Charlotte POV:
Darkness. Silence.
I curled into a ball on the hard mattress. I'm sorry, I whispered to the tiny spark of life. I'm so sorry.
Eleanor had won. She played on Gabe's insecurity, his fear of weakness, and convinced him our child was a monster.
I closed my eyes, and a memory surfaced. Five years old. Lost in the woods. A man with eyes like molten gold. He gave me a letter. Open it only when you have lost all hope.
My coat. It was in the pile of "trash" my parents brought down here.
I scrambled off the bed, tearing through the garbage bags. There. The tattered gray coat.
I ripped open the lining. A yellowed envelope fell out.
Inside was a single card with a phone number and a symbol embossed in gold.
A wolf's head wearing a crown.
The Dean family crest. The Royals.
Below the number: For the Lost One.
I needed a phone. They had taken mine.
Wait.
Gabe. He came down earlier to shout at me through the door. He dropped his spare keycard-he didn't notice because he was so angry. But a phone?
No. I had to be smarter.
The next morning, the door opened. It was Gabe, holding a tray. His face was pale. He looked like a man trying to convince himself he was doing the right thing.
"Eat," he said flatly. "The doctor says you need strength for the... procedure."
He put the tray down. He looked at me, hesitation flickering.
"Gabe," I said softly. I didn't scream. I used the only weapon left. "Can I... can I just call my friend? Sarah? In the human city? Just to say goodbye. In case... something goes wrong."
"Nothing will go wrong," he said stiffly.
"Please," I looked down, feigning submission. "Just one call. Then I'll be good."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He pulled his phone out. "Two minutes. Speakerphone."
He unlocked it and handed it to me.
I dialed the number from the card. My fingers trembled.
Ring... Ring...
"Who is Sarah?" Gabe asked suspiciously.
The line clicked.
"Speak," a voice said.
It wasn't a greeting. It was a command. The voice was deep, ancient. It vibrated with power.
Gabe froze. He felt it too. The aura coming through the speaker.
"I..." My voice failed. "I have a letter. With the Royal Crest. I think... I think I am your daughter."
Silence.
Then, movement on the other end. "Name."
"Charlotte," I whispered. "I'm in the Sullivan Pack. They are going to kill my baby. Please..."
"Charlotte." The man said my name like a prayer.
Heat exploded in my chest. Not the mate bond. Blood. Lineage. A golden cord connecting my soul to the voice.
The man roared. Pure, unadulterated fury.
"DO NOT TOUCH HER!"
The speaker crackled. Gabe stumbled back, clutching his chest. That was the voice of a King.
"Who is this?" Gabe stammered.
"I am Antony Dean," the voice growled. "I am currently in the city for the Council summit. I am ten minutes away."
Ten minutes.
"If a single hair on her head is harmed, I will burn your pack to ash."
I looked at Gabe. "He's coming."
Gabe snatched the phone and smashed it against the wall. Panic wild in his eyes.
"You're lying," Gabe said, voice shaking. "You're a nobody!"
He grabbed my arm. "The procedure happens now. Before anyone gets here. We get rid of the evidence."
"No!" I fought.
"Guards!" he yelled.
He was going to kill me before my father could save me.
