Chapter 4

　　"No!" Ethan shouted, catching her before she hit the ground. He knelt, his hands shaking as he held her close. "Harper…"

　　Her glowing eyes met his, the green fading to brown. Tears streaked her face as she whispered, "I… tried…"

　　And then she was gone.

　　The clearing was silent. The pack stared, their expressions a mixture of shock and grim acceptance. Alpha Alexander stood tall, his face unreadable.

　　"There is no place for weakness here," he said. "This is the cost of failure."

　　Ethan was totally losing it inside. His jaw was so tight it could snap. He wanted to just... explode. Scream at his father, ask him what the hell was going on. But he couldn't.

　　Riley approached cautiously, placing a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "Ethan…"

　　He shook her off, standing slowly. His face showed anger and grief, but when he actually spoke, his voice was completely calm like he wasn't dying on the inside. "She wasn't weak. She was one of us."

　　Alpha Alexander's gaze hardened. "She was a threat. And threats to the pack are dealt with swiftly. You'd do well to remember that."

　　Ethan didn't respond. He simply turned and walked away from the circle, his heart breaking. He thought he could save her. He thought he could make a difference. But tonight, he'd learned a harsh truth: in the Laurent pack, mercy was a luxury no one could afford.

　　"Ethan…" Riley tried again.

　　He didn't stop. Didn't even turn around. He just muttered, barely loud enough for her supernatural hearing to catch, "I need to be alone."

　　The whiskey bottle was half-empty. Half-full. Who the hell even cares?

　　Ethan stared into the glass, his hand shaking slightly. Harper's face kept flashing in his mind. Those last moments. That look in her eyes. "I tried..." she had whispered. And then nothing.

　　He knocked back another drink, wincing at the burn. The kitchen was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that screamed louder than any sound.

　　His phone buzzed. He ignored it. Probably Riley checking on him. Or worse, someone from the pack.

　　Fuck the pack.

　　Fuck everything.

　　Another drink. The liquid blurred the edges of the memory. But not enough. Never enough. Memories tainted by blood are difficult to erase. They become a part of you as they absorb into your bones, skin, heart and soul. Harper's passing left a scar that would never completely go away.

　　The kitchen light suddenly clicked on. Ethan didn't move. Didn't look up. Just kept staring into the glass, watching the whiskey swirl like the memories he couldn't escape.

　　"You're drinking?" His mother, Luna Valeria's voice was sharp. Disapproving.

　　Ethan took another swig. "What does it look like?"

　　She yanked the bottle away. "You're supposed to be the pack's future. And here you are, drowning yourself in alcohol after what happened tonight."

　　Something inside him snapped. "What happened tonight?" he repeated, his voice rising. "You mean when Dad murdered Harper? When you just stood there and watched?"

　　His mother's eyes hardened. "Watch your tone."

　　"You're the Luna," Ethan spat. "The most powerful woman in the pack. And you did NOTHING while Dad killed a kid who was struggling with her first transformation."

　　"Ethan, you've no idea what it takes to lead this pack. The sacrifices—"

　　"Sacrifices?" Ethan cut her off, his laugh sharp and bitter. "You mean like sacrificing innocent kids to Dad's ego? Yeah, I see the type of 'sacrifices' you are okay with."

　　Her hands tightened into fists at her sides. "Your father does what needs to be done for the protection of this pack. One day, when you are Alpha, you will understand—"

　　"I'll NEVER understand," he spat, his voice trembling. "If being Alpha means becoming like him, then you can have it. I don't want it."

　　"That is enough!" she screamed, finally losing her temper. "You don't get to be here and criticize us like you are some freaking saint. You think this is easy? Juggling power and responsibility and surviving? You have no clue what we have faced. What I have faced to hold this family and this pack together."

　　"And you think that justifies it all?" Ethan's voice fell. "You are no better than he is. You have let him be in charge for so long that you don't even realize how low you have sunk."

　　The slap was so quick he barely understood it. Her palm collided with his face hard enough to make his head whip to the side, and the crack echoed in the kitchen like a gun.

　　They both stood still for a moment.

　　Ethan's hand went to his face, surprised more than anything else. "You hit me?"

　　Luna's breathing was deep and uneven. Her wide eyes were still on fire, but they had something else in them now. Regret, perhaps. "You don't have the right to say that to me," she murmured, trembling. You really have no idea what it's like to live this life. To be married to an Alpha? To raise children in this...in this world?"

　　"No, I don't," Ethan said, his voice slowly becoming composed. "But standing up for what's right? Throwing yourself up against the man you married? That's not even supposed to be up for debate!"

　　She flinched as if his words stung more than her own slap. "You deserve better," Ethan continued, his tone becoming gentler. "So much better. You deserve someone who you can talk to. Someone who sees you. Not this...this shattered system we're stuck in. Someone you're not afraid to call out his bullshit. Someone who would hold you and tell you that it's okay to be weak. To be yourself."

　　As though she was about to speak, her mouth opened, then she changed her mind. "Get out," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.

　　"Gladly," Ethan muttered. He grabbed his jacket, heading for the door. But just as he reached it, he paused.

　　"I hope one day you see yourself the way I do," he said, turning back to her. "Because when you do, you will realize you were stronger than him."

　　Ethan slammed the door behind him, leaving his mother alone and forcing her to think about the choices she had made.