Chapter 94

Lisa’s POV

The walls of the room seemed to shrink, pressing in on me, suffocating me with each passing second. Giovanni’s words rattled in my head, over and over again, until they weren’t just words anymore—they were chains, binding me to a truth I could not accept.

I felt Hunter’s presence beside me, solid and unmoving, his warmth so familiar. But now, that warmth felt wrong.

"Where exactly did you mark the child?"

Hunter’s voice was steady, but there was something beneath it—a quiet urgency, a silent plea.

Giovanni hesitated, shifting uncomfortably under Hunter’s piercing gaze.

"The chin," he finally admitted.

The world tilted beneath my feet.

I didn’t need to look. I already knew.

The scar. The small, nearly invisible mark under Hunter’s chin. I had traced it with my fingers so many times, kissed it, loved it.

"No." My voice was barely a whisper. My breath caught in my throat, and suddenly, the air in the room wasn’t enough. "No, it can't be."

Hunter turned to me, his stormy eyes locking onto mine. For the first time since I had met him, uncertainty flickered in his gaze.

I stepped back.

"Lisa, calm down," Luke urged, stepping toward me.

Calm? How could I be calm?

Hunter, the man I loved, the man I had planned my future with—was my brother?

My entire body trembled. I pressed my hands to my temples, as if I could physically push this nightmare away.

"I’ll get the pack doctor," Mike said, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t wait for a response before slipping out of the room.

The silence that followed was unbearable.

Giovanni shifted uncomfortably. "Lisa, I—"

"Don’t." My voice came out sharp, venomous. I turned my glare on him, my vision blurred with unshed tears. "You don’t get to speak to me. Not now. Not ever."

His face twisted with something that looked like pain, but I did not care.

Hunter reached for me, his fingers brushing my wrist.

I snapped my hand away.

"Lisa—"

"Don’t!" I spun on him, my breathing ragged. "Don’t say my name like that! Don’t look at me like that!"

He flinched.

A few minutes passed in crushing silence before the door creaked open again. Mike returned, the pack doctor following closely behind.

Doctor John bowed slightly. "Greetings, everyone. Greetings, Alpha Hunter."

Hunter barely acknowledged him, his eyes still fixed on me. "Let’s get this over with."

Doctor John turned to Giovanni first. "Your blood group is B. I’ll test Hunter’s against it. If they match, then we’ll move forward with further compatibility tests."

I barely heard him. The room blurred around me, fading into nothing but murmurs and movement.

Doctor John moved swiftly, drawing blood from Giovanni, then from Hunter.

The needle slid into Hunter’s skin, but he didn’t react. Not even a flinch. His gaze never left mine.

I hated that.

I hated that, even now, after everything, he still looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.

The doctor sealed the blood samples into separate containers.

"I’ll run the tests immediately," he said before disappearing from the room.

The moment the door shut, tension exploded in the air.

I felt Hunter’s stare.

I heard Giovanni’s raspy breathing.

I sensed Mike and Luke’s unease.

And then—everything went black.

A distant voice called my name.

"Lisa!, lisa!"

Something cold pressed against my forehead.

A firm grip on my shoulders.

I gasped, my eyes flying open to see Hunter crouched beside me, his hands gently shaking me awake.

"Lisa, you fainted," Mike murmured, concern etched into his face.

I blinked, trying to piece together what had happened. The memories slammed into me all at once, knocking the air from my lungs.

I sat up too fast. The world tilted.

Hunter caught me, his arms steadying me, and for a fleeting moment, I wanted to sink into his touch. To pretend none of this was real.

But I couldn’t.

I shoved him away, hard.

The door swung open.

Doctor John stepped inside, clutching the folder in his hands.

The one that held the truth.

His expression was unreadable. His movements slow, methodical.

The silence was unbearable.

Then, finally—he spoke.

"The results are in."

I stopped breathing.

Doctor John flipped through the pages before speaking again. "Beta Giovanni’s blood and Alpha Hunter’s blood are compatible."

Compatible.

One word.

One simple word—and my world was ruined.

I felt my stomach churn. My hands turned ice-cold.

No.

No, no, no.

A strangled sound escaped my lips, something between a sob and a scream.

Hunter’s head hung low, his hands clenched into fists.

Giovanni let out a shuddering breath. "Lisa, please—"

I snapped.

I snapped.

"You did this!" My voice cracked, raw with anger, with despair.

He took a hesitant step toward me. "Lisa, I never meant—"

"You never meant for what?" I laughed, but it was hollow, filled with nothing but bitterness. "For your abandoned son to fall in love with your abandoned daughter?"

Giovanni’s face paled.

My chest heaved, my nails digging into my palms. "You ruined us."

I turned to Hunter. He stood still, unmoving, but his eyes were on me.

Like I was still his.

But I wasn’t.

I couldn’t be.

A sob tore through me. I clutched my stomach, my body trembling. "I loved you," I whispered, broken and shattered. "I was going to spend my life with you."

Hunter exhaled sharply, his whole body going rigid.

I squeezed my eyes shut. This was a nightmare. A cruel, twisted joke the universe was playing on me.

But I wasn’t laughing.

I turned on my heel and ran to the woods.

The cool night air hit my face as I ran, my feet pounding against the forest floor.

Leaves crunched beneath me, branches scratched against my skin, but I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stop.

I needed to get away. To breathe. To figure out how I was supposed to live with this.

I slowed to a stop near the riverbank, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

Tears blurred my vision.

I fell to my knees, my fingers digging into the damp earth. Why?

Why would fate be this cruel?

A rustle behind me.

I stiffened.

Then—his scent.

Hunter.

He followed me.

I didn’t turn. "Go away."

He didn’t listen.

Instead, he took a step closer, his presence a storm raging behind me. "Lisa, I—"

"Don’t," I cut him off, my voice barely above a whisper.

He exhaled shakily.

The wind howled through the trees, carrying our silence with it.

I wiped my tears, forcing myself to my feet.

Then I turned to face him.

Hunter looked wrecked. His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might break.

And yet—he still looked at me the same way.

Like he was still mine.

Like this wasn’t the end.

But it was.

I took a step back.

Then another.

And when I turned away—

I didn’t look back.

Hunter’s POV

The night air was crisp, carrying Lisa’s scent as I followed her into the woods. I kept my distance, giving her space, but never letting her out of my sight.

She ran like she could outrun the truth, like the trees could somehow erase what we had just learned. My fists clenched at my sides. I didn’t know what to say, how to fix this, but I couldn’t let her be alone. Not now.

She stumbled slightly, catching herself against a tree before pushing forward again.

"Lisa," I called, my voice low but firm.

She didn’t stop. Didn’t even acknowledge me.

I quickened my pace, closing the gap between us. "Lisa, stop."

"Go away, Hunter," she snapped, her voice raw, broken.

I didn’t listen. I couldn’t.

She reached the riverbank and fell to her knees, her breath ragged, her body trembling. Her hands fisted in the damp earth as if grounding herself.

I hesitated for only a moment before stepping closer. "Lisa—"

"Don’t," she bit out, not looking at me. "Don’t talk. Don’t touch me. Just… don’t."

Her shoulders shook, silent sobs racking her frame.

Every fiber of my being ached to comfort her. But I knew—I knew if I touched her, she would break. Or worse, she would hate me for it.

Still, I couldn’t just stand there.

"You’re going to make yourself sick," I murmured.

She let out a bitter laugh, lifting her head to glare at me. Her eyes were wild, filled with anger, grief—torment.

"And what do you care, Hunter?" she spat. "Why do you even care?"

I stiffened. Did she really not know?

I crouched beside her, keeping my hands to myself. "Because I love you, Lisa."

Her breath hitched.

My chest tightened as she shook her head, her teeth clenching. "No. No, you don’t have to say that."

"I do," I said, voice steady. "Nothing changes that."

"Everything changes that!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the trees. She shot to her feet, eyes blazing. "You’re my brother, Hunter!"

The words were like a blade to my gut. I flinched.

Brother.

The word felt wrong, foreign, something I couldn’t accept.

Lisa turned away, crossing her arms over her chest as if physically trying to shield herself from me.

I exhaled, steadying myself before speaking. "Do you really believe that?"

Her back tensed.

I stepped closer. "Lisa, we didn’t grow up together. We didn’t know. None of this was our fault."

"It doesn’t matter," she whispered.

"It does."

She let out a shaky breath but didn’t move.

I took another step, now only inches from her. "Tell me the truth, Lisa. Right now, with no one watching, no one telling us what’s right or wrong—do you feel any different?"

She shuddered.

Her silence was my answer.

My hands itched to touch her, to pull her close and erase the distance between us. But I held back, barely restraining myself.

After a long pause, she finally turned to face me, her expression a storm of emotions. "This isn’t fair," she whispered.

I nodded. "It’s not."

"I can’t do this."

"You don’t have to decide right now," I said softly. "You just have to breathe."

Her lips parted, but no words came.

I reached out, hesitating for a second before gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn’t pull away.

"I can’t lose you, Lisa," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tears welled in her eyes. "But we already lost each other, Hunter."

I swallowed hard, my hands clenching at my sides. "I don’t accept that."

She let out a choked laugh. "You don’t get a choice."

I stepped even closer, so close I could feel her warmth. "I choose you. I will always choose you. Even if we don't become mate again."

Her breath hitched, and for the briefest second, something flickered in her eyes—something like a lost soul.

But then, just as quickly, it was gone.

Lisa inhaled deeply, wiping at her tears before stepping back. "I need time."

I nodded. "Take all the time you need. This doesn't change how I feel about you. I will always love you whether sister or not."

She studied me for a moment, then turned away, walking back toward the house.

I didn’t stop her.

I just stood there, alone, as the wind carried away the one person I wasn’t ready to lose. But i have to face reality and handle it as it is.