Shattered

“Why would you do that, Uncle?”

My voice cracked with anger, my fists clenched.

“You need to learn how to control your emotions, child,” he snapped. His voice was stern, like I was a misbehaving child, not someone who had just been humiliated and torn apart.

“Until you master your inner wolf and command it to serve you, not the other way around—then and only then will you understand what it means to be a true Alpha.”

He didn’t flinch. Not even a little.

“Alpha?” I scoffed, trembling. “Why would I want to be that? For heaven’s sake, I’m an Omega. I’ve always been...”

Thorne shook his head slowly. “There’s so much you still don’t know.”

All I could think about was Hailey, my wolf. Was she scared? Did she think I abandoned her? The thought of her lost and alone made my chest ache deeper than any wound.

As we left the cold cell, two guards silently escorted us down the hall to the building’s exit.

A sleek black limousine pulled up outside. The windows were tinted, the body polished so perfectly the sky reflected off it. The scent of leather and spice hit me instantly. I froze.

I knew that fragrance. That mix of sandalwood and pine.

It belonged to one man.

My father.

He stepped out of the vehicle slowly.

Time had left its mark. His hair had silvered, and deep lines carved his face, but he still stood tall—strong. Unshaken. Seeing him broke something in me.

I covered my mouth, trying not to sob, but the tears came anyway. His eyes, filled with unspeakable pain, met mine.

I ran to him.

He caught me in his arms, and I clung to him like a lifeline as I broke down in tears. The weight of everything, the betrayal, the rejection, the humiliation came crashing over me.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now, child,” he whispered, voice low and soothing.

“I’m sorry, Father. I should have listened. I should have seen what you saw. I’m so sorry.”

“Shhh. It’s okay, Anna. It’s all in the past now. A greater future lies ahead of you.”

His words struck something strange in me.

A greater future?

I didn’t have time to ask. Because then I saw it.

Lucien.

Driving by slowly. Elsa beside him. Her hand slid along his bare chest, and his shirt was half-open on purpose. He locked eyes with me and smirked.

That smug, infuriating smirk.

He was trying to provoke me again.

I felt the rage spark inside me, but before I could move, my uncle grabbed my arm and pulled me back to reality. He shoved me gently into the car.

“Son of a—”

“Language, child,” my father said firmly.

I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply, forcing myself to count to ten. When I opened them, both Thorne and my father were watching me like they had just seen something change.

“Now that you’re calm, we can have a proper discussion,” my father said, his voice controlled and firm.

“I assume Thorne already told you about our arrangements. One of them being, you’re leaving the city.”

He looked out the window, then back at me.

“You’re going to New Orleans. There, you’ll meet Lucas Fox. He is the son of Graham Fox. And he needs a mate.”

I blinked.

My heart stopped.

“What?”

His voice grew sharper.

“This is not up for debate.”

“But—”

He held up one finger.

“Enough. Be quiet for now.”

I clenched my jaw so tightly it hurt. My nails dug into my palm.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” I muttered under my breath, teeth gritted.

“This time, you will listen. And follow my instructions to the letter,” he said.

That broke me.

Tears burst from my eyes. My voice trembled.

“You can’t be serious, Father. Not after everything I’ve just endured. I was nearly broken in front of the entire council. And now you want me to be offered again, like a pawn?”

“I can’t keep being a slave to anyone. Never again.”

He said nothing at first.

Then I saw it.

A single tear slipping down his cheek.

His hands reached for mine, and his grip was tender.

“I know this is sudden, Anna. And I know it’s unfair. But you have to trust me. Please. I love you too much to let you fall again. This isn’t just an arrangement. It’s protection. Let me be your father... just one last time.”

One last time.

The words hit me like a stone.

“What do you mean by ‘one last time’?”

I turned to my uncle. He looked away.

My breath hitched.

Something wasn’t right.

“Anna,” my father said slowly, “I’m doing this for your future. For our legacy. You’ll understand later.”

“Understand what?” I asked, voice rising. “What aren’t you telling me?”

I turned to Thorne, pleading. “Uncle, please. What’s going on?”

Thorne swallowed hard.

“Anna... I don’t know how to tell you this...”

“Tell me what?”

There was something in the air. Heavy. Dreadful. I could feel it pressing on my chest.

“No more secrets, Ridge,” Thorne finally said. “She deserves to know.”

My father’s hands trembled in mine.

“Okay... okay...”

He looked at me.

Eyes filled with sorrow.

Then finally, he said the words that shattered everything left inside me.

“I’m dying, Anna.”

And in that moment...

I stopped breathing.