In a haze, I was abruptly awakened by a commotion. The hospital room door flew open, and Rio Wheeler, Beta of the Red Fang Pack, barged in with a frosty look on his face. His towering frame, a testament to his rank, loomed over me, his presence commanding and unyielding.

"Estelle, quit the act and get up!" he demanded, his alpha tone cutting through the air like a whip, forcing me to sit up despite the pain coursing through my body.

Before I could comprehend what was happening, Rio roughly pulled me off the bed. The IV needle was still in my arm, and the sudden movement made me cry out in agony. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, her voice laced with distress, but I pushed her aside, focusing on the immediate threat.

Blood trickled from the back of my previously pale hand, a distressing sight that left Rio completely unfazed. His dark eyes bore into mine, devoid of any warmth or compassion.

"After the scene you caused yesterday, Emersyn’s condition has worsened, and the healer says she needs to stay in the hospital for observation," he said, his voice cold and detached.

"Estelle, you’re the one responsible for this situation. You need to take care of her and make it right!" His tone left no room for argument, the weight of his authority pressing down on me.

I looked at him in disbelief, almost wanting to laugh at the absurdity. Emersyn’s ploy seemed so transparent, yet everyone fell for it. Absolutely ridiculous! My wolf growled softly, her frustration mirroring my own.

"I'm not doing it! If she needs care, hire a nurse. Why should it fall on me?" My voice was raw with emotion, teetering on the edge of tears. Who would have thought two people once so in love could turn out this way?

Rio’s frown deepened, and without hesitation, he yanked the IV out of my hand, dragging me toward the door. His grip was ironclad, his strength overwhelming. I stumbled, but he didn’t slow down.

"Estelle, our family didn’t raise us to use such ugly tactics on one another. You’re coming whether you like it or not!" His voice was firm, leaving no room for defiance.

The uproar attracted the attention of those in the hallway. Celine Brown, the healer, hurried over with Boone Cook, a Delta and security guard of the Red Fang Pack.

"Beta Wheeler, this is a hospital. Please release Miss Hoffman, or we’ll have to call the law enforcement pack!" Celine’s voice was firm, but I could hear the tremor of fear beneath her words.

Rio let out an exasperated sigh, his alpha aura intensifying, making even the air around us feel heavier. Just then, Lawrence Hoffman, Gamma of the Red Fang Pack, appeared with a cadre of bodyguards. His presence was as commanding as Rio’s, his broad shoulders and sharp features exuding authority.

"My sister isn’t in her right mind and shouldn’t be here," he announced, his tone leaving no room for argument.

With that, the bodyguards closed in, restraining me securely. I struggled fiercely, but it was pointless. Their strength, enhanced by their wolf blood, was far beyond my own.

The onlookers were clueless about the situation, and the security staff was too cautious to intervene. The Hoffman family held significant influence in this territory, and crossing Lawrence could mean losing jobs or worse.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, despair overwhelmed me. Lawrence gripped my chin harshly, his fingers digging into my skin, and sneered, "See, Estelle? No one’s coming to save you now!"

"If you don’t cooperate, I’ll have you committed, and you’ll never see the outside world again!" His threat hung in the air, a chilling reminder of the power he wielded.

I shut my eyes, tears of hopelessness streaming down my face. My wolf whimpered softly, her presence a small comfort in the face of such cruelty. When I finally spoke, my voice was filled with an unyielding resignation.

"Fine, I agree…"

I was dragged to Emersyn Hernandez's hospital room against my will. Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction, though she pretended guilt, her voice dripping with false sincerity. "I didn't mean to have my sister look after me. You won't be mad, right?"

I stared at her blankly, my expression unreadable. My body still ached from the injuries I’d sustained, but I refused to show weakness in front of her.

Lawrence, my brother and the Gamma of the Red Fang Pack, frowned deeply. His broad frame loomed over me as he roughly grabbed my hair, his Alpha aura pressing down on me. "Why are you just standing there like you’re dead? Emersyn is talking to you—didn’t you hear her? Looking after her is the kindest punishment you could receive. You should be grateful!"

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. They forced me to drag my sick body here to entertain Emersyn, and now they expected gratitude. Did they truly think so little of me?

"Don’t bother talking to her," Rio sneered, his voice cold and cutting. As the Beta of the Red Fang Pack, his presence was commanding, his muscular frame towering over me. His dark eyes narrowed with disdain. "You know what she’s like—she was a stuttering mess as a kid, and now she’s gone mute."

His words cut deeper than any physical wound. Those who know you best can hurt you the most. As a child, I struggled to speak; even at seven or eight, my words would stumble and get tangled. Other pups mocked me, calling me "Little Stutterer," and I endured endless bullying.

Only Lawrence and Rio had defended me then, shielding me from the cruel taunts and promising to always protect me. And yet now, they were the ones inflicting the pain. The scars of my childhood were being ripped open, raw and unhealed.

Emersyn laughed into her hand, her Omega status doing nothing to diminish her cruelty. "So my sister really was a stutterer? That’s hilarious."

Rio’s gaze softened as he looked at her, but his words were meant to wound me. "Funny, isn’t it? Couldn’t even string a sentence together—completely hopeless."

"My computer still has videos from those days," Lawrence added, his voice cold. "Once you’re better, Emersyn, I’ll show them to you."

The video he referred to was from my eighth birthday. Rio had coaxed me into saying, "Estelle loves Rio. Estelle wants to marry Rio when she grows up," using the Wheeler family heirloom necklace as a bribe.

Even those few words had been a struggle for me, and I’d nearly cried trying to get them out. Lawrence, thinking Rio was teasing me too much, had fought with him over it. After that, the video was tucked away by Rio as a cherished memory, or so he’d said—never to be shown to anyone else. But now, promises seemed worthless, and what was once treasured had become a weapon against me.

The necklace, with its lingering warmth, was a cruel reminder of how reality had shifted. Watching Emersyn giggling at Rio’s every word, I shakily reached up and removed the necklace that had hung around my neck for over a decade.

The brief flicker in Rio’s expression told me he understood my actions. "What’s your game now, Estelle?" he asked, suspicion creasing his brow.

Despite the pain in my chest, my face remained impassive. There was only exhaustion, the kind that seeped into my very bones.

"You said this necklace was for the one you loved most," I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "Rio, I’m giving it back. Give it to whoever it truly belongs."

A gleam passed through Emersyn’s eyes, but Rio hesitated, his hand hovering in the air. It wasn’t until Emersyn tugged at his sleeve with childish pleading that he snapped out of it. "I’ll buy Emersyn a new one," he said coldly. "We don’t want something you’ve worn—it’s tainted!"

Even though I had long given up hope in them, his words still stung.

Emersyn pouted, her Omega act in full swing, as if I had deeply insulted her. "Am I just a trash can, sister? You’re giving me something you don’t want?"

Her venom seemed to spur Rio on. He clamped his hand viciously over my throat, his Beta strength crushing. "Estelle, you’re absolutely despicable!"

Unable to breathe, I clawed at his hand in desperation, but he threw me aside with disdain. I crashed against a table, the pain shooting through me so intensely that all I could do was curl up in agony.

Rio hesitated for a second, a flicker of panic crossing his face, but Lawrence stepped in, his Gamma authority firm. "She’s faking it. Haven’t you figured her out yet?"

"Estelle," Lawrence snapped, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, "I’ll give you three seconds to get up, or I’ll have you thrown out—you’re nothing but a nuisance!"

I knew there was no way I could get up in time. My body was too battered, too broken.

He looked at me with annoyance, his Alpha aura pressing down like a weight. "Fine, still stubborn, huh? Where are the guards? Throw her out into the hallway! Make sure she doesn’t run off, or they’ll regret it!"

The Delta guards moved swiftly, their expressions grim as they hauled me to my feet. My wolf stirred weakly in the back of my mind, a faint whisper of defiance, but it was drowned out by the pain and humiliation.

As they dragged me out of the room, Emersyn’s laughter followed me, a cruel reminder of how far I’d fallen in their eyes. But deep down, I knew one thing: I would survive this. And one day, I would be free.