Time doesn't stop for anyone, whether they are happy or not. As the sun sank below the horizon, the warm air gradually gave way to a chilling wind...
Regina dragged her tired and sore body along the path home. She kept her head lowered, staring at the footprints she left in the snow, suddenly feeling a deep sense of irony.
Even after what had happened last night, she had neither the right nor the time to retreat and heal.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips as helplessness swept through her heart. Regina took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and strode forward with renewed determination...
As she neared the small rented house, a sleek black SUV passed by her. Regina cast a brief glance at the car before entering the yard.
Upon entering the house, she saw Verna's pale face, tears streaming down her cheeks. Cornell was gently helping her to the nearby sofa. The house was in chaos, looking as though it had been ransacked.
"Verna!" Regina hurried over, helping Cornell to ease the pained Verna onto the sofa. She then turned to Cornell, her gaze hardening as she noticed the bruise on his face. "What happened? What's with your face?"
Cornell clenched his jaw, turning his face away. His eyes burned with resentment. He was too angry to explain in detail and grumbled, "Dad's in debt again. Those people said the job went wrong last night, and now they've taken him away…"
Regina's heart sank as everything clicked into place. She bit her lip, her gaze falling on the silently crying Verna. It felt as though a massive weight had settled on her chest, suffocating her.
"Regina, your father... he..." Verna choked out. "Do you think he'll be alright? It's all my fault. If it weren't for my illness needing so much money... your father wouldn't have..."
"Stop!" Regina interrupted, lifting her eyes to hold back the tears threatening to spill. "Cornell, take care of Mom."
Without another word, Regina turned and walked out, ignoring the calls of Cornell behind her.
Later, when she arrived back at the bar, she saw Sean, his eyes swollen shut from the beating. Regina could hardly say whether she felt sorrow, anger, or a deep, shared sympathy for both herself and him.
"You promised me ten days!" Regina's clear eyes fixed on Pete, her voice cold with the bite of something other than human—a raw hunger that pulsed through the night, the same hunger that echoed in the depths of her soul. The moon was almost full, casting an eerie light over the room, and Regina's heart began to beat in a rhythm that didn't quite match her own—something wild and untamed stirring just beneath the surface.
Pete exhaled a cloud of smoke at Regina, his eyes narrowing as he flicked his hand toward her face. With a sharp slap, the sound of the blow echoed through the room, sending Regina crashing to the ground.
"Ugh!" Pain exploded in Regina's head, stars dancing before her eyes. The sharp, metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, and a trickle of crimson stained the corner of her lips.
"Son of a bitch!" Pete spat on the floor, baring his teeth in a vicious sneer. "Dare to ruin my plans... Tch, you want to die!"
With a growl, he raised his foot, aiming a brutal kick at Regina...
But before Regina could even react, a figure lunged in front of her. The blow landed with a sickening thud.
"Regina... Ugh..."
Sean took the full force of the kick to his stomach, doubling over in pain, gasping for breath.
"Dad!" Regina cried out in horror, her heart pounding with panic.
Pete's fury boiled over, his face twisted with rage as he sneered, "If I don't get my money today, none of you—father or daughter—will leave here alive!"
As he spoke, Pete flicked his cigarette at Sean's chest, the ember burning against his skin. Just then, a frantic figure dashed through the door...
The newcomer's face was pale with fear, breathless as they gasped, "... Waldo... Waldo's here!
"Waldo? alpha?What the hell...?"
The word died on Pete's tongue, his face draining of color as he turned toward the door. Standing in the threshold was a towering figure, a presence that seemed to distort the very air around them. Pete's breath caught in his throat, fear spreading like wildfire across his features.
A shadow loomed, its form shifting under the dim light, its eyes gleaming with something ancient and wild. The room seemed to freeze, the air thick with an unspoken danger. Regina felt it too—the primal energy filling the space, sending a chill crawling down her spine. Something deep inside her stirred, something that had lain dormant for so long, but now, it was awakened. A low growl rumbled from the depths of the figure's throat, and it was enough to make Pete stagger back, wide-eyed and trembling.
Waldo stood at the door, one hand casually tucked into his pocket. His sharp, angular face betrayed no emotion, his lips pressed into a thin line. His narrowed eyes gleamed with an icy coldness that sent a chill straight through to the bones.
He cast a brief, indifferent glance at the two father and daughter, who were in a pitiful state on the floor, while the noise of Pete's voice grated on his ears...
"alpha... How... how did you get here? This place is truly honored by your presence!" Pete immediately switched to a sycophantic tone, grinning as he approached, bowing and scraping to please him.
Pete's smile was wide, but inwardly, he cursed his luck, wondering what had brought such a dangerous figure to his door today.
Anyone who's been in the Red Moon Pack long enough knew better than to cross someone like Waldo. Even if you offended a god, you could survive. But if you angered Waldo... you wouldn't even know how you'd die.
As Pete plastered on his grin, he couldn't help but steal furtive glances at the young man before him, who looked to be in his twenties. Pete's mind raced, trying to figure out Waldo's purpose in showing up today.
Sean and Regina instinctively turned their eyes toward Waldo. He stood there, exuding an air of authority, his cold gaze sweeping over them like a king surveying his subjects. The pressure emanating from him was palpable, suffocating the very air in the room.
The silence in the room was suffocating, broken only by the heavy breaths of those under the oppressive atmosphere. Pete's heart seemed to be lodged in his throat. He swallowed hard before forcing a smile and saying, "Waldo, please, come in and sit... Quick, get a bottle of the finest wine!"
The last part was directed at one of his lackeys, who immediately scrambled to obey, eager to please Waldo.
Waldo spared Pete a glance before stepping forward, but instead of going toward Pete, he made his way directly toward Regina.
Sean was still curled up on the floor, groaning in pain, while Regina leaned over him, supporting him. The suffocating pressure from Waldo's presence seemed to make her movements slow and hesitant. Blood still clung to the corner of her lips, her eyes—clear and unblinking—locked onto Waldo, who now stood just inches from her.
The temperature in the room dropped as Waldo's presence loomed over them, like a storm about to break, the air thick with an almost tangible hunger—one that was primal and ancient, stirring deep within the core of every creature in the room.
She didn't know who this man was, but anyone who could make Pete tremble in fear was undoubtedly someone not to be trifled with.
Regina looked up at Waldo. His sharply chiseled face, dark brows, long and deep-set eyes, high nose, and the cool, sensual curve of his lips… Why did she have this strange sense of familiarity with him, as if she had seen him before?
A slight frown creased her brow as she pondered. Logically, she shouldn't know someone like him, yet...
"Cough... cough... cough..."
Suddenly, Sean's harsh coughing interrupted Regina's thoughts, adding to the already heavy tension in the room.
"Uh..." Pete fidgeted nervously, rubbing his hands together. Seeing that Waldo wasn't sitting down, his unease grew even more. With a forced, strained smile, he asked, "alpha, is there... something you need today?"
"Mm." Waldo responded indifferently, his gaze still dark and unblinking, focused solely on Regina. It was clear that she hadn't recognized him for who he was.
A lazy, almost teasing smile tugged at the corner of Waldo's lips, his wolf-like eyes—dark and fathomless as black obsidian—bore a depth of mystery.
Pete glanced nervously at Regina and Sean, his anxiety growing with each passing second. His smile twisted, looking more like a grimace, as he stammered, "If there's something alpha needs, you could've just called... why come all the way here in person?"
"To pick up my mate..."
Waldo's voice was calm, yet it carried an oppressive force that made the air thicken with an unspoken command. His eyes never strayed from Regina, watching her with intense focus, noting the slight parting of her lips and the shock in her expression. A faint, enigmatic curve formed at the corner of his lips, and though it was subtle, it was enough to send a shiver down Regina's spine.
That smile carried something sinister—a cryptic, almost malevolent energy that crept steadily within her. A sense of dread, unfamiliar yet undeniable, spread slowly from the depths of her chest.