Chapter 104: Guilt is an ugly emotion.

July 17 2026, 1:45pm.

The ride was cold and quiet, with two of the car’s occupants looking in the opposite direction as the bustling city blurred past.

Rowan clenched his fingers around the steering wheel tightly, his jaws grinding against each other as he stared straight ahead at the roads while Berlin busied herself with watching the quickly disappearing street, plus the skyline that looked like something straight out of a Disney animated movie.

Behind them, a tired woman sat with her back pressed into the car’s seat. Her silvery brown hair rested atop her head like a bird’s nest. Most of her hair strands fell and covered her face and neck, and her frail body was barely visible under her drab dress while she slept soundly.

But there was no father.

He thought she had a father.

As if their thoughts were synchronised, they both turned to look at each other at the same time. Their lips parted as well, but when Berlin caught sight of Rowan’s dark blue eyes— and the fire that glimmered within his orbs like the sun— her breath caught and she glanced away quickly.

"Where’s your fath—"

"My father is dead. It’s just me and my mom now."

They both spoke at the same time, their voices carrying more than enough weight that settled in the car like a heavy dark cloud.

The sudden statement made something in Rowan’s chest shift. He frowned, shook his head, and murmured;

"But your father... you said... I don’t get you, I thought your father was—"

"He was alive up until two days ago," she answered softly without missing a beat, but Rowan could clearly hear the bitter undertone punctuating each word. A heavy kind of silence settled in the car for a couple of seconds— but those few seconds had felt like an eternity before she continued; "He died two nights ago."

She didn’t tell him that he’d died from a ’freak accident’.

She did not explain how she had been told that he had ’simply fallen off the stairs.’ The same stairs he passed every damn day.

She did not tell him about how they’d found two silver bullets at the back of his neck— but he had fallen. That was what his autopsy read.

She told him nothing.

Her heart felt heavy at the thought and without another word, she turned away one more time to press her head against the window. She then squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to sleep the rest of the way.

But could she do that?

Of course not! Not when a hot man was sitting right next to her. Not when her heart was pounding so fiercely against her chest as if she was running a marathon, and not when... definitely not when she could feel the static electricity zapping between them both of them.

The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end and she did not need to check to know that he was watching her intensely. Goddess, she could feel it.

She should ignore it.

But she did not. She hissed; "Why?"

Rowan stilled, his eyes dilating. "Why what?"

"Why did you come to help me? Why did you suddenly show up here... and why does it feel like you are trying to steal my mother and me away from my pack when the same you, four days ago, asked to break up with me?"

"Berlin—"

"You told me that I was a distraction. You said you could not stand me because I liked to make things all about myself. You called me selfish, Beta Blackthorne, so why the fuck are you trying to help me now? All of a sudden?"

Beta Blackthorne?

The name stung.

It was not an insult but he felt more insulted than he had ever felt in a long time. His hands balled into fists, not because he hated the way it sounded— he did— but because those were the same words he’d heard Flynn call him earlier that same day.

His eyes whipped to the side and he noticed to his horror that there were scratch marks behind Berlin’s ear— so small that they were barely noticeable.

He shook his head as he returned his gaze to the front and drawled; "I am not helping you..."

Berlin stilled. She lifted her head. "So what are you doing?"

"I am only following orders. The alphas... my alphas have asked to see you. They need you at the pack today, and even though I do not know what is happening, I’ll advise you to stay away from any form of trouble."

His words made her flinch like she’d been struck. Her heart raced in her chest, hammering so loudly that one could hear it from a mile away. Her fingers dug into the cushion as she wondered what the Alphas wanted with her; that is until a thought struck her head—

Nyx’ara.

Leilani.

They wanted to know the truth.

She had been one of the witnesses who had condemned Nyx’ara even when she knew the truth. She had done it however to protect her parents, but were they really protected?

Did she not lose her father only two days ago?

Her lips parted before she could help herself and she rasped; "Stop the car!"

Rowan frowned. "We are in the middle of the road! I cannot!"

"I said: stop the car!" She screamed again, and goddess, she was hyperventilating. Her sore fingers were bleeding as she continuously picked on her cuticles. Her body shook with tension and fear and anxiety.

The sound of her loud voice had Rowan stopping the car with a screech. Her mother shot out of her sleep, her red swollen eyes glaring fearfully at them as Berlin hissed;

"I am not going to your pack with you and I want to return to my pack right away!"

The truth was that she feared facing Nyx’ara again after everything. She feared looking into the eyes of her best friend and finding only anger and resentment stemming from lying against her.

She feared the cutting words that Nyx’ara would say to her... feared the betrayal that would be as clear as day in her eyes.

She was jolted out of her thoughts when Rowan’s hands closed around her wrist. He pulled her flush against him, enough that her body was squashed against his rock-like muscles.

Heat scattered from the places their bodies touched. But he didn’t care much for that. He only cared about her safety.

He drawled; "The alphas asked for you and they’re nothing like your alpha. If you refuse, they’ll hurt you... and trust me, they might hurt your mother too."

His voice seeped into her senses, snapping her from her momentary stupidity. She gulped and lowered her head, afraid to look him in the eyes.

And then she muttered; "Okay... but make sure I am as far as possible away from Luna Nyx’ara all through."

Rowan frowned at that but said nothing. Instead, he let her go, hating the way his body instantly began to miss her warmth, and then he drove off.