Chapter 22
Marissa jolted upright, gasping as the mind–link connection flickered through her consciousness. Her father‘ s voice, faint and full of sorrow, filled her thoughts with a weight that stole her breath away.
“Marissa… my daughter… forgive me. Stay strong….. protect the pack… for our family…”
“Dad?” Marissa‘ s voice broke into the empty room as she clung to the fading link, panic swelling in her chest. “Dad, answer
me! Please!
But there was only silence, an unbearable void that felt like it would consume her whole. She pressed her hands to her head, willing the bond to come back, but all she felt was emptiness. Her father, once a powerful, steady presence, was gone.
Tears streamed down her face as a sharp, panicked cry escaped her. She could barely
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breathe, her mind reeling with horror and denial. Her body trembled uncontrollably, and she felt as though she might break
apart.
“Dad!” Marissa’s voice was barely a whisper as she pressed her hands against her heart, where she could still feel the bond fraying.
She stumbled to her feet, staggering toward the door, her body moving of its own accord. Her mate, the Alpha King, Idris, was in the hallway when she flung the door open, her eyes wild and frantic.
“Idris!” Her voice cracked as she threw herself into his arms, her whole body shaking. “It’s my father… he‘ s–he‘ s gone. I tried reaching him, but… I can‘ t… he’s not there!”
Idris’s arms wrapped around her immediately, his strength grounding her as she clung to him, her sobs muffled against his chest. He didn’t speak, simply holding her close, letting her grief spill out, her
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sorrow mingling with the fierce, raw pain radiating from her bond with her father.
After a moment, Idris tilted her chin up, his gaze soft but resolute. “Marissa, hush. It’s okay, I’m here,” he said, his voice firm and steady, “we‘ re going to the Shadow Pack. Now.”
Marissa looked up, her vision blurred, and nodded, her fingers still trembling as they gripped his shoulders. The thought of seeing the devastation left her paralyzed with fear, but she had to go. She had to see her father. To know what had happened.
Without another word, Idris took her hand, leading her outside where the pack. warriors had already assembled. The urgency in their Alpha‘ s command was clear, and they swiftly shifted, their massive wolves ready to run. Idris‘ s wolf stood tall and powerful, his gaze fierce with determination as he turned to Marissa.
“Stay close to me, Marissa. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
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She nodded, her wolf clawing at the surface, desperate to find answers, to get to her family. Her shift was almost seamless as she felt her limbs elongate and her senses sharpen. Her wolf–a powerful creature cloaked in white fur–emerged, and together with Idris, they raced toward the Shadow Pack, the wind whipping around them, the landscape blurring as they pushed to reach her family.
As they neared the borders, Marissa s heart sank, the scent of blood thickening in the air, a bitter taste she could feel on her tongue. She slowed, every instinct screaming at her to turn back, to run, but she forced herself forward. She needed to know. She needed to see.
When they reached the heart of the pack‘ s territory, the devastation was everywhere. Warriors lay still, their bodies. broken, fur matted with blood. The strong, proud wolves of her pack–friends she‘ d known since she was a child–were
scattered across the grounds, some in their
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human forms, others in the twisted remains of their wolves. The rogues had taken no mercy.
Marissa felt her wolf whimper, the sound echoing through her mind, filled with a deep, painful ache. These were her people, her family. She stumbled, the sight of the death and destruction hitting her like a physical blow.
Beside her, Idris shifted back into his human form, his expression hard as he took in the scene. “Rogues did this,” he said quietly, his voice filled with controlled fury. “But it wasn‘ t just an attack. They took something. This wasn‘ t random.”
Marissa shifted, her legs trembling as she stumbled to her feet, her gaze sweeping over the broken, bloodstained pack grounds. “Why would they do this?” Her voice was a strangled whisper, her mind struggling to make sense of it all. “Why could they… kill innocent lives?”
She took a few shaky steps forward, the
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weight of her grief bearing down on her. Her mother’s scent was faint in the air, mingled with fear and pain, but there was no sign of her. Panic clawed at Marissa’s chest, the fear of what she might find overtaking her.
“Mom?” she called out, her voice desperate. She barely recognized it, broken and filled with dread. “Mom!”
There was no answer, but a figure lay nearby, one she knew even without seeing his face. Her legs buckled as she saw him- her father, Beta Roven, lying still on the ground, his body lifeless. Blood soaked hist clothes, his chest torn, his face frozen in an expression of fierce determination.
“No… no!” Marissa fell to her knees. beside him, her hands hovering over his body as if her touch might somehow bring him back. Her fingers brushed his skin, cold and unmoving, and she choked back a sob, her body wracked with grief.
“Dad…” Her voice was barely a whisper
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as she cupped his face, her tears falling freely onto his skin. “Please… no…”
Her chest heaved, the weight of her grief suffocating her, her mind refusing to accept the reality before her. The memories flooded back–her father’s laughter, his protective embrace, his pride in her, his love for their family.
Idris knelt beside her, his presence a steady force as he placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch grounding her in the midst of her despair.
“Marissa,” he murmured, his voice. gentle, understanding. “He fought for you. For your mother. He died protecting those he loved.”
Marissa’s gaze turned to Idris, her tear- streaked face filled with helpless sorrow. “Why didn‘ the call me sooner? I… I should have been here. I could have helped him…”
Idris‘ s expression softened as he met her
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gaze, his hand moving to cup her cheek.
“He wanted to protect you from this.
Marissa looked down, her hands clenched in fists, her heart breaking with the finality of his words. Her father had sacrificed
everything to give her a chance, and she hadn’t even been there to say goodbye.
The sound of footsteps drew her attention, and she looked up to see her mother, Isabel, stumbling toward them, her face pale, eyes red and swollen. Her steps were shaky, her body covered in bruises, but her gaze was unwavering as she looked at Marissa, her lips trembling.
“Mom…” Marissa‘ s voice broke as she
rushed to her, wrapping her arms around her mother, holding her as tightly as she could. Isabel clung to her, her hands. gripping Marissa‘ s shoulders, as if afraid to let go.
“It’s my fault… he died because of me… he…,” Isabel stuttered, her voice filled with grief. “He… he saved me.”
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Marissa pulled back, her tear–filled gaze meeting her mother‘ s, and she saw the same grief and pain reflected in her eyes.
Isabel looked at Idris, her gaze sharp and unwavering. “They took everything they could. Weapons, luxuries… anything of value. But they also took something more precious–information. They came
prepared.”
Idris‘ s jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with anger. “The Rogue King,” he said, his voice low and filled with fury. “He didn’t just want to destroy the Shadow Pack. He wanted to weaken it completely.”
Isabel nodded, her face filled with sorrow. “He knew Roven was the strongest after Alpha Nathan. And he took his life to prove his dominance.”
Marissa looked between them, a fierce resolve settling over her grief. Her
father‘ s sacrifice, his bravery, his love–it wasn’t something she would let fade. She would carry it with her, let it shape her as
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she rebuilt what the rogues had tried to destroy.
“We’ll avenge him,” she said, her voice. steady, filled with a strength she hadn’t felt before. “They will pay for this.
Idris placed a hand on her shoulder, his gaze meeting hers with fierce pride. “We will make sure of it, Marissa. Your father’s sacrifice won’t be in vain.”
