Chapter 4

My ma’s lavender scent mingled with the aroma of a home-cooked meal as I walked through the door of her apartment. She was standing by the stove, her hair tied back, a smile on her face that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You shouldn’t be on your feet,” I said, my voice a low rumble as I took in the sight of her.

She waved me off, her laugh light and airy. “Harlen, I’m fine. It’s just a little back pain.”

I didn’t buy it. I never did. Taking the wooden spoon from her hand, I guided her to a chair. “Sit. I’ll finish up here.”

She sighed but didn’t protest further, sinking into the chair with a grateful sigh. “You spoil me, my love.”

I shot her a grin as I stirred the pot on the stove. “You raised me right.”

Her smile faltered a bit, and I knew she was thinking about my father – an alpha who’d left us before I could even form memories of him. It was just as well; I had no desire to know a man who could abandon his family.

We ate in silence for a while, the clinking of cutlery against plates the only sound in the small kitchen. I watched her, noting the way she picked at her food, the darkness under her eyes.

“You’re not sleeping again,” I stated, not a question.

She looked up, startled, and offered a weak smile. “Just worrying about you.”

I reached across the table, taking her hand in mine. “You don’t need to worry about me, Ma. I can take care of myself.”

She patted my hand, her touch light. “I know you can, Harlen. But a mother’s worry never fades, no matter how old her children get.”

I squeezed her hand gently, my heart aching for the woman who’d sacrificed everything for me. The conversation shifted, as it often did, to her current relationship. I kept my opinions to myself, but the scent of her latest boyfriend lingered in the house like a bad omen. He was an alpha, rough around the edges, and I didn’t trust him.

“He’s been good to me,” she said, as if reading my thoughts.

I grunted, focusing on my meal. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

She laughed softly, a sound that eased some of the tension in my shoulders. “Always my protector.”

Her eyes held such pride and sorrow. She knew I carried the weight of the world on my shoulders, just as she knew I’d do anything for her.

It was our routine, the way I’d slip into my ma’s apartment, a quiet haven amidst the chaos of the city. I lived close by, a choice that was dual parts: loneliness and concern. The protectiveness I felt for her was a living thing, a force that drove me to her doorstep more often than not. But it was more than just love; it was an alpha’s duty to safeguard his own, and the fragility of my ma rode my instincts hard.

A few days later, the air was different. The tension was palpable, a silent siren that set my senses on edge the moment I stepped into the building. I had texted her earlier, a casual message about bringing takeout, but the lack of response gnawed at me throughout the day. Work became a distant second to the growing dread in my chest. I wrapped up early, picked up her favorite, and hurried over, my alpha instincts clamoring with each passing second.

The door to her unit swung open silently, and the scent hit me like a physical blow. Blood, sharp and metallic. Fear, a sour undercurrent. Death, the unmistakable finality of it. My heart thundered in my chest as I sprinted to her bedroom, the world narrowing to a single, horrifying point.

There she lay, my mother, on the bed that had been her sanctuary. Naked and lifeless, her throat slit in a brutal, gaping smile. Her eyes, once full of warmth and wisdom, were now vacant, staring blankly in the direction of the door—as if she had been waiting for me in her final moments.

I stood there, frozen in the doorway, my mind struggling to process the scene before me. This was not how it was supposed to end. My mother, the strongest woman I knew, was reduced to a silent, still form on a blood-soaked bed. Her life had been stolen, her essence drained away, leaving behind only a husk of the vibrant, loving person she once was.

I approached her slowly, the world around me blurring into a meaningless backdrop. Everything else faded away – the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, the distant hum of traffic outside, even the coppery scent of blood that hung heavy in the air. In that moment, there was only her. It was only then I saw the bruises littering her entire body.

I reached out, my hand trembling, to close her eyes. Those once vibrant eyes that had always sparkled with love and pride when she looked at me. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It felt like an admission, a confirmation of the horror that had unfolded here. If I closed her eyes, it would make this nightmare real.

My heart clenched painfully in my chest as I let my hand fall back to my side. I couldn’t say goodbye. Not yet.

The silence of the room was broken only by the ragged breaths that tore from my throat. I was an alpha, bred to protect and serve, yet I had failed the one person who meant everything to me. My hands trembled as I stared down at the lifeless body before me, the coppery scent of blood a constant reminder of my own inadequacy.

I had sworn to keep her safe, to shield her from the darkness that lurked in the shadows, but in the end, I was too late. The weight of my failure crushed me, a heavy burden that threatened to consume me entirely. I had to find a way to make this right, to atone for my mistakes, but in that moment, all I could feel was the overwhelming grief that threatened to tear me apart.

I would find the monster who did this.

They fucked with the wrong family.