**Chapter 4: Consequences of Darkness** **Jasmines Pov** As we trudged back toward the packhouse, shadows loomed larger in the twilight, intertwining with the raw urgency of the moment. Soldiers hurried past us, their faces tense with the weight of unsaid prayers, racing toward my parents. A gut-wrenching certainty clawed at my insides; I could feel the cruel absence where my heart had once been whole. There was no denying it—something terrible had occurred, and I was paralyzed by the void it had carved within me. Stepping across the threshold of the packhouse, the atmosphere shifted palpably as we entered. Luna Leena, Alpha John, my brother Darnell, and Oliver—the Alphas’ son—were gathered, each radiating a mix of horror and authority. “What happened?” Alpha John’s voice thundered, raw and unwavering. His fury rolled off him in palpable waves, more instinctual than spoken. I could feel it, a hot tide that surged through the room. He had lost his beta, just as surely as I feared I had lost my mother. “Alpha,” Adam bowed his head in submission, the tremor in his voice belying the gravity of their message. “We were alerted by Beta Jessica and Daniel. Rogues were sighted lurking near our territory. In the chaos, we left our children unguarded while they played in the woods. We managed to recover them, but…” His voice wavered, and the weight of his confession hung heavy in the air. “But I believe the Betas are now dead.” Darnell, grappling with despair, attempted to shove past Oliver, his urgency drowning in frustration. “Why would you let your daughter wander in those woods without supervision?” Luna Leena’s growl cut through the murmurs, sharp as a blade. The room went silent, an uneasy surrender hanging in the air, and Adam, Lori, and Sabrina dropped their heads, guilt painting their features. And then—I felt the heat of Luna Leena’s gaze upon me. “You, the beta’s daughter. Seems unsurprising your friend’s an omega,” she spat, venom dripping from each syllable. My heart clenched as I met her accusatory glare. “I hold you responsible. You damned well knew better, and now? Your parents are dead because of it.” A spit of contempt landed at my feet, and I recoiled, not just from her words, but from the truth embedded in them. “Get the hell out of my sight,” Alpha John’s command sliced through the tension as he directed his fury toward Adam, Lori, and Sabrina. They retreated under the weight of his alpha voice, abandoning me to the storm brewing in the room. Sabrina cast me one last sorrowful glance, a silent understanding that I craved her presence more than words could convey. Their departure left a tangible void, and all eyes shifted toward me. Darnell had crumpled to his knees, the fight leaving him as he succumbed to a posture of defeat. I reached toward him, desperate to bridge the chasm that had formed between us, but my gesture was abruptly thwarted. A vicious growl erupted from his throat, and he stood, eyes wild with pain and betrayal, before striking me hard across the face. I gasped, shock mingling with disbelief at the audacity of his blow. Darnell had never raised a hand against me before. My body crumpled as he followed with a brutal punch to my stomach, knocking the breath from my lungs and sending me sprawling against the ground. The eyes of pack members bore witness, some etched with pity, others with a disturbing satisfaction, as he continued to brutalize me: “This is… (kick)… your… (kick)… fault!” Each word punctuated by pain that sank deeper than mere flesh. Desperation surged within me; I turned to Alpha John, pleading for intervention, but his face remained marred by indecision, his gaze impassive. Luna Leena’s cruel amusement stood in stark contrast to my suffering, her smirk as wicked as his assault. “Stop, please,” Darnell’s voice trembled amidst his fury, though my pleas fell on deaf ears. “Fucking… (kick)… Bitch,” he huffed, before an icy determination took over. Darnell ceased the brutal assault to sink to his knees, his fingers curling around my throat—his grip becoming a noose. The world around me dimmed as my vision blurred, and my breaths came in labored gasps. Clawing at his wrists, I fought against the encroaching darkness, but it surrounded me, a shroud eager to claim me. With each heartbeat, I surrendered to the quiet that beckoned me closer. But death didn’t respond to my call. Instead, a force intervened—Oliver stormed in, physically dragging Darnell away from me. I crumpled back, hands instinctively clutching my throat, breaths shallow and rattling, waves of agony crashing against me from the remnants of my brother’s rage. Darnell paused but not without delivering one final, treacherous blow to my spirit. “You are no longer my sister. Stay out of my way or next time, I’ll finish the job.” His threat hung in the air like a dark omen as he turned away, my heart shuddering at the distance he had placed between us. Luna Leena cackled—a cruel sound that echoed in my ears as Alpha John surveyed me with that same inscrutable expression. A warrior emerged from the woods, shaking his head in silent confirmation of my unspoken fears. With a curt nod, the alpha turned, striding away, Luna Leena in tow. Alone again with my turmoil, Oliver remained, his presence a paradox—both unsettling and oddly calming amidst the chaos. With a quiet strength, he observed me, the array of emotions swirling within him evident on his face. I whispered a faint “Thank you,” seeking to soften the edges of my gratitude, but my throat was a battlefield of pain. He knelt beside me, the intensity of his gaze sending tremors through my heart. “I didn’t fucking do it for you,” he growled low enough for only me to hear, an unsettling growl that felt like a confession. “I did it because I need my beta. You’re just a wolf-less bitch who got her parents killed.” Each word felt like a dagger planted deep within me, and tears threatened to spill despite my effort to hold them at bay. His face twisted, the initial glint of anger softening as he began to distance himself from my pain. He took a few steps away before abruptly turning back, ire rekindling within him. “WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME?” His voice boomed, a thunderclap laced with fury, as he stalked back towards me. “I didn’t call you anything…” I tried to protest, but the words died on my lips as his foot connected with my face, sending me spiraling into darkness once more. And then—nothing. Just shadows swallowing me whole.