Chapter 4.

(ALEX POV)

This prison was cold, not only in the physical sense, but in the emotional sense as well. There was hopelessness in the air and the sound of the metallic doors slamming shut only made my chest feel tight and constricted. I despised this place yet this was the place I came for a reminder of what was taken from me and why I was the way I was.

I move down the long hall and the guards follow me, keeping a distance. They know who I am and will not be in my way anymore. When I got to the last cell in the row, I saw him, my father, the once powerful Alpha, now a mere shell of his former self. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, and although in the past he was a man with a well-built, broad chest, he was slumped over with the years he spent in prison.

“Alexander,” he said as he rose from his seat, his throat feeling raw and unused. His eyes that used to be bright, authoritative now looked so dull, the effects of time and injustice. But there was a brief moment of pride in his eyes when he looked at me, a glimpse of the Alpha that he used to be.

”Father,” I say in a voice as icy as the floor beneath our feet. I moved closer to the bars and held them with my hands as tightly as I could. "I'm here. "

He nodded slowly, standing on the other side of the bars. “You have become powerful, my son. More powerful than I have ever been. But power is not all that is needed. You also need to be wise. Do not let your enemies know your flaws.”

The word alone gave me shivers down my spine, reminding me of the day everything turned upside down. I was just 11 years old when they came to take her away. My memory is as sharp as a dagger, I feel the pain each time I remember that day. To me, my father had always been a man of steel, a man who was strong, respected and feared. But that day, when the guards took him out of our home handcuffed, he was so. .. defeated.

I stood there, frozen, my little hands clenched into fists. My mom was screaming, begging them to stop, but they wouldn't listen. They were determined to bring her down, to make an example of her. And the person who planned it all was Tara Logan, Scarlett's mother. She stood in the background, cold and calculating, watching as they tore my family down.

They said he was guilty of deceiving the group, of committing crimes he swore he hadn't committed. But no one listened. No one cared. They wanted to see him fall, and they succeeded.

I watched as they took him away, the man I had always admired, now just a villain in their eyes. My mother's screams grew louder, more desperate, until they were interrupted by the sound of a door slamming. The silence that followed was painful.

As I turned to my mother, I saw a look in her eyes that I had never seen-pure sadness. Her face was pale, her hands shaking. I reached out, but before I could say anything, she fled the room.

I chased after her, calling out to her, but she didn't stop. She ran upstairs, into their bedroom, and I followed behind. When I reached the door, I saw her standing at the window, tears streaming down her face. She looked up at me, and in that moment, I saw something break inside her.

"Alexander," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm sorry. I can't live without it."

Before I could process what she meant, she climbed onto the windowsill. I screamed, running towards her, but I was too late. She jumped out the window, her body falling to the ground below. The sound of her body hitting the ground is something I'll never forget ーa dull sound that echoed through the empty house, through me.

I remember falling by the window, staring at her lifeless body, my screams filling the silence. I cried until my throat felt dry, until there were no more tears left. And in that moment, I made a vow that has driven me every day since. I swore that I would make Tara Logan pay for what she did to my family. I would avenge my father's destruction, my mother's death, and I would destroy the Logan family, whatever it took.

That vow has shaped who I am today. Every decision I make, every step I take, is driven by that promise. It's what turned me into the Alpha I am today-ruthless, strong, and unwavering. I have built myself from the ashes of the past, and I will not stop until my vow is fulfilled.

Yet as I stand here, looking up at my father, I can't help but have a little doubt. Not in my mission-never that ーbut in myself. The memory of seeing Scarlett again, how my wolf reacted to her, kept haunting my mind. I can't be distracted, can't be weak. Not now, when I'm so close.

"Are you listening, Alexander?" my father's voice brought me back to the present. His eyes looked at me with a mixture of hope and despair.

"Yes," I replied, though my mind was still overshadowed by Scarlett's face. "I'll make them pay. I promise."

***

I left the prison, the cold air greeting me as I stepped out. My thoughts and emotions swirled, but one thing was clear ーI couldn't let Scarlett get in the way of my revenge. I can't let my wolfish instincts cloud my judgment. The Logan family would pay for what they did, and nothing would stop me-not even my feelings of attraction towards Scarlett.

However, even though I tried to convince myself, I couldn't ignore the turmoil inside me. The image of my mother falling, the sound of her body hitting the ground, and the fire that drove me all this time ーall of it started to blur. And the more I thought about Scarlett, the harder it became to distinguish between my need for revenge and the urge to protect her.

The moment I've been waiting for has finally arrived ーMother Scarlett is back in town, and with her return, the opportunity to take revenge on the Logans is within reach. It should have been simple: use Ryan, get the information I needed, and then destroy them.

However, things were not that simple.

The moment I saw Scarlett again, something inside me changed. I had prepared myself to see her, to use her as a pawn in my game, but the moment our eyes met, everything I knew began to crumble. My wolf, who had always relied on dominance and control, reacted in a way I didn't understand. There was a pull, a connection I couldn't ignore ーa feeling that went against everything I had planned.

"How can she be my mate?" I muttered, clenching my fists as I wandered around. The daughter of the woman who destroyed my family, my mate? Moon goddess must be playing with me.

The way my wolf moved when I was close to her, my rapid heartbeat ーit was all frightening.

I leaned against the table, trying to control my emotions. She’s just a pawn, I told myself. Nothing more.