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“You're going to Russia! I don't care what you do there. But as long as you're in Blairville, you're going to stay away from those murderers!”

Emely flinched.

The anger inside me threatened to boil over, making my fists clench.

Couldn't he see how distraught she was? She was back to being the Emely from the winter ball, only even more confused, even more overwhelmed.

My knuckles pressed against my skin.

“God,” her father exclaimed. Emely stared at him as if she weren't really there, as if she were frozen in place. “Damn it, what are you doing?” he pressed out more calmly now, almost desperately, though tensely, and stepped back. The glow in his eyes intensified, and hers mirrored it. “You're the last person I would have expected to do something so reckless.”

Emely sobbed and he turned away from her, his hand on his forehead, before running his fingers through his hair and looking up at the entrance, where I was still hiding.

I retreated further into the shadows.

Her father pulled her along the sidewalk by the elbow, not without looking back, as if he sensed I was there.

I followed them inconspicuously, stopping behind the next pillar of the law firm.

“You could have died in there, Emely,” he forced out and stopped. “Do you realize that? Your mother gives her precious life for you, and you throw it away by almost committing suicide?”

Emely's sobs grew louder, more tears wet her face, flowing down her reddened skin.

I stared at the Alpha, trying to process his words, while the anger inside me only grew more frenzied.

“If the Rolanows find out about this, everything could be ruined!” he hissed.

“I didn't mean to,” Emely sobbed. “Please.” She reached for his arm, but he pushed her away. “I'm sorry...”

“Get in the car,” he growled. “Now.” He looked around before narrowing his eyes and furrowing his brows, as if he were the one in pain, not his daughter. “Just get in the damn back seat and don't talk to me anymore.”

“Father...”

It sounded like a plea. And the desperation in her voice tore at my heart in a way that made me want to stop hiding like a coward, go to her, get her away from that car, and do everything in my power to take away her godless pain.

I wanted to silence this man, to rip every toxic word from his mouth, even if it meant punching him.

Dr. Copeland stared at Emely. His right eyebrow twitched. Now his face looked even paler.

“Don't call me that. You're not my daughter.”

With that, he stormed around the bronze-colored Jeep and opened the door.

Pain shot through my body, so intense that I had to shut down my gift before it could consume me.

Emely seemed to drift away completely, as if her father had just stabbed her in the heart with a dagger.

My clenched fists twitched.

Why was I still standing here? Why wasn't I doing anything? Maybe because I, the idiot that I was, would only make things worse?

Emely narrowed her eyes, her face a battlefield of tears. Then she got into the car, into the back seat, as that despicable man had ordered her to do.

I pressed myself against the pillar and took a deep breath.

This wasn't my battle. It was hers. But why wasn't she fighting? Why did she let him talk to her like that? What was stopping her from standing up for herself?

The Jeep drove past me with screeching tires, disappearing into the distance far too quickly.