chapter 104
Lucas's POV:
"Don't you dare talk to me about overstepping," Ethan's voice hardened, a rare challenge that surprised me.
"Where were you four years ago when she needed someone? When I called you begging for help? You didn't even bother to listen then."
His words hit me like a physical blow.
The truth of his accusation burned like acid in my veins.
"She needs someone now more than ever," Ethan continued, his voice quieter but no less intense. "Don't let her down again, Uncle. Don't stand by with your cold eyes a second time."
I ended the call without responding, but Ethan's words had already done their damage.
Memories I'd tried to bury rose to the surface like corpses in floodwater.
Four years ago. I remembered that night clearly.
Ethan's voice on the phone, choked with tears, begging me to intervene. I'd been in the middle of a critical acquisition meeting.
"Sir," Jack had entered my office after Ethan's call, his expression carefully neutral as always. "I've verified the situation. The Omega girl did kill Noah Morris. There were witnesses."
"And the specifics?" I'd asked, barely looking up from my documents, irritated at the interruption.
"She claims self-defense. Says he attempted to force-mark her. But Alpha, it's the word of an Omega. The Morris family is pushing for the harshest sentence."
I remembered shrugging, dismissive. "It's not our concern. An unrelated Omega girl killing a male, regardless of circumstances, has nothing to do with us."
"But Alpha, your nephew—"
"Is young and foolish," I'd cut him off. "He'll get over this infatuation. It's not worth it for an insignificant person."
I'd gone back to my meeting, dismissing the entire situation.
Not worth my time or attention. Just another pack drama that would blow over.
Now, with Tori trembling in my arms, the weight of that dismissal crushed down on me like a physical force.
I'd condemned her to four years of hell with my indifference. A simple phone call could have changed everything for her.
In my thirty-two years of life, I'd made countless decisions. Business acquisitions worth billions. Strategic alliances between packs. Personal choices that shaped my existence.
Not once had I ever looked back with regret.
Yet in this moment, regret consumed me like a wildfire, burning away every shred of self-assurance I'd ever possessed.
The twenty-seven-year-old Lucas could never have imagined that his cold indifference, his casual dismissal of someone's suffering, would silently transform into a blade—one that would transcend the river of time to plunge mercilessly into his own heart five years later, leaving no room for escape.
I drove us back to my private residence in silence, occasionally glancing at her exhausted form.
By the time we arrived, she had fallen into a fitful sleep, her face still tense even in unconsciousness.
I carried her inside and gently laid her on my bed. For a moment, I simply stood there, watching the rise and fall of her chest, the moonlight casting shadows across her face.
Once I was certain she was deeply asleep, I quietly left the room and made my way to my study.
"Do you have results?" I asked without preamble.
"Yes, Alpha," Jack's voice came through clearly. "We've confirmed the video leak was orchestrated by Lisa Morris. She paid the ceremony technician fifty thousand moonstone to splice in that footage."
"And the prison?" My voice was deadly quiet.
Jack hesitated. "It's a nightmare, Alpha. Silver Fang's guards were Ms. Morris's instruments of torture. Tori suffered systematic brutality—solitary confinement, starvation, forced drug trials."
He paused, struggling with the words. "The records document multiple psychological breaks. For a while, she even lost connection with her wolf entirely."
Duke growled so loudly in my mind that I nearly lost control of my shift. My hand gripped the edge of my desk, the wood splintering under my fingers.
"There's more, but I—" Jack's voice grew increasingly uncertain, clearly sensing the dangerous shift in my mood.
"Compile a complete list," I cut him off. "Every name. Every guard. Every administrator who turned a blind eye. Everyone who touched her. I want it on my desk by morning."
"Yes, Alpha. And what about the media fallout from today?"
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to think strategically despite the rage coursing through me.
"Contact our connections at the major networks. I want the narrative controlled by morning."
I ended the call. My chest tightened with intense pain.
Four years ago, I could have stopped this with a single word. A single phone call. The Grayson Pack name carried weight that could have at least ensured a fair trial. Instead, I'd dismissed her as unimportant. Not worth my time.
I returned to my room, where Tori slept.
The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a silvery glow across her face. She looked so vulnerable, so young.
The pieces fell into place. Her constant wariness, the way she flinched at sudden movements, how she kept everyone at arm's length—it all made perfect sense now.
"No wonder you've built such high walls," I whispered. "No wonder you can barely eat a full meal without discomfort."
It all traced back to those four years—the systematic starvation, the psychological torture, the constant state of fear.
Her body and mind still carried those scars, still operated as if danger lurked around every corner. Her digestive issues, her insomnia, her reluctance to trust—all of it had roots in what they'd done to her.
I sat carefully on the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb her, and gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, knowing she couldn't hear me. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed someone. I'm sorry I looked away."
"Every person who hurt you," I whispered, my fingers tenderly caressing her jawline, "every bastard who dared touch you..." My voice turned lethal. "I'll make them bleed for what they've done."
She stirred slightly in her sleep, her brow furrowing as if caught in a nightmare.
I placed my palm gently against her cheek, and her features relaxed again at my touch.
"Rest now," I murmured. "You're safe here."
She stirred but didn't wake, instinctively nuzzling closer to my warmth.
"I failed you once," I whispered to her sleeping form. "Never again."