74

The rogue was useless, more interested in bringing down the royals who had cast him out after he committed the heinous act of murdering three innocent little girls—the eldest of whom was just nine years old. The lone rogue we captured claimed he had been ordered to help destroy our pack before we could threaten his kind. When pressed for details, he mentioned an Alpha had given the order but refused to reveal his name, making our situation even more perilous. I was the only one to chalk it up to him talking about Milton, as he was born an Alpha wolf, which meant rogues would still see him as such. It felt like a sick joke that we were now sitting here, two weeks post-attack, with Gussie still unresponsive. The doctor had informed us she was battling infections from the multiple rogue bites, but every time I heard the phrase “she's fine,” it felt like an empty promise. My stomach churned with anxiety. I had been researching every remedy I could find, consulting Asena for any potential cures, but she had told me there was little we could do until Gussie's wolf decided it was ready to heal. I also hadn’t left the hospital waiting area having turned it into a temporary lodging for me. Having omegas bring me books from the library as needed. Returning the ones I’d found useless.
Dad, my father, and all the uncles, along with Kallen and Stuart, were relentlessly hunting for the bastard who orchestrated the attack. Not they have found much, but I never expected them to. Mavrek and Milton had gotten away again. Something told me that I’d need all my mates to finally put him in the ground.
I sat in the hospital wing, poring over yet another journal from one of their ancestors, my mind racing with worry and dread, when Mom’s voice broke through the haze. “Gussie is awake and asking for you.” My heart raced as I dropped the book and sprinted down the corridor, barely able to contain my excitement and fear.
“Are you okay?” I gasped as I burst into her room. Gussie was propped up against the pillows, a weak smile on her face, but her eyes told another story—one filled with pain and confusion.
“Yeah, sore. But I’m okay. I saw you in the fight. You weren’t in your wolf form but your Lycan’s. How do you even have a Lycan?” Her voice was soft, laced with curiosity and concern.
“There wasn’t time to shift and save everyone. Asena let my Lycan come out because she felt it would give us an advantage. And I’m not entirely sure as to how,” I explained, relieved to see her alert but also noticing the fragility of her condition.
“Cool. But you’re bigger than both my brothers in wolf form and Lycan form. How I thought girls were supposed to be smaller?” She raised an eyebrow, trying to piece together the details.
“Because I’m from the first bloodline of our kind,” my mother chimed in as she entered the room, her face a mixture of pride and sorrow. Mom had grown quieter since Dad left to track down the rogue leader, and the worry etched on her face was impossible to ignore. I knew my mother was trying her best to support her while dealing with her own turmoil.
“Where is Dad? The twins? Or her father?” Gussie asked, glancing around the room.
“Looking for the bastard who caused the attack,” Mom replied, her voice tinged with anger. She had begged Dad to wait until Gussie woke up, but he was just like me—no one was going to stop him when there were lives at stake.
As I looked at Gussie, a knot tightened in my chest. It had only been only six months since I left the hospital, and our world had flipped upside down yet again. This couldn’t be a coincidence.
Just then, Dad and my biological father walked back in, the tension in the room thickening. I fought the urge to turn away. I had just gotten my father back in my life, and now he had left without a word. Not that I wasn’t happy to see him working to take down the people who seriously harmed someone I considered a sister, but that he couldn’t at the very least tell me goodbye before doing so.
“Why aren’t you talking to your father?” Stuart asked, concern lacing his tone.
“Because the moment he could leave, he did. He didn’t even bother to tell me he was going. I understand why he left to help find Gussie and Chellea’s attackers. At least the people behind them. But I’m his child. I just got him back, and it felt like he didn't care enough to say goodbye,” I snapped, the words pouring out in a rush, fueled by a mix of frustration and hurt.
“I am your father, and you are my daughter. You were also attacked just like those girls. I had to find the bastard responsible,” Dad countered, his voice rising with frustration.
“I just got you back, and you leave without telling me. It’s not the same, for Dad! They are his daughters. It feels like you’re choosing them over me. I don’t mean to sound selfish, but he left to hunt for those responsible for Milton having access to the weapon that nearly killed me. And he couldn’t tell me. But Gussie is his biological child, so expecting him to stick around after she suffered a similar attack—one that put her in a coma—would be really stupid on anyone’s part, let alone mine. But you’ve only been back in the land of the living for six months. And we took trip for three of those but that was needed, and you spent time getting things settled with Uncle Sawyer. So, you weren’t even here to spend time with. I’m happy that you care about them. It’s… It’s just that you are my biological father. The man I was supposed to know like they did with him. So, knowing you can just walk off and not say something or at least goodbye to me… Well, it hurt.” My voice cracked, the pain spilling out in waves.
“Sweetheart, he didn’t mean to hurt you. He was trying to protect you.” My mother spoke with a soft tone, but it only intensified my anger.
“No, she’s right. I should have said goodbye. I’m sorry,” my father admitted, his expression sincere. “I’m not used to having a daughter. You were just hours old when we last saw each other.”
“I feel like a brat for feeling abandoned. I just thought you wanted nothing to do with me. A feeling I was once not unfamiliar with,” I admitted, the weight of my emotions crashing down.
“Never think that. You’re stuck with me, Kido. I’m sorry for making you feel this way.” He pulled me into a hug, and for the first time, I felt the warmth of a father’s love I had longed for, filling the void I had carried for years.
Stuart chimed in, “And you’re not a brat. You’re dealing with a lot.”
“Speaking of which, you two mentioned something about having other mates?” Gussie interjected; her curiosity piqued.
“When we first got her to shift without freaking out, her wolf told us through the link. Her Lycan came through and spoke, saying she couldn’t wait to find her mates,” Kallen explained, a hint of excitement in his voice.
“We could care less about that. What matters is our little mate is going to be happy and protected,” Stuart added, his smile genuine.
The weight of the world felt a little lighter as I processed their words. I had four more mates out there. It made me think about how much love awaited us, despite the darkness surrounding us. The thought was comforting, a glimmer of hope in the otherwise bleak situation.
But first, we had to ensure Gussie’s full recovery and put an end to those who had hurt her and so many others. The rogue attack had revealed vulnerabilities within our pack, and we needed to fortify ourselves against any future threats, discussing new methods for training to combat this issue.
“Let’s focus on Gussie’s recovery,” I said, my tone shifting from despair to determination. “We need to gather everyone, support her, and make sure she knows she’s not alone in this.”
My father nodded, his expression hardening with resolve. “We’ll get through this together, Kido. I promise you that.”
As we prepared to rally our allies and strengthen our support for Gussie, I felt a sense of urgency settle over us. Time was of the essence. The stakes had never been higher, and I knew we had to act quickly to protect those we loved.