C4 His daughter’s cry

Lucas’s hands shook as he held the scrap of parchment to the firelight. The letters blurred, but he didn’t need to read them again. He could hear Zoe’s voice echoing in his ears, trembling and small: I miss you, Papa.

He crushed the note in his fist until his knuckles went white. Rage boiled under his skin, his wolf thrashing, demanding blood.

They were playing with him. They had her near enough for him to scent her, near enough to taunt him with scraps of her presence… but not near enough to save her.

Cowards.

A sharp knock jolted him. He shoved the paper into the flames just as Vashti entered.

Her gaze landed on him, sharp as a blade. “You’re pale. Sweating.”

“I’m fine,” he rasped, forcing a smile that never touched his eyes. “Just—”

“Don’t lie to me.” She stepped closer, her presence filling the room. “I’ve led warriors for years. I know when someone is fighting a battle inside themselves.”

The words cut too deep. Lucas turned away, his jaw locked tight. He couldn’t tell her the truth — not when Zoe’s life was the noose around his throat.

But Vashti didn’t let him retreat. She touched his arm lightly, her fingers burning through the fabric of his sleeve. “Whatever it is… you don’t have to carry it alone.”

For a moment, he almost broke. He almost spilled everything, dropped to his knees, begged her to save Zoe. But then his wolf froze, ears pricking.

A sound carried faintly through the open window — muffled, but unmistakable.

A child’s sob.

Lucas’s blood turned to fire. He moved to the window, every nerve on edge. The scent hit him again, stronger this time: Zoe. His Zoe.

He leaned out into the night air, scanning the treeline, the shadows. Nothing. Only darkness and wind. But he knew. He knew. She was close.

“Kade,” Vashti’s voice came behind him, low, concerned. “What is it?”

He forced himself to close the shutters, his hands trembling. “Nothing,” he lied, though his voice cracked. “Just the wind.”

---

Later that night, he slipped from his chambers, following the thread of his daughter’s scent through the woods at the edge of Paxton land.

The trail led him to a small, abandoned shack, half-swallowed by vines. His wolf howled inside him, recognition slicing through his chest.

He pushed the door open — and his heart shattered.

Zoe lay curled on a straw mat, wrists bound, her little body trembling. Her eyes fluttered open, glassy with tears, and when she saw him, her lips parted.

“Papa?”

Lucas dropped to his knees, choking on a sob. “Zoe…” His hands fumbled at the ropes, desperate to free her, whispering over and over, “I’ve got you, baby. I’m here.”

The knot was loosening beneath his frantic fingers when the door slammed open.

Boots pounded against the floor. Shadows filled the shack.

Lucas spun — and froze.

Standing in the doorway was not just the Gravelmoon Beta, but the Alpha himself, his smile cold and cruel in the moonlight.

The Alpha’s voice slithered through the dark.

“Did you really think I’d let you touch her without my permission, Lucas? You’ve already forgotten who owns her life.”

***************

Lucas’s body shook with fury as the Gravelmoon Alpha stepped into the shack, flanked by his Beta. Their presence filled the small space like poison, choking the air.

“Leave her out of this,” Lucas snarled, his voice shaking with rage. His wolf was clawing at his skin, demanding to be unleashed. “She’s just a child.”

The Alpha’s lips curved in a cruel smile. “A child born of sin. A bad omen. And you dare beg for her life as if your words have meaning.”

Lucas placed himself between Zoe and the intruders, arms spread, eyes blazing gold. His heart thundered, torn between terror and the savage need to rip the man apart.

“I’ll do what you asked,” he said hoarsely. “I’ll destroy Vashti from the inside, I’ll feed you every weakness she has. But if you hurt Zoe, I swear by the Moon Goddess—”

“You’ll what?” The Alpha’s laughter was cold. “Defy me? You’ve already proven you can’t. Your daughter breathes because I allow it. Do not mistake that for mercy.”

Behind him, Zoe whimpered. Her tiny voice pierced him like a blade. “Papa, please don’t let them take me.”

Lucas’s knees nearly buckled. He turned, cupping her tear-streaked face, whispering, “I won’t, baby. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

But when he looked back up, the Alpha’s gaze was merciless.

“You have eighty-four days left,” the Alpha said, voice smooth as venom. “Win her trust. Find the cracks in her armor. And when the time comes, I’ll tear the Paxton Luna down with my own hands. Fail me…” His smile widened, teeth glinting. “…and Zoe won’t be the only one who suffers.”

With that, the Alpha and his Beta stepped back into the night, leaving only the stench of their cruelty behind.

---

Lucas gathered Zoe into his arms, clutching her so tightly she whimpered. He wanted to run, to tear the world apart to keep her safe. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

Because Vashti’s face haunted him. Her voice, her trust, her strength. She wasn’t just another Alpha’s Luna. She was his mate.

And he was being forced to destroy her.

---

The next morning, Vashti summoned him again.

Her sharp gaze swept over him, lingering on the dark circles under his eyes, the tremor in his hands. “You’re hiding something,” she said softly, almost accusingly.

Lucas swallowed hard. His lips parted — the truth begging to spill out. But then he remembered Zoe’s tears, the Alpha’s threats, the parchment notes.

He clenched his fists. “I’m not.”

Vashti’s eyes narrowed, studying him like she could peel away every layer until she found the truth. The air between them thickened, charged, their bond scratching at its chains, desperate to be recognized.

“You’re lying,” she whispered.

Lucas froze. The word cut deeper than any blade. His heart slammed against his ribs, torn between two impossible choices: confess everything and risk Zoe’s life, or bury the truth and shatter Vashti’s trust.

Before he could answer, a horn echoed from the edge of Paxton territory. Urgent. Alarmed.

Vashti stiffened, her hand going to the dagger at her side. “Rogues,” she breathed. “They’re breaching the northern wall.”

Her eyes snapped to him, blazing. “Come with me.”

Lucas followed her out into the chaos of battle, torn apart inside — because he already knew. These weren’t ordinary rogues. They carried the Gravelmoon Alpha’s scent.