Chapter 23

The air was thick with grief, suffocating, drowning me in the stench of blood and the overwhelming silence left behind. I stood beside my father's lifeless body, his once-warm presence now reduced to an empty shell, an echo of the strength he used to radiate. I couldn't tear my eyes away. How could he be gone? My chest felt like it was caving in, the ache of loss tearing through me, jagged and relentless. My hands trembled, fists clenched so tightly that I barely felt the sting of my nails digging into my palms.

My wolf, frantic and furious, clawed and howled inside me, desperate to break free and avenge the one who had been the rock in our lives. Breathe, I told myself, but each breath felt like it was made of cement. This couldn't be real. How could the one constant in my life be gone?

"Why?" I whispered, my voice fragile and broken as I stared down at his still face. "Why him?"

The words barely escaped my lips, swallowed by the heavy silence that enveloped me.

Then, footsteps, heavy, deliberate, and shattering the fragile stillness I'd built around myself. I turned, and my eyes landed on Kayden and Francis, their faces twisted with sorrow and guilt. Of course, they would come now, when it was too late, when he was already gone. Their pity felt like a wound, a reminder of what they hadn't done.

"Malinda…" Kayden's voice was soft, cautious, as he reached out a hand toward me. I recoiled, a low growl escaping my lips before I could stop it.

"Don't," I snapped, my voice trembling with uncontainable fury. "Don't you dare."

Kayden flinched, hurt flashing across his features, but I didn't care. Francis, the peacemaker, took a step forward, but my glare stopped him in his tracks. I could feel my wolf clawing at the surface, desperate to unleash every ounce of rage swirling within me.

"Malinda, we... we're so sorry. If we'd known, " Francis began, his voice barely a whisper.

"Known?" I cut him off, my voice deadly quiet, vibrating with anger. "What were you two doing while my father was being torn apart?"

The silence was deafening, heavy with words left unspoken. Kayden's jaw clenched, and he looked away, unable to meet my eyes. "We... we didn't know it was that bad," he muttered. "We were helping Sharon. She was in danger, Malinda. She needed us, "

"Sharon." Her name was a poison on my tongue, a bitter, venomous whisper. "It's always Sharon, isn't it?"

A flicker of guilt crossed Kayden's face, and Francis's hand hovered uncertainly, but I stepped back, anger radiating from me like an electric storm.

"While my father was out there, fighting, sacrificing himself for this pack, you two were busy saving her?" The words burned like acid in my throat. "He was dying, and you left him to save her?"

Kayden tried to protest, desperation creeping into his voice. "Malinda, it's not like that, "

"Then what is it like, Kayden?" I demanded, my voice icy with barely contained rage. "Tell me, what was it like to leave him to die while you ran off to protect her?"

He opened his mouth, but no words came. The silence felt like a slap to my face, an unspoken confession that cut deeper than anything they could say. I turned away, fists clenched, the betrayal bleeding into my every movement.

Then, Sharon appeared. Her steps were slow, hesitant, and the look on her face was twisted into something that might've once passed for grief. But to me, it was nothing more than a well-rehearsed act. She moved closer, hand reaching out like she had any right, like she had the right to comfort me.

"Malinda," she whispered, her voice thick with feigned sorrow. "I... I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Her touch felt like ice against my skin. I shoved her hand away, a growl rising from my chest. "Don't touch me," I spat, my voice dripping with venom. My nails extended, sharpened, and my wolf clawed at my control, eager to rip the mask of innocence off her.

"But... but I'm so sorry," she stammered, her voice trembling, eyes wide with what appeared to be real regret. But I saw through it. She was the cause. She was the reason. And she was standing here, begging for forgiveness she didn't deserve.

"Sorry?" My voice was a dangerous whisper, each word saturated with unfiltered hatred. "Sorry doesn't bring him back, Sharon. My father is dead. Dead. Because of you."

Sharon's lip quivered, and she let out a soft whimper, her eyes filling with tears as she turned to Kayden and Francis for support. But they stayed silent, their faces dark with shame. Their silence was another blade in my chest, deepening the wound of betrayal.

"Malinda, please, " Sharon's voice cracked, but I had no patience left.

"Enough!" My shout rang out like thunder, slicing through the air. My wolf surged forward, the grief, the fury, the pain, all crashing together in a storm I could barely contain. The heat radiating from me was unbearable, my blood pounding with the urge for justice, for retribution.

Just as I was about to let it all go, I felt strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back from the edge. Damon. He held me tight, his presence grounding me, steadying me when everything inside me was spinning out of control.

"Malinda," he murmured, his voice low and calm. "Look at me. Breathe."

I closed my eyes, focusing on his steady heartbeat, the rhythm grounding me like an anchor. His fingers traced small, calming circles on my back, soothing the storm of fury and sorrow that raged inside me. His presence was a balm, a salve for the raw, bleeding wound in my heart.

"They're not worth it," he whispered, his voice unwavering, full of quiet strength. "Don't let them steal your power. Your father wouldn't want this."

The words wrapped around me like a lifeline, easing the sharp edge of my pain. Slowly, my wolf withdrew, the anger simmering down into a dull ache. I lifted my eyes to his, blurry with unshed tears. The rage was gone, replaced by a deep, aching sorrow. "He's gone, Damon," I choked out, barely able to speak. "He's... gone."

Damon cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing away the tears that escaped. His gaze locked onto mine, steady and filled with an unshakable strength. "I know, my love," he murmured, his voice tender but firm. "But you are his legacy. His strength lives on in you."

I closed my eyes, letting his words sink into my soul, a small comfort in the emptiness. The pain was still there, raw and fresh, but with Damon by my side, it felt a little less suffocating. His arms around me held me together as my world broke apart.