Chapter 4 Aching Heart

"Ugh ... " Alexander's groan cut through the silence, muffled from inside the room. "What's wrong?" Lucas's voice was laced with confusion. "My ... heart hurts. My wolf tells me he feels my sister's pain ... She's near!" Before Alexander could dart out of the room, I melted into the shadows, slipping away unnoticed. The agony they'd caused me—both Alexander and Lucas—I would repay it, piece by piece. "Did you hear that, Nova? Turns out, Alexander and Lucas only started pouring all their love into Evelyn after I went missing." I choked back a sob as my tears spilled, hot and relentless. I hid my presence carefully, making sure Alexander wouldn't sense me. "Aly, don't cry. They're blind. The one they've been searching for is right here, yet they can't see her," Nova's voice was a soft whisper of comfort. I stood frozen, feeling invisible. Here I was, right in front of them, but Alexander couldn't feel me. All he gave me was pain. By the time I finished getting my wounds treated at another hospital, the sun had dipped below the horizon. I flagged down a cab, my body aching with every movement. As I stepped out, an Omega from the pack blocked my way, turning on the high-pressure water hose. "Ms. Winter, where have you been? Look at you—so filthy. Do you think you can just stroll through the Black family gates like this?" The Omega's words dripped with mockery. "Let us help you clean up," she sneered, laughter lacing her voice. A fierce stream of water blasted into me, soaking me through. The bandages on my wounds grew wet, and fresh blood began to seep through. The pain was excruciating—like my skin was being ripped apart. I glared at the Omega, fury bubbling in my chest. In the Black family, my rank was so low that even an Omega could push me around. But I was too weak to fight back. I had no strength left to stand up for myself. At last, I collapsed onto the ground, too drained to rise. The weight of my exhaustion crushed me. I curled into a ball, the only thing I could do to protect myself. "Nova ... am I really that useless?" My voice broke, barely a whisper. "No, Aly. We're just temporarily weak. We'll recover soon," Nova soothed, her words soft as a breeze. I thought back to what I had overheard at the hospital, the realization hitting me like a sledgehammer. They were trying to force me to leave, to make me disappear by making everything harder. The 'cleansing' dragged on for a full hour. By the end, my skin had turned pale, swollen from the harsh treatment. I trembled uncontrollably, too weak to even lift my limbs. It felt like forever before I could stagger back to my room, barely managing to stay upright. That night, a fever hit me with full force. There was nothing I could do. I was too weak now. My wolf's power wasn't enough to fight off the sickness. The Omegas didn't care. They shoved me onto the rooftop, locking me outside for hours, claiming they were 'cleaning.' When they finally let me down, they threw boiling hot soup over me, the steam rising in a cruel mockery. Then, under the excuse of 'cooling me off,' they shoved me into an icy cold pool, its freezing water numbing my bones. I was falling apart. My skin was ghostly white, bruised and battered. I crawled into the supply closet, barely able to catch my breath. "Nova, stay strong. We'll get out of here soon," I whispered, but deep down I knew the truth. We weren't dying—not yet. Nova was trying to regain her strength, but all she could do was keep me alive. She couldn't protect me from the bitter cold. And Evelyn? She wasn't finished with me. Her cruel messages kept pouring in. "Alicia, I got your ‘drowned rat' picture. You look like a dog that's been kicked—pathetic." "I heard you're sick. Too bad you won't be joining us at the hot springs. Do you know how much my brother spent building that resort?" "Today, Lucas gave me ten sets of jewelry. I said I'd share with you, but he got mad and said he didn't want his gift ‘polluted.' It took forever to calm him down!" I stared at the screen, her words like daggers. Not a single reply left my lips. I knew it. It would all be over soon.