Chapter 3

Eve's POV

I carried Noah's head back to the old stone house in the lower district where we used to live.

This was where Arthur and I had shared a home before he became the pack's top enforcer. The little wooden table he'd made by hand was still there, along with the crooked drawing of our family that Noah had made when he was two, still taped to the wall. Everything was covered in thick dust.

"Noah, let Mommy clean you up, okay?" I trembled as I began wiping the blood from his face. "Just like when you were little."

My movements were gentle and slow, as if he were only sleeping.

I found needle and thread and began stitching up the horrible bite wounds around his neck. Each stitch felt like it was going through my own heart.

Tears dripped onto his small body as my hands shook so badly I could barely hold the needle.

"Does it hurt, baby? Mommy'll be gentle..."

I kept sewing and apologizing until I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Noah... Noah..." I held his head against me and cried. "Mommy's so sorry... Mommy couldn't protect you..."

Three days later, I sat on the edge of the bed holding Noah, completely numb.

I lost myself in those beautiful memories—my only escape.

"Mommy, I learned to write my name today!" Three-year-old Noah ran toward me excitedly, clutching a paper with 'Noah' scrawled across it.

"That's amazing!" I swept him up and spun him around. "Our Noah is a little genius!"

Noah giggled and whispered in my ear, "When I grow up, I'm gonna protect Mommy and never let anyone hurt you."

And the painful memories too...

"Why doesn't Daddy come look at my drawing?" Noah stared sadly at the door. "I drew our whole family..."

"Daddy's very busy at work, baby." I forced a smile. "Mommy thinks your drawing is perfect."

"Mommy, when can we leave this place?" The last time I saw him, Noah clung tight to my neck. "I don't like that lady. Her eyes are scary."

"Soon, baby. Mommy's working on it..."

But I failed. I couldn't protect him. I let my only child die alone in that dark place.

A call from Pack Security interrupted my memories.

After Noah disappeared, I'd reported it to Security on my way home, but no one believed me.

They told me they'd found Noah's remains deep in Black Forest and needed me to identify the body. I hung up numbly and carefully placed Noah back in the wooden box.

Now I had to go bring the rest of him home.

As I prepared to leave, the door was brutally kicked open.

Arthur stormed in furiously. "Eve! This runaway bullshit ends NOW! Lilith's still in the medical center because of your attack! She almost got disfigured! Get back there and apologize!"

I gripped the wooden box tight. "Apologize?"

"That's right!" Arthur grabbed my arm. "You went completely psycho and attacked her, then made up some crap about her killing Noah! Eve, I'm warning you—don't test me!"

I looked at this man I'd once loved deeply, and rage burned through me.

"Fuck your apology!" I said each word carefully. "I wish I could kill that bitch myself! Let her know what it feels like to be torn apart!"

"You—!" Arthur raised his hand to hit me, but just then his communicator buzzed.

"What now?" He answered impatiently. "What murder? A pup? How many times do I gotta tell you—handle the small shit yourselves! Stop bothering me with every damn thing!"

He had no idea what that call was about. After hanging up, he threw a scroll at my feet.

The bond dissolution papers.

"If you won't apologize then sign this and get the hell out of my life."

I looked at the document mockingly. "Want to break the bond? Fine. But you're coming somewhere with me first."

"What's your game now?"

"I'm going to get Noah." I held the box tighter. "Come with me, and I promise I'll sign. Promise I'll disappear forever."

Arthur stared hard at me, looking for lies. But my eyes were dead.

"Fine. But if you try anything..."

"I won't." My voice sounded empty. "This is the last time."

The car pulled away from the wealthy district toward increasingly run-down areas. Arthur's face got uglier as the scenery changed.

"Where the fuck did you take Noah?" He tugged at his tie. "How far are we going?"

I held the box and stared out the window. "Almost there."

The car finally stopped in front of a gray building—the pack morgue that handled accidental deaths.

When Arthur got out and saw the sign, his face went white.

"Eve! Are you INSANE? You brought Noah to a place like THIS?" He grabbed my shoulders angrily. "You locked a kid in a morgue just to get back at me?"

His grip hurt, but I didn't fight back. Instead, I laughed.

"Now you're worried? Too bad it's too late."

"What the fuck do you mean—"

Just then the morgue door opened. A guy in scrubs came out and jumped when he saw Arthur's rage.

"You Ms. Davis?" he asked me carefully. "We talked on the phone."

Arthur turned on him. "Talked about WHAT? What are you people doing?"

The guy looked between us, confused. "Sir, you are...?"

"I'm Noah's FATHER!" Arthur roared. "Who said you could lock my son in this place? Bring him out RIGHT NOW!"

The worker's face went weird. He looked at me, then Arthur, his eyes filling with pity.

"Sir... I think you got this wrong." The guy struggled to speak. "This lady's here to claim her dead pup's body."