Chapter 44 THE PRICE OF KNOWING
Ginnie
Kenna didn’t answer my question immediately. If anything, she straightened slowly, smoothing the front of her dress as if we were discussing something important.
“Oh, poor little Ginnie,” she hissed, her lips curved into a smile so cold it made my stomach twist.“Did you really think you were clever enough to hide it forever?”
My breath caught.
“You think you’re the only one that knows my little secret?” she continued calmly, her eyes never leaving mine, “I know your dirty little secret… that Lily is not your so-called little sister.”
The words hit me like a physical blow to the face. What the fuck was this evil bitch hinting at right now?
“Lily is your daughter.”
Everything inside me went silent.
For a terrifying second, I couldn’t breathe. No air. No sound. No thought. The room was titled as if reality itself had fractured. My knees threatened to buckle, and I had to grip the edge of the table beside me to stay upright.
That wasn’t possible.
It couldn’t be.
My mouth opened, but nothing came out at first. Then—finally, my voice forced itself free, trembling and broken. “How…?” I whispered. “How did you find out?”
A bitter laughter tore out of Kenna, nothing funny about the sound of it. “Oh that?” she said dismissively, waving a hand, “it’s none of your business how I choose to find out about things.” Then she stepped closer, her heels clicking against the floor, each sound pounding into my skull.
“What should be your business,” Her voice dropped to a low dangerous whisper. “Is understanding that I know enough to ruin your whole pathetic life.”
“I—“
“You’re damn lucky,” she interrupted me before I could finish speaking. “That I haven’t yet figured out who the father is,” she added casually, watching my reaction closely. “But I will very soon…and when I do,” her voice dropped to a low, dangerous whisper.
“It’s all over for you.”
Oh thankGod!
Something twisted painfully inside me—but buried beneath the terror, a wave of relief flickered through me. Kenna didn’t know yet. She didn’t know that Varkos was Lily’s father.
“Cat got your tongue, huh?” She teased mockingly, studying me for a long moment and clearly enjoying every bit of my silence. “Why’re you suddenly speechless?”
I forced my face to remain still, my heart pounding violently as I held onto the single hope that she wasn’t aware of the full truth yet. Then something hardened in my chest.
Anger.
Cold. Sharp. Furious.
“So it was you,” the words rolled out of me before I could stop them, “You have been the one blackmailing me all this while with my secret…” I continued, rage bubbling up now. “All force me to steal the Alpha’s seal?”
A humorless laughter vibrated through Kenna again—not softly this time, rather it was a low, cruel sound that echoed around the room.
“Of course it was me,” she said unapologetically. “Did you really think I’d miss the chance of blackmailing a pathetic human like you?”She stepped back, crossing her arms.
“Now you know how dangerous I can be,” her voice dripped with venom. “That’s why you’ll do exactly as I say.” Her gaze scanned me from head to toe in utter disgust, “ Because if you ever cross me…I’ll kill Lily.”
The name snapped something inside me. Before my brain could catch up— my hand moved instantly.
CRACK!
The slap cracked through the room.
Loud. Sharp. Final.
Kenna’s head snapped to the side as soon as my palm connected with her cheek, the sound thundering violently against the walls. The instant it happened, horror flooded me.
Shit!
What the hell have you just done, Ginnie?
“I—” I sucked in a breath, my heart racing wildly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
“You fucking bitch!” Kenna lunged at me before I could finish apologizing for the slap she deserved. Her speed was terrifying—unnatural. One second she was standing in front of me, the next her hands were on me, crushing every ounce of air inside my lungs.
She slammed me into the wall so hard the impact rattled my bones. Pain exploded across my back as the air was knocked out of me. I gasped, choking from the brutal grip of her hand on my neck. Before I could recover, she grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back, slamming it into the wall again.
And again.
And again.
“Stupid human bitch!” Kenna barked, her voice laced with fury. “How dare you lay your filthy hands on me!”
White-hot pain burst behind my eyes as my vision blurred. I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat as my hands clawed uselessly at her arms. As if my pain wasn’t enough for her, she smashed my head into the wall once more, stars exploding across my vision.
“Please—!” I sobbed, my strength draining rapidly. “Please…stop—!” But my struggles were nothing against her.
Her wolf power pulsed beneath her skin even in human form, crushing me with brutal force. She lifted me off the ground effortlessly, my feet dangling uselessly as she pinned me there.
“So you really thought you could slap me and go scott free?” She mocked, her eyes gleaming with every bit of victory. “You are nothing! less than nothing.”
Tears streamed down my face as pain ripped through my skull. She forced my chin up, her grip even more bruising as she leaned in close, “ I should kill you right now,” she whispered. “End all this once and for all.”
Her fingers shifted.
I felt it before I saw it—long, sharp gleaming claws slid out from her fingertips. Fear unlike anything I had ever known flooded me.
“Don’t worry,” she lifted her hand, facing it towards the direction of my throat, “I’ll make it quick and painful, “she murmured. “No one will ever know you existed.”
This was it.
My death staring me right in the eyes—
A powerful hand closed around Kenna’s wrist before either of us knew it. The force of it was so brutal that Kenna gasped, her grip on me loosening instantly as she was flung backward.
Before she could get the chance to react, Kenna was sent flying across the room, her body slamming into the opposite wall with a sickening crack.
I lifted my head, left with no words to voice out the moment my eyes met a familiar figure. And my heart stopped.
Varkos stood between me and Kenna, his massive body radiating pure, unrestrained fury. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might shatter.
“How dare you touch her?”