chapter 85
Tori's POV:
"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, watching as we drove farther from the school, beyond even the industrial zone.
The number of people outside gradually diminished until the streets were nearly deserted.
My hand drifted to the door handle, fingers wrapping around it tightly, ready to jump out at the first sign of danger.
My wolf, Tracy, paced anxiously in my mind, her silver eyes alert with distrust.
Get out now, she growled. This is wrong.
Hannah noticed my gesture and smiled thinly.
"Don't panic, Tori. Who knows? You might even meet your father today."
My heart skipped a beat despite my better judgment.
The buildings grew sparse, replaced by abandoned warehouses and factories.
When Hannah finally parked beside a dilapidated warehouse, its windows like hollow eye sockets staring at us, my skin prickled with goosebumps.
Reluctantly, I followed Hannah out of the car but stopped at the warehouse entrance, refusing to step inside the ominous structure.
"You can tell me right here," I said firmly, crossing my arms. "And if my father is really here, he can come out and meet me. I'm not going in there."
Hannah stood with her back to me for a moment, then let out a derisive snort.
When she turned around, her face was twisted with malice.
"Keep dreaming, Tori," she sneered. "You really think I'd ever let you know who your real father is? You'll never know—not today, not ever."
From the shadows of the warehouse, two males emerged—one tall and muscular, the other shorter but equally menacing.
They moved with predatory grace, their expressions cold and calculating as they positioned themselves on either side of Hannah.
Tracy howled in warning, my silver eyes beginning to glow in response to the threat.
"What are you trying to do, Hannah?" I demanded, fighting to keep my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest. "Why do you hate me so much?"
"Because your very existence is a mistake!" she exploded, her voice echoing off the concrete walls. "If you hadn't gotten me humiliated at the gathering, my baby would still be alive! You took everything from me, and now I'm taking everything from you."
"Miscarriage?" I gasped, genuinely shocked. "I had nothing to do with that! I wasn't even—"
"Enough!" She turned to the men, her eyes wild.
"Take her! Make sure she suffers for the rest of her miserable life. I want her to wish for death every single day!"
The males moved closer, circling like predators. One of them licked his lips, exposing yellowed fangs.
The taller man lunged forward as Tracy surged within me, pushing for the shift to defend ourselves. My fingernails began lengthening into claws, the transformation starting—
Then, a sound cut through the tension—tires on gravel, an engine growling to a stop.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
A wave of Alpha power rolled through the air like thunder before a storm, so powerful it made the rogue wolves whimper and retreat several steps.
Heavy footsteps approached, and a tall figure appeared in the doorway, silhouetted against the fading daylight.
Even before he stepped into the light, I recognized William Sullivan by his unmistakable aura of authority.
"Mrs. Price," he said, his voice cutting through the air like a silver blade. "How bold of you, attempting such violence in broad daylight."
Hannah's face paled, but she quickly recovered, lifting her chin defiantly.
"I'm merely disciplining my own daughter, Alpha William. This is a family matter."
I blinked in confusion, my mind racing. They knew each other?
William's silver eyes flashed dangerously as he stepped closer, his power rolling off him in waves that made the males shrink back.
"Family matter?" His voice was deceptively soft. "Hiring males to attack your daughter seems extreme, even for you."
Hannah let out a bitter laugh, her eyes darting between William and me.
"It's interesting how concerned you are about her, Alpha Sullivan. Fortunately, I know exactly whose blood runs in her veins. Otherwise, I might suspect she was your illegitimate daughter."
Something flashed across William's face—rage, raw and visceral—his silver eyes blazing with a fury so intense it.
I remembered suddenly what Morgan had told me about William Sullivan losing his daughter years ago. Hannah's cruel insinuation had clearly struck a devastating nerve, turning his controlled demeanor into something dangerous and primal.
"Leave," he growled, the command infused with Alpha authority. "Now."
Hannah flinched but managed one last venomous glare at me before turning to leave.
"This isn't over," she hissed under her breath as she stalked past William, her shoulders rigid with humiliation and rage.
Once Hannah had scurried away, William turned to me, his expression softening remarkably. "Are you hurt, Tori?"
"I'm fine, but..." I hesitated, my brow furrowing. "You know my name?"
William smiled, the last traces of his anger melting away.
"I've attended every round of the lunar phase mathematics competition. You have a natural talent that caught my attention."
Alpha William—founder of the prestigious Lunar Phase Research Institute and widely regarded as the most accomplished lunar phase calculator in all of Moonhaven. Mrs. Blake had spoken of him with such reverence during class.
To think this legendary figure knew who I was...
"I'm honored you think I have potential," I said, genuine warmth spreading through my chest despite the harrowing situation we'd just escaped. "I'll do my best to place well in the finals."
William chuckled softly, then did something unexpected—he reached out and gently patted my head, the gesture somehow both paternal and respectful.
"I expect nothing less. You have a gift, Tori. I have high hopes for you."
The simple touch left me stunned. No one had shown me that kind of casual affection in years.
"Come," he said, gesturing toward a sleek black SUV parked beside the warehouse. "I'll take you home."
As we pulled away from the warehouse, a thought suddenly struck me.
"Wait—why were you here? It seems pretty desolate here."
William glanced at me, his silver eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.
"Perhaps it was fate," he said lightly, then added more seriously, "This area falls within my Pack territory. We've received reports of black trading along our borders recently. I was conducting a patrol when I heard voices."
He shrugged. "The borders have been unstable lately. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
The cold calculation in Hannah's eyes, her talk of making me "suffer for the rest of my miserable life"... she hadn't planned to kill me. She had intended something worse.
My hands trembled slightly in my lap. After surviving four years in Silver Fang Detention, I'd nearly walked into another nightmare.
"I—" My voice caught. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Thank you, Alpha William. If you hadn't arrived when you did..."
William's gaze remained fixed on the road, but his expression softened.
"No need for thanks. Just be more cautious, Tori. "
"These are uncertain times. Don't place your trust too easily in anyone."
I nodded, a simple gesture that concealed the complexity of emotions surging beneath. A warmth spread through my chest.