Mark's POV
I just couldn't wrap my head around this sudden truth. Anger was swelling inside me like a bomb ready to blow.
My wolf inside me howled, desperate to be unleashed, to shred the web of lies that Megan had spun.
"How could you sink so low?" I bellowed, my teeth clenched so tight they could shatter. My rationality was a thin thread, frayed by the hurricane of my fury.
"Low? This is just the beginning. I've got a second big surprise lined up for you—just enjoy the show," Megan taunted, her voice a chilling melody of madness. Her smile was a cold blade that pierced my soul.
"You know how long I've waited for this day? Every night you and Holly were lovey-dovey, I felt like I was being eaten alive!" Her pain pierced through her words, leaving me with this deep sense of helplessness.
Suddenly, pain shot through me as Megan kicked me hard in the gut and slipped right out of my grip.
I doubled over, clutching my stomach, struggling to stand up. She had backed off a few paces.
"Mark, I'm not that naive girl waiting around for you to notice me anymore," she declared, her voice full of determination, her figure looking both classy and crazy in that dress.
"I'm waiting for you to lose everything—your mate, your daughter, and all that you own!" she spat.
All of a sudden, a disquieting premonition gnawed at me, but there was no time to dwell.
I raced back to the hospital, my heart pounding with dread and worry.
Daphne had been brought in, but things weren't looking good.
I found the doctor and urgently asked, "Doc, how's my daughter?"
He shook his head, the weight of his words heavy as lead. "Not great. She has multiple severe fractures and internal injuries. Also, her vitals are weak. She's stable for now, but she's fragile like a porcelain doll."
My gut twisted as I pressed on, "Can we draw her blood?"
"Draw her blood? No," he replied, cutting me off. "Her state is too precarious. Her immune system's shot. Drawing blood from her now would be killing her."
When I saw Daphne again, she was a shadow of her former self, lying there looking sickly and weak.
When she heard the door open, her eyes met mine, tears streaming down her face, "Dad…"
My heart ached with a sorrow too deep for words. "You must hurt a lot," I murmured. As werewolves, our senses were heightened, and I could feel the echo of her pain.
"Dad, I've been so wrong," she sobbed, her tears a torrent of regret. "I should have never listened to Megan. I've brought ruin to the Amber's Eye Pack and put Mom's life at stake. I deserve this pain. Take my blood. There's still time to save Mom."
"No!" Justin's voice cut through the air, resolute and furious. His face was a mask of anger.
Before I could respond, he continued, "You are the heir of the Amber's Eye Pack. Your life is sacrosanct!" His stance was unwavering, a guardian ready to forsake all for Daphne's sake.
"Grandpa, please," Daphne pleaded, her voice a whisper of despair. "That's my mom. Let me save her."
Justin's laugh was a cold, emotionless ripple. "She has earned her fate. Rest now. I won't allow you to act in folly. Think of your pups. Who will care for them if you're gone?"
I stood by, a silent witness to the turmoil, and my heart a battleground of warring emotions.
Daphne's eyes, brimming with regret and helplessness, mirrored my own.