Jack stayed in the hospital for almost a week before finally going home. He was a spoiled kid who hated me, but as my sister’s son, I loved him nonetheless. Even though his accident wasn’t entirely my fault, I couldn’t shake the guilt.
I wanted to apologize, but his father and grandmother wouldn’t let me near him, fearing I’d hurt him—something I’d never do. At times, I wanted to wring his neck, yet every time I looked at him, I saw my sister. Their resemblance was unsettling, making him look like me too. It felt like staring into a mirror.
My head still throbbed from when Alpha Zach shoved me against the wall. A stitched wound on my forehead left me with a bandage wrapped around my head.
Once home, I locked myself in my room while they had dinner. But to my surprise, Jack knocked on my door.
“Mother?” he called in a gentle, small voice, followed by the soft knock of his knuckles against the wooden door. But that wasn’t the only reason I was taken aback—it was the word he used to address me.
Mother.
Opening the door, I found him standing there, smiling softly. Bruises and scratches still patched his charming face, making my guilt even worse.
“What is it, Jack?” I asked.
“Join us for dinner,” he said, catching me off guard a second time.
I opened my mouth to refuse, but before I could utter a word, he had already grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dining area, where his father, grandmother, and Bella were waiting.
Lyla and Alpha Zach scowled at me, while Bella maintained a neutral expression. Jack let go of my hand and took the seat next to her, so I carefully chose the farthest seat from them and remained silent the entire time.
The urge to run away and lock myself in my room again was overwhelming, but I forced myself to stay seated as they began serving themselves. To my shock, Jack handed me a plate and even served me an excessive portion of meat.
"This is my apology to you, Mother. I asked Auntie Bella to help me prepare this dinner. I hope you like it," he said.
My expression soured instantly upon hearing that Bella had cooked the meal. But I didn’t want to disappoint Jack, so I simply nodded and forced myself to swallow the food. I would rather die than praise Bella, but I had to admit—her cooking was actually good. Better than mine, perhaps, though that wasn’t surprising. Despite being treated poorly in our palace, I was never allowed to do house chores, including cooking.
“Where are you going?” Lyla asked when I suddenly stood with a plate in my hands.
“I can’t finish all of this, so I’d better share it with Chuchu,” I said, referring to my childhood pet.
“You can’t do that,” Jack muttered, grinning from ear to ear.
My brows furrowed. “Why not?”
“Because you just ate him.”
The plate slipped from my hands, shattering against the floor. Shards flew, some scraping my legs and instantly drawing blood. My heartbeat surged with fear and anger, and without wasting a second, I bolted toward the backyard—where Chuchu was only allowed to stay.
“Chuchu!” I shouted, praying for a bark in response. Silence. My chest tightened as I ran to his cage, only to freeze at the sight before me— his bloody, severed head sat atop the cage.
My knees buckled, sending me collapsing onto the damp grass. My stomach twisted violently, and before I knew it, I was vomiting between sobs.
“What did you do to my dog?!” I screamed, my blood boiling with rage.
“We cooked him,” Bella said from behind me, laughing as if this was some cruel joke.
“You evil woman!” I sprang to my feet, lunging at her. I grabbed her hair and slammed her against the nearest tree. “Chuchu was my only friend!”
Bella shrieked and fought back, but I didn’t relent—until Alpha Zach’s palm struck my face. Pain exploded through my skull as I crashed to the ground, my nose bleeding, my vision spinning.
He cradled Bella, whispering soothing words to her, while his mother moved toward me, her fingers curling as if ready to grab a fistful of my hair— but before she could, I regained my composure and yanked Jack toward me, holding him hostage.
“Take a step closer, and I will snap this child’s neck!” I threatened, my body shaking with anger while theirs trembled with fear.
“Let go of Jack, Madeline!” Alpha Zach roared. But then his voice softened. “Come on, honey. Let go of Jack. He didn’t mean to kill your dog. He was just playing around.”
I let out a bitter laugh. There he was again, manipulating me, invalidating my feelings.
“Just let me go!” I snapped. “Let me escape from all of you! I’m tired of this! Just free me!”
“You are free, Madeline!” he insisted. “Cut this nonsense and let go of my son! Now!”
“No!” I shook my head, tightening my grip, ready to snap Jack’s neck—when suddenly, several nurses appeared.
“This woman is crazy!” Lyla shrieked. “Get her before she hurts my grandson!”
In an instant, the nurses rushed toward me, seizing my arms. I fought with everything I had, but then I froze as my eyes landed on the words stitched onto their uniforms.
Moonhowl Psychiatric Hospital.
