Chapter 277
277 The Call
Third Person POV
In a small apartment, Charles handed Aubrey a bottle of water, his expression conflicted.
“You really don’t want to go back?”
+8 Pearls
He had found her by chance, standing blankly by the river. Something about her had seemed off, so he had brought her home.
Aubrey hadn’t objected. Once inside, she had gone straight to sleep–and hadn’t woken for a full day and night. Charles knew Alpha Henry’s men were searching for her, but… for reasons buried deep inside him, he hadn’t taken her back.
After his shower, damp strands of hair clung to his forehead. He was no longer the boy he had been a year ago–his features had sharpened, his presence grown steadier. Experience had tempered him, giving him a quiet maturity that made him someone reliable.
“The alpha is looking for you,” Charles said frankly, bottle in–hand. “To be precise, the entire Shadowmoon Pack is being turned upside down.”
Even his grandfather had instructed him to keep an eye out for her during missions.
But Aubrey only narrowed her eyes at this and stayed silent. Charles sighed. He slid the breakfast he’d prepared closer to her.
“Whatever happens, I’ll respect your decision. If you don’t want to go back, I won’t take you.”
He could tell she’d suffered a terrible blow. And if that wound had come from Alpha Henry, then he had no right to return her to the man. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being hurt again.
On the table, he placed a phone, a set of keys, and some cash.
“I have an important mission today. I’ll be back later. If you get hungry, order food, or go out for a walk. Or… call someone, if you have a friend you want to talk to.”
When she didn’t respond, still curled up with her knees hugged to her chest, Charles exhaled heavily, slipped on his jacket, and left.
The moment the door closed, the apartment seemed to hollow out. Aubrey clutched her knees tighter, her long lashes trembling as she lowered her head, resting her face against her arms. Her expression was cool, distant.
In her past life, all she had done was love Alpha Henry. All she had was a gift no one else possessed–a body different from the rest. So why had everyone tormented her?
She had once believed Henry was the only one who hadn’t hurt her. But in the end, the place that destroyed her, that reduced her to agony, had been his. He had shielded those who tortured her, perhaps even planned to use her life to save someone else.
And this was the man she had loved.
Expressionless, Aubrey bit down on her own hand. Blood welled and streaked across her pale skin.
No one knew how long she sat like that before she finally reached for the phone. Slowly, she dialed a
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277 The Call
number from memory.
“Hello?”
Mariana’s voice carried faint confusion. She didn’t reco
the number.
+40 Rearls
Aubrey laughed quietly. “Mariana. Things aren’t going so well for you these days, are they?”
“Aubrey?!”
Mariana shot to her feet in shock.
She was in her room, caught between panic and calculation. The Miguel family was tearing the pack apart searching for Aubrey. Should she give her up? If she did, would Alpha Henry restore her rank as a beta?
But before her thoughts could settle, Aubrey’s voice came again, hoarse yet tinged with pleasure.
“Must be hard, selling yourself just to keep your company from collapsing. You must be feeling miserable. And you know what? I’m here to enjoy the show. Seeing you like this–pathetic and ruined–it makes me feel wonderful.”
“Aubrey!!”
Hatred surged hot and fast through Mariana’s veins, drowning her reason.
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