grip on reality."

The world tilted. I swayed, the weight of her words dragging me down.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself upright.

"And then?"

Ava let out a breath, heavy with the burden of what came next.

"He couldn't function as Alpha anymore. But by then, Avery and Lucas had already seized control of the pack. Two years ago, Lucas moved to have him removed—and the council agreed. Lucas is Alpha now. As for William..." she paused, voice trembling, "he's locked away in a psychiatric facility. A husk of who he once was. Barely coherent."

She glanced down, bitterness in her tone.

"Even my father—once the pack's Beta—was ousted when Lucas rose to power. He holds nothing now."

The words struck me like a blade. My fingers curled into fists, nails driving deep into my palms. The pain cut through the numbness, grounding me.

For six long years in prison, I had hated William.

He let my mother die.

He stood by as our family fell apart.

I had wanted him to pay with his life.

And I told myself—every single night—that he deserved it.

But then—memories I didn't want surged up anyway. Of his shoulders lifting me high as he ran through the forest, my laughter tangled with his. His voice calling me baby girl.

Ava must have seen it on my face. She reached for my hand, holding it gently.

"Sophia... he's already paying. He's broken. All he does is mutter your mother's name—Luna Evelyn—over and over. Please, let it go. Let yourself start again."

Let it go?

Let go of the blood debt that ruined my life?

The rage was still there, coiled deep in my gut. Hot. Consuming.

"Ava," I said through clenched teeth, my voice trembling with fury, "I can't forget. I won't. I will make them pay."

She sighed, eyes heavy with sorrow.

"Sophia... right now, you're too vulnerable. Your wolf is weak. If they find you, they'll kill you without hesitation."

The fire inside me blazed higher, burning away doubt, hesitation, even fear.

I looked her in the eyes.

"I'm not afraid. Please, Ava. Help me."

She studied me for a long moment. Then, with quiet resolve, she nodded.

"Alright. I'll help you. I'll introduce you to the Silver Moon Pack. Their Alpha is strong—you'll be safe there. You'll train, rebuild your strength. Maybe even restore your wolf. First, you need to heal. Earn some money. Then... we make a plan."

Hope flickered in my chest—a fragile spark, but it burned steady.

"Thank you, Ava," I whispered. "For always being on my side."

She sighed again, softer this time, her voice tinged with pleading. "I still hope you'll find a way to let go of your hatred."

I turned my gaze toward the horizon, where a new future waited beyond the blood-soaked past.

"I promise you, Ava," I said. "Once I've killed Avery and Lucas with my own hands... I'll disappear. I'll go somewhere no one knows my name. And I'll start a new life."