The hospital room was quiet except for the steady beep of the heart monitor and the faint hum of the overhead lights. I stood just inside the doorway, Andreis beside me, his hand wrapped firmly around mine. My heart pounded in my chest—not out of fear, but confusion, betrayal, and a strange, lingering ache I couldn't name.
Max looked smaller in the hospital bed, her arm in a sling, bruises darkening her cheek and forehead. When her eyes met mine, they filled with tears.
"Mia…" she whispered, voice cracking.
I didn't move closer, but I didn't turn away. "Why?"
She looked down at her blanket, ashamed. "I didn't want to hurt you. I swear. I never wanted any of this."
"You almost hit me with a car, Max," I said quietly, voice trembling. "That's not just a mistake. That's a choice."
Andreis didn't speak, but I felt the subtle shift in his body, the quiet tension as he stood close—alert, protective.
"I was scared," Max said. "Zevian… he came to me weeks ago. He knew about my parents. Where they go. What times they're home. He told me if I didn't do what he asked, he'd kill them. Then he said he'd go after yours too."
My breath caught. "He threatened… my parents?"
Max nodded quickly, tears spilling. "He showed me photos. Of your mom getting out of the car. Your dad in a restaurant having a business meeting. He was watching all of us. I was trying to find a way out. I thought maybe… if I scared you, if I just got close enough, he'd think I was doing it and leave everyone else alone."
I took a step forward, heart aching. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't. He said he had someone watching me. Watching you. I didn't know who I could trust anymore." She looked at Andreis, then back to me. "I didn't know what to do. I panicked. When I saw you that morning… I wasn't even thinking. I just… drove."
The silence between us thickened. I glanced at Andreis. His jaw was clenched, but he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"You still betrayed me," I said softly.
"I know," she whispered. "And I'll carry that guilt forever. But Mia… my parents didn't know. They had no idea. Please don't blame them. They've always respected your family."
I swallowed hard, tears prickling behind my eyes. "They were let go."
Max covered her face with her hand, voice breaking. "No… they don't deserve that. I… I never wanted them to suffer because of me."
"They helped everyone on the farm," I said, my voice shaking. "Including the people my father saved."
Max looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Andreis finally spoke. "Your parents helped protect and employ werewolves in need. Everyone working on the farm—guards, field hands—they're not just staff. They're part of a sanctuary."
Max's mouth dropped open. "What?"
"My dad helped place them here," I said quietly. "People from our tribe. And others, too. My parents gave them safety."
Max shook her head in disbelief. "I never knew."
"And because of Zevian," I continued, voice trembling, "you almost destroyed that."
"I'm sorry," Max whispered. "I don't expect forgiveness. I just wanted you to know the truth. I didn't hate you, Mia. I was trying to protect the people I love."
I looked at her, really looked. Beneath the bruises, behind the tears, was still the girl I once called my friend. The girl who braided my hair in the greenhouse. Who cried with me when I lost my first puppy. Who sat beside me during thunderstorms.
And yet, now, she was also the girl who almost ended everything.
"I don't know if I can forgive you," I said honestly. "Not yet."
Max nodded slowly. "I understand."
Andreis gently touched my back, his presence grounding me.
"But I will ask my parents to reconsider about yours," I added. "They shouldn't pay for what you did."
Tears welled in Max's eyes again. "Thank you."
"I hope you find a way to make things right," I said.
Max took a shaky breath. "There's something else… something I didn't tell you yet."
Both Andreis and I straightened.
"What is it?" Andreis asked, his voice calm but razor-sharp.
Max's hands clenched the blanket. "Zevian… he's planning something. He's building an army. But not just of wolves. He's working with rogue humans—hunters. People who want to expose or exterminate supernatural bloodlines. He's promising them protection, power, territory in exchange for loyalty."
I froze. "How many?"
"I don't know exact numbers. Dozens, at least. Maybe more. He's calling it 'The Divide.' He wants to separate the supernatural from the human world permanently—either by fear or by force. And he wants to destroy anyone who stands in the way. That includes your father. And Andreis."
Andreis narrowed his eyes. "Did he say where?"
"He has a base near the northern border," Max whispered. "An abandoned mining village. That's where he's training them. He calls it Hollow Peak."
Andreis cursed under his breath. "We've had eyes near that area, but no confirmed activity."
"He's been moving in silence," Max said. "Using old tunnels. I heard him mention a raid. He's planning to hit the farm. Soon."
I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me.
"He's going to attack our home?" I asked, eyes wide.
Max nodded. "Yes. And he's doing it to draw you out, Mia. He wants you. You're… important to his plans."
"Why?"
She hesitated. "Because… you're the daughter of the Alpha who broke the pact. Zevian thinks your bloodline is the key to triggering a shift in power. He wants to either turn you… or destroy you."
The room spun slightly, and Andreis steadied me.
"We need to warn the others," he said. "And strengthen the defenses."
Max looked at me desperately. "Please… I told you everything I know. I wanted to make this right."
I met her eyes. "You did the right thing. Finally."
I turned to Andreis. "Let's go. We have a war to prepare for."
As we walked out of the hospital room, the air felt heavier—but sharper. Like the calm before a storm.
Only this time, I wasn't running from it.
I was walking straight into it.
And I wouldn't be alone.