Four Fathers’ Treasure Turned Punching Bag

My mother served the Moon Goddess. Before she returned to her realm, she left me with the four most powerful Alphas on the continent. The first was the Supreme Alpha. He ruled the entire Northern Alliance. The second was the Head of Intelligence. He controlled our secrets and shadows. The third was the Lead Healer. He could snatch a dying wolf from the jaws of death. And the fourth was the General of our armies. For sixteen years, they treated me—their only adopted daughter—like a treasure. Until three years ago. That’s when Bianca came back. The daughter of their childhood sweetheart they thought they’d lost. From that day on, my four fathers chose to believe her every word. Bianca sobbed that I had poisoned her dessert with belladonna leaves. As punishment, my fathers forced me to choke down a bowl of the toxic leaves in front of the entire pack and beg for her forgiveness. She also claimed I deliberately attacked her during my full moon shifts. My fathers' response? Every full moon, they shackled my hands and feet to keep me from shifting. Then, Bianca said I used my status as a princess to humiliate her. She said I forced her to kneel before me. My furious fathers threw me into the Silver Dungeon. They left me there for three whole days. As I lay dying, ravaged by starvation and silver poisoning, I heard a voice. It was my mother's wolf, Nyx. “My child,” she whispered. “Do you want to come home to your mother?” Chapter 1 I jolted awake. It wasn’t my mother, Lyanna. I knew that instantly. It was her wolf, Nyx. Nyx told me that before Lyanna left this world, she left me a choice. I could join her in the Spirit Realm if I wanted to. Of course, I wanted to. But I choked the word back before it could escape. I asked Nyx, "Will it be better than this? If she loved me, why didn't she take me with her?" Nyx explained. Lyanna came to this world on a mission from the Moon Goddess. Her goal was to end a century of bloody wars between the northern packs. She had spent all her moon magic to forge the peaceful Alliance that existed now. Her realm was only for souls, not for physical bodies. To take me with her, I would have had to die here first. Back then, my four fathers had sworn an oath to the Moon Goddess. They were so grateful for the peace Lyanna brought. They promised to raise me as their own, no matter who my birth father was. Their only request was that Lyanna leave me behind. They wanted a piece of her to hold onto. Lyanna loved me too much. She refused to let me die early. So, she left me behind. “Aurora,” Nyx’s voice was as soft as moonlight. “Your mother has been waiting for you all these years. She never took a mate. She never loved another. She built a peaceful garden, hoping one day you would return to her. Do you want to go to her?” I nodded. Nyx sighed in relief. She told me my soul could only reunite with Lyanna when my body stopped breathing. Hearing that, I fumbled for the heavy, silver-plated chain. It was used to lock me in the corner of the dungeon. I knew this was it. All I had to do was wrap it tight around my neck. Then, I’d finally be free. But I was too weak from the torture. I needed to pull just one more time. I didn't hesitate. I wrapped the chain twice around my neck. I yanked my hands back with all my might. The rough silver seared my skin. Suffocating darkness filled my lungs. My consciousness was fading. But I felt a rush of pure joy. Soon, I would see Lyanna again. I savored the peace. It lasted barely two seconds. Someone roared my name. The door shattered. A huge hand clamped down on my convulsing wrist. An overwhelming Alpha power slammed me to the ground. It brutally ripped the chain from my neck. I choked. Air flooded my lungs again. I looked up and met a pair of panicked eyes. “Dad—” The word slipped out on instinct. The next second, I wanted to claw my own mouth shut. The panic in Ronan’s eyes vanished. Pure disgust replaced it. “Don’t call me that! You lost that right!” Ronan was my Supreme Alpha father. Of my four fathers, he had once spoiled me the most. Many wolves even thought he was my real father. My eyes were the same rare silver-gray as his. For years, I lived in his main hall. It overlooked the entire Alliance territory. Ronan would give me anything I wanted. He once said that if I wanted the moon, he would find a way to pluck it from the sky for me. But all that unconditional love vanished three years ago. That was the year Ronan brought Bianca back from a distant pack. That’s when I learned another woman’s daughter held a special place in my fathers’ hearts. Years ago, that woman had betrayed them for money and disappeared. Then Lyanna came. She stayed by their side. Her gentleness pulled them out of the abyss of betrayal. Later, on her deathbed, the woman contacted Ronan to confess. Her last wish was for him to take in her daughter, Bianca. Since Bianca was younger than me, my fathers wanted me to be a big sister to her. I tried. But Bianca’s only goal was to take everything that was mine. Mysterious silver scratches would appear on her body. She would cry and tell everyone I did it. She would “accidentally” fall during a full moon ceremony. Then, she would point a shaking finger at me. With every accusation, my fathers’ disappointment grew. It all exploded when rogues kidnapped Bianca during an outing. She was almost marked. The captured attackers swore I leaked her location. My denials were useless. From then on, I was the traitor in this family. I was forbidden from ever calling them ‘Dad’ again. My room changed from the Alpha’s daughter suite to this sunless, silver-plated dungeon. Everyone in the Alliance branded me a betrayer. Physical and mental abuse, mixed with endless starvation, became my new reality. Remembering all this, I lowered my head. I apologized in a flat voice, “I’m sorry, Alpha Ronan.” But Ronan wasn’t done with me. “What game are you playing now, Aurora? Trying to get sympathy with this cheap trick?” “Pulling a stunt like this just to get my attention? You think this pathetic act will still work? This place is filled with the stench of burning flesh from the silver. Even if you really died here, you’d just rot into a pile of ash and bone. No one would ever care.” Oh. He thought I was acting. I didn’t argue. I just asked my question. “Why are you here, Alpha Ronan? I thought you hated the rotten smell of the dungeon.” Ronan frowned. “This is my territory. I go where I please. I just came to warn you. It's Bianca's birthday party today. Don't pull any stunts. At the very least, don't die on my property and stink up the whole manor.” I nodded obediently. So, he only saved me to avoid ruining Bianca’s special day. Fine. I’ll just go die somewhere else. Chapter 2 As soon as Ronan left the dungeon, I slipped out of the manor during the changing of the guards. I found a patch of deadly wolfsbane at the edge of the woods. I went to the spot where Lyanna had entrusted me to them. I held a shimmering feather Lyanna had left me. I lay down in the grass. I was about to swallow the poisonous root. But I stopped. I knew my death would trigger an unnecessary investigation if the patrols found me. So, I carved a message into a stone on the ground. I made it clear I left on my own. The wolfsbane tasted like fire. It scorched my throat and insides. Before long, darkness swallowed my consciousness. I’m coming, Mom! Time blurred. My guts churned. I woke up vomiting violently. I was in absolute agony. I shot up. I stared at the sterile white ceiling. This was the VIP pack clinic. My heart pounded with joy. Before I could call out for my mother, my eyes met Julian’s. Julian stood before me in his white Healer's coat. He clutched a paper print of the words I'd carved on the stone. He was gripping it so hard his knuckles were white. Finally, he slammed the paper into my face. “You really went all out for attention, didn’t you, Aurora? Playing the victim!” “Want to die? Do it somewhere else! You poisoned yourself on sacred pack lands. You defiled your own mother's resting place!” Julian’s rage stunned me. Of my four fathers, I had once loved Julian the most. He was the Lead Healer. He was an expert in both modern medicine and ancient herbs. It was Julian who taught me how to identify the properties of different plants. He was kind and funny. He spent the most time with me. For a while, I was even convinced he was my biological father. Even after Bianca arrived, Julian didn’t shift all his attention to her like the others. He told me, “Aurora, you are my only daughter. No one can ever take your place.” But everything changed when Bianca fainted in front of everyone at a dinner party. Julian detected trace amounts of wolfsbane in her blood. When Julian asked Bianca what happened, she dropped to her knees right in front of me. “I’m sorry, Aurora! I didn’t tell Dad Julian anything. He found out himself. You can poison me again if you want.” That was the first time Julian ever got angry with me. His face was filled with disappointment. “Aurora, I taught you about herbs to save lives, not to take them!” Nothing I said could convince him. In the entire Alliance, no one knew wolfsbane better than him and me. “Calm down, Julian.” Ronan's voice broke my thoughts. His face was grim. He was also in the room. “Something’s off with Aurora. She tried to kill herself in the dungeon, and then she ate poison on the sacred ground. I suspect—” Julian cut him off. “Are you going soft, Ronan? Have you forgotten how manipulative she is?” “She’s obsessed with her status as the ‘Alpha’s Daughter.’ She would never leave us. Today is Bianca’s birthday. She’s just putting on a show to get our attention.” The doubt on Ronan’s face vanished. “You’re right.” Just then, both of their phones chimed with a notification. They pulled them out and played a voice message. “Dad Ronan, Dad Julian, when are you coming home? The other dads are waiting in the hall for you to cut the cake.” “It’s my fourteenth birthday today. If you don’t come back soon, I’m going to be mad.” Bianca’s sickly-sweet voice filled the sterile, herb-scented room. The frost on Ronan’s and Julian’s faces melted instantly. They held their phones carefully. They replied in the gentlest tones. This scene was so familiar. Once upon a time, that was how they spoke to me. My fathers were still the same. I just wasn’t the one they cherished anymore. Watching them call Bianca “my little princess,” I felt nothing. Not a single ripple. I just regretted that they had to save me. I’d been looking for a painless way to end my life. But I couldn’t wait another second. They stared at their screens, smiling at her voice. I slipped toward the window. I shattered the glass. Before they could react, I jumped. Goodbye, Dads. Chapter 3 The clinic was on the top floor. A normal wolf might break a few bones from that height. But they’d heal in seconds. My healing abilities were long gone. I was sure the impact with the ground would be enough to finally set me free. But the fatal crash I expected never came. A giant redwood tree caught my fall. The moment the pack guards pulled me from the branches, a pale-faced Julian slapped me hard across the face. “Have you had enough, Aurora!” Ronan looked just as furious. He radiated a violent Alpha aura. “What the hell do you want, Aurora?” I crashed to the floor. The heavy antidotes still burned in my veins. The disgusting taste of blood filled my mouth. I spat out a mouthful of blood. I collapsed onto my knees before the two men. “Alpha Ronan, Healer Julian, I’m begging you. Just let me go. I just want to die.” Julian and Ronan both froze. Ronan frowned. “Is this a new trick? Trying to guilt-trip us with your own life?” “No,” I answered. My eyes were empty. “I saw my mother’s Nyx. She told me I can be with my mother if I die. Please. I’m begging you. Let me die.” “You won’t have to worry about me competing with Bianca anymore. You won’t have to keep me here just to watch over me.” After the incident with Bianca, Rhys, the General of our armies, had taken over my “punishment.” He locked me in a sealed interrogation cell lined with silver spikes for five straight days. Rhys shone high-intensity beams into my eyes. He didn't let me sleep. Whenever I was about to pass out, he injected me with a drug to stimulate a wolf’s nerves. The first thing I did when they let me out was beg my fathers to let me go. But they made it clear I wasn't going anywhere. “You planned something like that right under our noses. Don’t expect to just walk away. Who knows what else you’ll do to Bianca.” “That’s right. We swore to your mother we’d raise you. You can’t just leave.” Maybe it was the mention of Lyanna. The hard lines on Ronan and Julian’s faces softened. A trace of the love they once had for me flickered in their eyes. “Aurora, are you sure you saw your mother’s Nyx? When?” Ronan asked. He pulled me to my feet. I told him everything. How Nyx appeared this morning when I was about to starve to death. The two men exchanged a look. Julian said, “Aurora, you might not know this. Before your mother left, she said Nyx would fade when she returned to her realm. You were probably hallucinating.” I shook my head. “No. I really spoke with her Nyx. Healer Julian, please, just leave me alone. I want to die.” The word “die” made Julian’s face tighten. He tried to suppress his rising anger but couldn't. “It’s not for you to decide if it was a hallucination! We’re taking you to the Pack Seer to see if your mind is broken!” Just like old times, Julian ruffled my hair. But his expression was strange. “It’s been three years. Honestly, we’ve talked about this. As long as you promise to never appear in front of Bianca again, we won’t—” Suddenly, hurried footsteps cut him off. Jaxon, our Head of Intelligence, and Rhys strode into the medical wing’s courtyard. Their faces were dark. “Ronan, Julian, have you seen Bianca?” Ronan and Julian froze. “Isn’t Bianca with you? She just sent a voice message about cutting the cake.” Jaxon was furious. “She got an anonymous call ten minutes ago. She walked out of the hall and vanished. She just told the guards a friend was dropping off a gift. Don’t tell me…” All four of my fathers’ faces went pale. Their minds flashed back to the incident on Bianca’s birthday three years ago. A friend had called her out. And she had walked right into the hands of a rival pack. Ronan, Julian, Jaxon, and Rhys all whipped their heads around to stare at me. I trembled under their gaze. No one said a word. But I knew what they were thinking. “No. It wasn’t me,” I said. “Who else could it be?” Ronan roared. He grabbed a fistful of my hair. “So this whole suicide bullshit was just a distraction, wasn't it, Aurora? Where did you take Bianca?” I just shook my head. “No, it wasn't me.” Ronan was completely lost to his rage. He wasn’t listening. “You haven’t changed a bit, Aurora. You want to die? Fine. I’ll grant your wish.” He raised his fist to strike me down. Jaxon intervened. He grabbed Ronan’s arm. “Not here, Ronan. This is near the human neutral zone border. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.” Ronan yanked his arm back. He glared at me and growled, “Take her to the Enforcer Dungeons.” The tension in the car was suffocating. Ronan, Julian, Rhys, and Jaxon were frantically using their pack link and trackers to find Bianca. I huddled in the corner, shaking uncontrollably. I knew my own personal hell was about to begin. The moment the car stopped, they dragged me from the back seat. As my eyes landed on the Enforcer Dungeons, I almost felt a sense of relief. If they hit me hard enough, this would be the final step to my freedom. This was where I once trained my fighting skills. I collapsed to the ground. “I really don’t know where Bianca is. If you don’t believe me, then just kill me.” Julian grabbed my hair. His voice was ice-cold. “You wanted to die, didn’t you? We were your fathers for so many years. It’s only right that we send you off.” My body trembled with a primal fear of pain. But my heart soared with anticipation. It was true I wanted to die. But I couldn’t stand the torture. Even now, they wouldn’t just let me go. They dragged me into the training hall. Inside, a dozen of the Alliance’s most brutal Enforcers stood waiting. Rhys threw me to the floor. His face twisted in disgust. He spat out: "Make her talk." Heavy hands grabbed me, pinning my limbs to the floor. A fresh wave of agony shot through me, and every inch of my skin screamed in pain. I thrashed and sobbed, desperately begging them to stop. “Dad! Please!” The word tore from my throat before I could stop it. Hearing that, Julian finally broke. He called a halt just before the Enforcers could land another brutal blow. Julian stepped forward, his jaw tight. “Aurora, just tell us where Bianca is. For your mother’s sake, we can let this go.” “I don't know,” I cried, tears streaming down my face. “That’s the truth. I swear I didn't do anything to her.” Before Julian could say another word, Rhys grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. “Haven’t you learned your lesson, Julian? She won’t talk unless we make her. Think about all the things she’s done to Bianca—has she ever admitted to a single one of them?” Julian hesitated. A complicated, pained look flashed in his eyes. After a moment of hesitation, he finally waved his hand. “Continue.” In that moment, I knew. I was almost there. Even as the pain intensified, I never begged again. Through the haze, I thought I saw Lyanna’s face. Keep hitting me. Just aim for me. I’m about to be with my mother. Ronan, Julian, Rhys, and Jaxon were still frantically making calls. Finally, a familiar number called Ronan’s phone. “Where are you, Bianca?” Bianca’s voice echoed through the room. “Dad Ronan, I just had a quick dinner with a friend in the neutral zone. I’m at the manor gate now. Why so many missed calls?” The four men were stunned. “You weren’t kidnapped?” Bianca giggled. “What are you talking about? How could I get kidnapped? I have to go, the butler is here to get me. I’ll see you in the hall soon.” At the same time, the manor’s butler called. He reported that he had met Bianca at the gate. She was perfectly fine. Ronan, Julian, Rhys, and Jaxon let out a collective sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. Bianca’s okay,” Julian said excitedly. Then his eyes widened in horror. “Aurora!” They had finally remembered me. They scrambled to stop the assault. My four fathers rushed to my side, calling my name. They were met with dead silence. “Stop playing dead, Aurora. We found Bianca.” “Looks like we were wrong about you this time.” Ronan knelt beside me and gave me a little push. My body rolled limply to the side. That’s when he realized it. The faint scent that was uniquely mine had completely vanished from the air. He was the Supreme Alpha. He could hear a heartbeat miles away in a roaring storm. But now? Nothing. Just deafening silence. The girl at his feet had no pulse. The daughter they treated like trash was gone.