Chapter 22

I shot up in bed, a sharp gasp escaping my lips as the mind-link pierced my consciousness. It was faint, distant, like a whisper across an impossible stretch, but I immediately recognized my father's voice. There was something raw and sorrowful in his tone, something I'd never heard before, sorrow that weighed down on me, making my heart skip a beat.

"Malinda… my daughter… forgive me. Stay strong… protect the pack… for our family…"

"Dad?" I whispered, my voice trembling. I clung to the link, desperation clawing at my chest. I had to hold on, had to keep him there. "Dad, please! Answer me! Don't leave me, "

But the silence swallowed him whole.

The emptiness flooded me, settling like a heavy fog, and I pressed my hands to my temples, trying to focus, trying to bring the connection back to life. But there was nothing. My father's presence, the steady reassurance that had always been there, was gone.

Tears spilled down my face as a sob tore through me, a suffocating wave of grief. I couldn't breathe. Panic swelled inside me, twisted with a deep, aching sorrow that made my hands shake uncontrollably.

"Dad…" I stumbled out of bed, my legs weak beneath me as though I were trapped in a nightmare. My body moved on autopilot, half-stumbling toward the door. Damon, my mate and the Alpha King, stood in the hallway, his face contorting with concern as soon as he saw me.

"Damon!" My voice cracked, raw with grief, and I threw myself into his arms. "It's my father… he's, he's gone. I tried reaching him, but… he's not there. He's just… gone."

Damon's arms wrapped around me, solid and unyielding, pulling me close. He didn't speak, just held me as I wept, my fingers gripping his shirt as if I might fall apart if I let go. Each beat of my heart reminded me of the hole my father had left, a wound that felt too deep to heal.

After what felt like an eternity, Damon gently tilted my chin up, his gaze full of understanding and unspoken determination. "Malinda," he said, his voice steady but intense. "We're going to the Shadow Pack. Now."

I nodded, vision blurred by tears, body still shaking. The thought of seeing what had happened, the destruction, it terrified me. But I had to go. I had to see. I had to know.

Without another word, Damon took my hand and led me outside. Pack warriors were already assembled, their faces somber yet resolute, knowing something had shifted, that this was no ordinary moment. Damon's wolf stood tall and strong by my side, his intense gaze fixed ahead. "Stay close, Malinda. I won't let anything happen to you."

I nodded and let my own wolf take charge, the need for answers overwhelming me. The shift came quickly, with a surge of power, and in an instant, I was running alongside Damon, my senses razor-sharp. We raced toward the Shadow Pack, the wind howling around us as we pushed forward.

As we neared the borders of the pack grounds, a horrible, biting scent hit me, the unmistakable stench of blood. It filled the air, thick and sour, stinging my nostrils and coating my mouth with a metallic taste. My pace slowed, my instincts screaming at me to turn away, but I couldn't. I forced myself to move forward. I had to see. I had to know.

When we crossed onto the pack grounds, the devastation was laid out before us like a nightmare. Bodies, broken, lifeless, littered the field. Some lay in human form, others were mangled remains of their wolves. These weren't strangers. These were family. Friends. People I had known my whole life. People I loved.

A whimper of grief echoed in my mind, my wolf's pain merging with my own. This was my family. My people. I stumbled, almost unable to process the horror surrounding me.

Damon shifted back into his human form beside me, his expression hard as stone. "Rogues did this," he growled, fury vibrating through his words. "But this wasn't just an attack. They were after something." His eyes scanned the destruction. "This wasn't random."

I shifted, legs unsteady as I forced myself to stand, my gaze sweeping the blood-soaked ground. "Why?" My voice was a hoarse whisper. "Why would they, why kill so many innocent people?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered, as I took a few steps forward. The faint scent of my mother lingered in the air, fear, pain, and yet, she wasn't here. She wasn't among the bodies. A wave of panic surged within me, tight and suffocating. I needed to find her.

"Mom?" I called out, my voice trembling, barely recognizing it as my own. "Mom!"

There was no answer.

And then, I saw him. A figure lying still, a figure I recognized without hesitation. My legs nearly gave out as I approached, my father, Beta Roven, sprawled on the ground, lifeless. Blood soaked through his clothes, his chest torn open. His face was frozen in an expression of defiance, strength, and love.

"No…" The word barely escaped my lips, a whisper of disbelief. I fell to my knees beside him, my hands trembling as they hovered over his body. I wanted to feel him warm. Alive. But when my fingers brushed his skin, it was cold. Lifeless.

A sob tore through me, raw and unfiltered. "Dad…"

I cradled his face in my hands, tears falling onto his cheeks, unable to accept what was happening. The memories flooded in, the sound of his laughter, his unwavering pride in me. I closed my eyes, letting the memories sweep over me even as my heart shattered.

A hand on my shoulder pulled me from my grief. Damon was kneeling beside me, his eyes full of sorrow and compassion. "Malinda," he said softly. "Your father fought to protect you. He fought to protect your mother. He died for the ones he loved."

I looked up at Damon, my vision blurry with tears. "Why didn't he call me sooner? I should have been here. I could've saved him…"

Damon's hand gently cupped my cheek, his gaze steady and understanding. "He wanted to protect you, Malinda. From this."

His words landed like a stone in my chest. My father had sacrificed everything to give me a chance to stay safe, and I hadn't been there to say goodbye.

A rustle behind us made me turn, and there she was, my mother, Isabel. Pale, disoriented, but alive. My breath caught in my throat, relief flooding through me as I rushed to her, wrapping her in my arms.

"It's my fault…" she whispered, her voice shaking. "He died to save me… he…"

Her words broke, and fresh tears spilled from her eyes.

I pulled back, holding her at arm's length. "No, Mom. We both lost him together."

She met my eyes, grief mirrored in both of us, and then her gaze hardened, turning to Damon. "They took everything, our weapons, anything of value. But… they wanted more. Information. They knew exactly what they were after."

Damon's face darkened, anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. "The Rogue King," he muttered, deadly quiet. "He wanted to break this pack. Destroy it completely."

My mother nodded, the sorrow in her eyes giving way to something darker. "He knew Roven was the strength behind Alpha Nathan. Killing him was a statement. A message."

A fire ignited within me. My father's sacrifice would not be in vain. Not if I could help it.

"We'll avenge him," I whispered, voice shaky but filled with resolve. "They will pay for this."

Damon's gaze met mine, fierce, unwavering. His hand gripped my shoulder. A silent vow passed between us.

"Your father's sacrifice will not be forgotten, Malinda," he promised. "We will make sure of that."

And in that moment, I knew. No matter what it took, I would protect my family, my father's legacy. The Rogue King would learn that I, too, was my father's daughter.