CHAPTER 4: Him.

Blossom.

“What do you want, Vanessa?” The question slipped out the moment she stepped closer, my voice sharper than I intended, edged with exhaustion and something dangerously close to anger. 

My fingers moved instinctively, quickly sliding the card beneath the thin hospital blanket, hiding it from view before her eyes could catch even a glimpse of it.

Her presence alone made the air feel heavier.

“What I want…,” she began, her tone calm but firm, her face completely devoid of warmth, “....is for you to stay clear away from Millien, Blossom.”

I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself, the motion slow, tired, but filled with quiet defiance. Of course. Of course that was what she came for. Vanessa was nothing if not predictable.

A bitter scoff rose in my chest.

She knew.

She knew very well that Millien hadn’t rejected me…not officially. The bond still existed, no matter how much he despised me. I was still his mate, whether he liked it or not. And hearing her say those words so boldly, as if she had already claimed what wasn’t entirely hers…it stung more than I wanted to admit and it angered me.

“Vanessa,” I said, my voice lower now, steadier despite the storm brewing inside me, “why are you after my life?”

The question hung between us, heavy with something deeper than curiosity. Because I truly didn’t understand. I had never done anything to her, at least, nothing I could remember. Yet her hatred for me ran deep, far deeper than simple jealousy.

For a split second, she said nothing, then she chuckled. The sound was soft… almost musical but there was something twisted beneath it.

“I’m not, darling,” she replied smoothly, tilting her head slightly as her lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s just that no one would notice me unless you are in pain.”

My breath hitched.

Her smile deepened, darker this time, more revealing.

“You are like a stepping stone to moonlight.”

The words settled over me slowly, chilling me from the inside out.

“Psycho,” I muttered under my breath, unable to hold it back.

But instead of being offended, she laughed. A light, amused laugh, like I had just told her something entertaining rather than insulting.

And then…the door opened. The sound was sudden, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Lurgard stepped inside.

What happened next unfolded so quickly, so unexpectedly, that I barely had time to process it.

One moment, Vanessa was standing in front of me.

The next…her hand grabbed mine, her grip was tight, deliberate, and before I could react, she pulled me forward slightly and then…she let go.

Her body dropped to the floor.

“Blossom, how could you?!” Lurgard’s voice thundered instantly, filled with outrage as he rushed toward her, panic and anger flashing across his face. He knelt beside her, helping her up carefully, his attention completely fixed on her.

And as she leaned into him…she looked at me. A smug smile spread across her lips, quick and triumphant, gone almost as soon as it appeared.

My stomach dropped.

Lurgard didn’t even hesitate, he didn’t question.

His hand shot toward me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking hard. Pain exploded through my scalp, sharp and immediate, forcing a gasp out of me as my head was pulled back.

“Don’t be too hard on Blossom, Lurgard…” Vanessa’s voice came softly, fragile now, as if she was the one in pain.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, glistening under the light, her entire expression transformed into one of pure innocence.

“I had only come to apologize to her,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly, “that I really didn’t mean to scream then and cause her to be humiliated.”

Such an actress!

Every word, every tear, it was all perfectly crafted and it worked.

It always did.

For a moment, Lurgard’s grip tightened… then suddenly, he released my hair just like that, as if her words alone were enough to decide everything.

I winced, as the pain didn’t leave with his touch, it lingered, throbbing across my scalp, spreading downward in waves that made my vision blur for a second. My fingers twitched weakly at my sides, but I didn’t dare lift them. 

“Your heart is just so evil, Blossom. I really can’t stand you anymore.”

Lurgard’s words hit harder than his hand ever could. Each syllable was laced with disgust, heavy and suffocating, like he truly meant every bit of it. My chest tightened, but I kept my head lowered, forcing myself into stillness.

“Vanessa saw the need to apologize to you, even though you were wrong…but you still…” His voice trailed off, but the anger didn’t. I could hear it in the way he clenched his fists, the tension in his breathing, the restraint in his posture.

I didn’t need him to finish the sentence.

I already knew what he believed.

He turned toward Vanessa almost instantly, his tone shifting as if a switch had been flipped. “Princess,” he said, softer now, more careful, “I think we should get back home.”

“No, Lurgard,” Vanessa replied gently, her voice carrying that same false warmth that made my skin crawl. “You can go ahead. I need to look after Blossom. No one has looked after her since she was brought here by the guards.”

For a brief moment, just a fleeting second, a dull ache spread across my chest but I masked it, pushing it down before it could take root.

“No way!” Lurgard snapped immediately, his voice firm and unyielding. “Who knows what she would do to you next? She is an ungrateful bitch!”

The words stung, but I stayed silent.

“But…” Vanessa tried again, her tone hesitant, as though she truly wanted to argue.

“Vanessa… we are leaving.” His voice left no room for debate this time.

I could hear movement, fabric shifting, footsteps turning. He must have taken her hand, guiding her toward the door. And for a moment, I thought that was it, that they would just leave.

But then…he stopped right at the door.

The silence stretched for a brief second, thick and heavy, before his voice came again, lower this time, colder.

“Most times… I actually wish you were never my sister.”

Something inside me broke completely.

The words didn’t just hurt, they shattered something deep within me, something I didn’t even realize I was still holding onto. 

My breath caught in my throat as the sound of the door opening echoed faintly, followed by the soft click of it shutting behind them.

And just like that…they were gone.

The room fell into silence.

The tears I had been fighting so desperately to hold back slipped free instantly, trailing down my cheeks without restraint. My body trembled slightly as I lay there, staring blankly ahead, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me all at once.

I was tired…fed up with the pain, the accusations, the betrayal and for the first time, a thought crept into my mind, quiet but persistent.

Maybe…Maybe I should accept his help.

Because the people who were supposed to protect me… the ones who should have stood by me…were the very ones breaking me.

Slowly, I reached beneath the blanket and pulled out the card, my fingers trembling slightly as I brought it into view. My eyes fixed on the name written across it.

Ryder Stormborn.

My breath hitched.

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it as recognition struck instantly, sending a jolt through me.

Him.

He was our pack’s greatest rival.

Millien’s sworn enemy.

No wonder he knew my name.

But that only made things worse.

Why would he offer to help me?

My fingers tightened around the card as unease settled deep in my chest.

Was this… some kind of trap?

Or something far more dangerous?

CHAPTER 5: What you did!

Blossom.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment and drew in a slow, steady breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside me. The words they had thrown at me still echoed in my head, sharp and cruel, digging into wounds that had never truly healed.

But I refused to let them consume me.

I had already suffered enough.

I needed to focus on getting better. I needed to focus on my recovery and nothing else.

Slowly, I pushed those hurtful words to the back of my mind, forcing myself to let them go. Yet, as I sat there in silence, another thought surfaced.

The stranger.

The man who had spoken to me earlier.

A slight frown settled on my face.

Without wasting another second, I reached for the card he had given me. My fingers tightened around it as I turned it over and looked at the name printed boldly across its surface.

The moment my eyes landed on it, my entire body went rigid.

Ryder Stormborn.

For several seconds, I simply stared.

The name alone was enough to make my blood run cold.

My pack's greatest rival.

A bitter scoff escaped my lips.

Now it all made sense, it's no wonder he had known my name, no wonder he had approached me so confidently.

There was no way a man like Ryder Stormborn would seek me out without a reason.

Politics.

It had to be politics.

What other explanation could there possibly be?

My jaw clenched.

How dare he?

How dare he think he could simply walk into my life and offer me help?

Did he think I was desperate?

Did he think I would willingly accept assistance from someone connected to the very people my pack considered enemies?

Never.

"To hell with him," I muttered bitterly, as my grip on the card tightened. "To hell with everyone."

I would never ask him for help.

I was still drowning in my thoughts when the door suddenly swung open.

The sound snapped me out of my anger.

I lifted my head immediately and there he was.

Millien.

Standing right before me.

His eyes locked onto mine, and a cruel smile slowly spread across his face.

"This is just the beginning, Blossom," Millien said the moment he stepped inside.

I let out a light scoff and folded my arms across my chest.

"Millien," I said, raising an eyebrow at him, "why don't you just reject me and free me from all this?"

The smile on his face vanished instantly.

"No way, Blossom!" he yelled without hesitation, his voice echoing through the room. "You still haven't paid for what you did two years ago.”

I looked at him in complete confusion, my brows knitting together as I searched his face for answers.

What exactly was he talking about?

His words made no sense to me.

What had I supposedly done two years ago?

I racked my brain, trying to remember something—anything—that could explain the hatred burning in his eyes, but nothing came to mind.

Absolutely nothing.

My heart pounded uneasily against my chest.

"Oh! Don't give me that look, Blossom!" he suddenly yelled.

Before I could react, his hand shot forward and gripped my chin roughly.

I winced immediately.

His fingers dug painfully into my skin as he forced me to look directly at him.

"Don't act like you don't know!" he snapped.

Fear and confusion swirled inside me.

I truly didn't know.

I had no idea what he was accusing me of.

"Millien, what—"

I tried to speak, as I wanted answers.

But before I could finish, he released my chin only for his palm to come crashing across my face.

The force of the slap snapped my head to the side. A sharp sting exploded through my cheek.

For a moment, I could only sit there in stunned silence.

"Listen to me, Blossom," he said coldly.

Slowly, I turned my head back toward him.

His expression was hard and merciless. There wasn't even the slightest trace of kindness in his eyes.

"I will make you pay for what you did for the rest of your life," he continued firmly, every word falling like a sentence being passed. "I will make you suffer."

A chill ran through me.

I simply stared at the monster standing before me.

This wasn't the man I once thought I knew.

The person standing in front of me now was filled with nothing but anger, hatred, and the desire to hurt me.

Yet I still couldn't understand why.

What had I done?

What terrible crime was he punishing me for?

Without another word, Millien turned around and he walked toward the door. A second later, he stepped out and left the room.

The door closed behind him and silence immediately filled the space.

I remained frozen where I sat, staring blankly ahead.

What had I done?

And more importantly...

What was I supposed to do now?

CHAPTER 6: The Only Thing I Had Left

Blossom.

They discharged me two days later, not because I had healed, but because my father refused to keep paying for a bed I didn't deserve, according to Lurgard.

The ride home was silent. I sat in the back of the pack car, my forehead pressed against the cold window, watching the trees blur past. Every bump in the road sent a jolt of pain through my ribs, but I bit down on my lip and said nothing. Complaining had never gotten me anything except more reasons to be punished.

When we arrived at the Ashford estate, I expected rest. I should have known better.

"Blossom." My father's voice met me before I had even stepped through the door. "The kitchen floor hasn't been scrubbed since you left. Get to it."

I didn't argue. I never did anymore. Arguing only added fuel to a fire that was already impossible to put out.

I changed out of my hospital clothes and got to work, my knees pressing into the cold tile, my hands raw within the hour. It was mindless labour, the kind that let my thoughts wander, and they always wandered to the same place.

Two years ago.

Whatever I had supposedly done, it had completely rewritten the way Millien looked at me. I used to be someone he brought flowers to, someone he laughed with under the old oak tree behind the pack house. Now I was someone he wanted to break.

I finished the kitchen floor just as the sun began to set, and that was when I heard her.

"Blossom!" Vanessa's voice rang out from the garden, bright and cheerful in the way that always meant trouble. "Come look what I found!"

Something cold settled in my stomach. I wiped my hands on my apron and walked toward the garden, dread building with every step.

And then I saw her.

Vanessa stood near the rose bushes, cradling something small and limp in her arms. My heart stopped the moment I recognised the grey fur and the little white patch near the tail.

Luna.

"No," I whispered, the word barely escaping my throat.

Luna had been a gift from Millien, back when he still smiled at me as if I mattered. She was the only creature in this house who had never once looked at me with disgust. I used to sneak her scraps of meat and let her sleep curled against my side on the nights the loneliness became unbearable.

"She wouldn't stop scratching at my door," Vanessa said, her voice syrupy sweet, utterly untouched by what she was holding. "I told her to behave, but you know how disobedient your things always are."

My legs carried me forward before my mind caught up, and I dropped to my knees in front of her, reaching out with trembling hands.

"Give her to me," I said, my voice cracking.

Vanessa tilted her head, studying my face like she was cataloguing every flicker of pain crossing it. Then, slowly, deliberately, she let Luna's body fall to the grass in front of me.

"There," she said. "She's yours again."

I gathered Luna into my arms, and the moment I felt how cold she already was, something inside me finally gave out. I didn't cry loudly. I had learned a long time ago that loud crying only invited more punishment. Instead, silent tears slid down my face, dropping onto Luna's fur, and I rocked back and forth, holding the only thing in this house that had ever chosen me.

"Don't be so dramatic," Vanessa said, already turning to leave. "It's just a cat."

I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to tell her exactly what kind of monster she was, but the words lodged in my throat, useless and unspoken, just like everything else I had ever tried to say in this family.

I buried Luna beneath the old oak tree that night, digging the hole myself with my bare hands because no one offered me a shovel. By the time I finished, my fingers were bleeding, and the moon had climbed high above the treeline.

I sat there for a long time afterwards, staring at the small mound of disturbed earth, and something inside me shifted. It wasn't sadness anymore. It had curdled into something harder, something that felt dangerously close to resolve.

I couldn't keep living like this.

I thought about the card sitting untouched in the drawer of my nightstand, the one I had sworn I would never use. Ryder Stormborn's name printed in that clean, deliberate font.

Politics, I had told myself. It had to be politics.

But sitting there in the dark with dirt under my fingernails and grief carved into my chest, I realised something. Even if it was politics, even if Ryder Stormborn wanted nothing from me but leverage against my pack, at least with him I would be more than a punching bag.

At least I would be useful for something other than pain.

I rose to my feet, brushed the dirt from my knees, and walked back toward the house with a decision forming in my mind, one I never thought I would actually consider.

I was going to call him.

I just didn't know yet how much that single choice would change everything.