Marcus sat at his desk, a deep frown tugging at the corners of his lips. His wolf felt restless, pacing within him, but it was nothing compared to the way his heart clenched. His beta shifted nervously before speaking.
“She won’t be coming, sir. Didn’t you say this morning that she wouldn’t be coming anymore?”
Alpha Marcus froze.
He had forgotten.
Again.
Brianna was gone.
A low growl rumbled deep within him.
It wasn’t the first time he had lost track of time, caught up in his responsibilities and duties as the Alpha of the Shadow Walker Pack
But this–this felt different.
He had gotten used to her presence, her quiet strength. It had become routine. And now, without her, the house seemed too empty, too cold.
It’s falling apart.
His fingers hovered over his phone, and a wave of guilt washed over him.
He opened their old chat thread, something he hadn’t done in months.
Brianna had sent over five thousand messages in the last five years, checking on him, reminding him to take care of himself–eat, rest.
He had replied five times.
Each response was short, curt, never more than a few words.
The disconnection stung, but he never allowed himself to dwell on it.
Not until now.
The screen of his phone blinked in front of him, revealing the absence of new messages.
Not one since she left.
His heart sank.
1 was as if her presence had been wiped away, replaced by silence.
His phone rang abruptly, and Marcus snapped back to reality.
The caller ID showed it was the housekeeper.
Alpha, something’s happened…”
The housekeeper’s voice trembled on the other end.
‘It’s your son, h–he-”
Marcus’s pulse quickened.
His wolf snarled inside him, sensing something was wrong.
“What happened to him?”
4:57 pm G
“He’s vomiting, severe diarrhea. We think it’s something he ate. We’ve already taken him to the hospital.”
Without another word, Marcus hung up, his mind racing
Lucas.
He couldn’t lose him too.
Not after everything.
He arrived at the hospital in record time, his heart hammering in his chest as he rushed through the sterile corridors.
Lucas lay in the bed, hooked up to an IV, his face pale, his small body looking fragile against the stark white sheets. The sight was enough to make his wolf go wild with protective instinct, but Marcus kept his focus.
He had to stay in control.
He turned to the housekeeper, fury building in his chest.
“He hasn’t had an episode like this in years. What happened?”
The housekeeper hesitated, her head lowering in shame.
“I–It wasn’t Madam who cooked today, sir. Miss Ava made lunch. Sh–she used too many seasonings, and it triggered Lucas’s condition.”
Marcus’s temper flared.
Ava…
His jaw tightened as he fought the urge to shift and rip through the walls.
“Bring her here. Now.”
Moments later, Ava entered the room, her face streaked with red from crying, her hands trembling.
She fell to her knees before him.
“I’m sorry, Alpha! I didn’t mean to hurt him. I–I promise I’ll do better. Please, don’t be angry. Please give me another chance.”
Alpha Marcus stood, his body rigid, trying to control the storm brewing inside him.
When he looked at her, he saw the same woman who had once been so warm, so comforting.
His heart twisted, but the anger was still there. He had a responsibility–to protect his on To ensure this would never happen again.
Or should have never happened in the first place.
“I know you didn’t mean to hurt him,” he said coldly, his voice like steel.
“But from now on, let the professionals handle the meals. I want that recipe book. The one Brianna left behind.”
Ava blinked, her expression hardening.
“I’m sure the chefs can improvise. They don’t need a recipe book. I-”
Alpha marcus’s eyes narrowed.
4:57 pm G
His wolf growled inside him, a warning, but he forced it down.
“If I say give it to them, then you give it to them. Don’t argue with me.”
The recipe book wasn’t just any collection of dishes. It was Brianna’s.
The one she had meticulously crafted over months–every dish, every ingredient–perfectly aligned with Jayden’s sensitive needs.
No chef, no matter how skilled, could replicate what she had done.
No one knew Lucas as Brianna did.
Ava froze.
Her lips quivered as she hesitated before speaking, her voice trembling.
“… I- burned it.”
Time stopped.
Alpha Marcus’s world tilted on its axis. His vision blurred, and his heart nearly stopped in his
chest.
“You what?”
His voice was a thunderclap, filled with raw, violent fury.
“Why would you destroy it?”
“I–I thought…”
Her voice wavered, and Nick could see the panic in her eyes.
“Brianna’s gone. I thought… if I kept it, she might come back. I didn’t want her to think she was still wanted here, that… that she could come back and-”
The words hit Marcus like a physical blow.
His wolf once again howled in fury, but he managed to hold it back, even as his body shook with
rage.
Without another word, he turned away, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. The tension in the room was suffocating, but he said nothing more. He simply ordered someone to remove Valentina, his voice low and dangerous..
As he stood by Lucas’s bed, staring down at his son’s frail form, something inside Marcus shifted.
Brianna had cared for Lucas like he was her own.
Her love for him had been pure, without hesitation.
He had let her go, pushed her away, and now, he could never undo it.
And the ache in his chest–the small, painful seed of regret–started to grow.
He had made a mistake. He hadn’t valued what he had until it was gone.
Alpha Marcus looked down at Lucas, the bond between them strong as ever, but it was no longer enough to fill the empty space Brianna had left.
And deep down, Marcus knew–letting her go had been his biggest mistake.
