Mom finishes the story, her voice quivering as she recalls how fiercely I resisted when they tried to lock my memories. She confesses she was initially reluctant to take Alice because of the immense risk involved, but her parents’ insistence and her desperation to keep me safe forced her hand.
“Wow, I had my reservations about the Alpha and Luna of the Bloodmoon Pack, but finding out they offered Alice despite knowing the risks leaves me utterly speechless,” Alex says, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“Me too,” Mom replies, her voice heavy with disdain. “They were so power-hungry. They saw Alice as a means to gain a more powerful daughter.”
“Yeah, but their plan backfired since my memories were locked away with the power,” I say, and Mom nods in agreement, her expression somber.
“How about Kevin? How did he end up with you after being presumed dead?” Alex asks, leaning forward with curiosity.
“He discovered what his parents did and was furious. All this time, he believed Alice was with an aunt. When he found out the truth, he demanded her return. Despite thinking you were well taken care of, I still didn’t trust them, so I suggested we exchange Alice for Kevin. Unfortunately, on the day of the exchange, a rival pack attacked, and Kevin was gravely injured. Despite his critical condition, I still exchanged him for Alice. He fought for his life, and once he recovered a bit, he asked for his memories to be locked, fearing he might break his promise and run away.”
“Oh, have you unlocked them now?” I ask, my heart pounding.
“I did, and that’s why we’re here. He went to his pack to look for his parents but was told they were here.”
“Do you know where he is? I’d like to see him,” I ask, hope and anxiety mixing in my chest.
“The last time I saw him, he was on the third floor. Let’s go check if he’s still there,” Mom says, and we head upstairs.
As we arrive, we walk into an emotional scene. Kevin is reuniting with his mom. Despite Sharon being a terrible mother to me, I know she loved Kevin in her own twisted way. Seeing them embrace, I feel a strange mixture of happiness for him and a pang of my own unresolved hurt. They hug tightly, and Sharon sobs uncontrollably in his arms. When they finally pull away, Kevin’s words shock me but also bring a smile to my face.
“I can see you, Bunny. Do I have to beg you to come over?” Kevin says, his voice filled with affection as he turns toward me.
Tears spring to my eyes, and I run into his embrace, savoring the comfort and familiarity of his arms around me once more. “I’ve missed you so much,” I tell him, a single tear slipping down my cheek.
“Me too, Bunny, me too,” he says, holding me tight, the old nickname bringing back a flood of memories.
But our reunion is shattered by Sharon’s sudden, anguished cry. “Get away from my son!” She shoves me away from Kevin, her eyes wild with a protective fury I’ve never witnessed before. I stumble back, brows furrowed in confusion as I stare at her.
“You want to kill him too! You want to take him away from me again!” she yells, her eyes wild with rage and fear.
My mouth falls open, utterly bewildered by her outburst. “Mo…” I stop myself. She isn’t my mother and doesn’t deserve to be called that. “Sharon, is everything alright?” I ask, my voice steady despite my confusion.
“Is everything alright?” she shrieks, shoving Kevin behind her as if to shield him from me. “Is everything alright? Are you really asking me that stupid question?”
Alex and Mom exchange equally perplexed looks, neither comprehending the source of Sharon’s sudden rage. “Luna Sharon!” Alex exclaims.
“Hannah hasn’t done anything wrong. Why are you yelling at her like this?” Kevin adds
Sharon’s gaze snaps to Kevin, her expression one of utter disbelief and heartbreak. “She hasn’t done anything wrong? She hasn’t?” She shakes her head vehemently, tears streaming down her face.
“Yes, I haven’t,” I defend myself, my confusion mounting with each passing second.
“I regret the day we took you in. I regret it,” she says, her words hitting me like a punch to the gut. My heart clenches painfully in my chest as my mouth falls open in shock.
“I told Wayne it was a bad idea, but he wouldn’t listen. Now he’s gone. He’s gone, and it’s all your fault,” she cries, dropping to her knees as tears stream down her face.
A sickening realization dawns on me as I process her choice of words. “Gone?” I whisper, my throat constricting. Surely she can’t mean…
“Yes, you’ve killed my mate. You’ve killed him,” she wails, rocking back and forth as if to soothe her own tormented soul.
“Dad is dead?” Kevin asks, his voice breaking with disbelief.
“He might as well be,” Sharon chokes out between ragged sobs, her entire body shuddering with the force of her anguish.
I close my eyes, running my palm across my face. As the guilt washes over me in suffocating waves. Though my relationship with Wayne was strained, I never wished him harm, let alone death. This news hits me hard. I knew it was Henrietta who attacked the pack. Alex could smell my scent now, so she probably used it to track me to the sky pack. I know, logically, that I am not to blame, yet the guilt still gnaws at me, an insidious voice whispering that this is my fault.
“Where is he?” Kevin’s voice cuts through the haze of my turbulent thoughts, laced with urgency and fear.
Sharon gestures weakly toward the door opposite us, her movements sluggish and defeated. Kevin doesn’t waste a second and walks into the room. I follow after him but stop at the door, torn about whether to go in or not. I feel that I have no right to lay eyes on Wayne after the hell I’ve brought upon him.
“I’ll go find out how grave his situation is,” Alex murmurs, his expression grim as he leaves me by the door.
“I don’t think he would want to see me, so I’ll wait for you downstairs,” Mom says, kissing my forehead before walking away.
I remain standing by the door, still unsure of what to do. Kevin soon returns, his face etched with worry as he goes in search of the doctor, desperate for answers about his father’s condition.
I ask myself if Wayne would want to see me. His mate already blames me, and he might, too, but I feel compelled to at least see how he’s doing. Despite everything, he kept his word. I had a roof over my head and three square meals.
“It’s not your fault,” someone says, and I spin around to see Lorenzo. A crease forms between my brows; he is the last person I expect to see here.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
“What happened to Alpha Wayne,” he says, stepping closer. I remain silent, waiting for him to explain, and his following words shock me.
“It’s Alice. She brought this on my pack, not you. Henrietta is just a weapon.”
The air rushes from my lungs in a sharp gasp as his words pierce straight through me. “A weapon to do what?” I manage to choke out, my voice little more than a strained whisper.
Lorenzo’s gaze is unwavering, his expression grave. “To kill you.”
The world seems to tilt on its axis as the weight of his revelation threatens to crush me. “To kill me?” I echo, unable to fully process the implications.
“Yes, it’s unbelievable, but it’s true.” His tone is solemn, laced with a grim acceptance of the harsh reality he’s laying bare. “Her obsession to be with Alex has driven her to the point where she wants you dead to achieve that twisted goal.”
A tremor runs through me as the gravity of the situation sinks in, cold tendrils of dread snaking through my veins. “I can’t believe this,” I whisper, raking my hands through my hair in a futile attempt to ground myself.
“Neither could I,” Lorenzo admits with a shake of his head. “But you need to prepare, Hannah. The Alice I saw today isn’t the person I knew. She’s gone, and in her place is a monster who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”
“Thank you for telling me this,” I say, my voice shaky.
“You’re welcome. Good luck.” With a solemn nod, he turns and walks away, leaving me to grapple with the weight of his revelations.
I slump into a nearby seat, my head spinning as I try to process the onslaught of information. Alice, the woman I once considered a sister, now seeks to end my life in her twisted pursuit of Alex and is colluding with Henrietta to achieve it. The shock is overwhelming, but I need to inform Mom and Alex. They can help me plan what to do next.