The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter
Chapter 84: Here To Help

Chapter 84: Here To Help

Natalie~

The midday sun blazed overhead, its fiery glare beating down on me like the wrath of an unforgiving god as I stepped outside.

The conversation with Nora and Charlie still echoed in my mind, but I pushed it aside. I had more important things to do than entertain their pathetic attempts to intimidate me.

Jasmine stirred inside me, her presence as fiery as ever. "I still say we should’ve shifted and chased their dying wolves down the street for fun then erase their memories again."

I rolled my eyes, but a small smirk played on my lips. "Tempting, but I have an actual mission right now."

I pulled out my phone, glancing at the address I had written down. Easter James. The girl with bruises and sad eyes. The one who had vanished before I could ask her anything.

For a brief moment, I considered teleporting straight to her house, but I quickly dismissed the thought. If she was already living in fear, appearing out of thin air wouldn’t exactly put her at ease. No, this had to be done the normal way.

I took a deep breath, letting the heat settle on my skin, before heading toward the driveway. Just as I stepped out, I spotted Roland in the black SUV pulling up the driveway.

Perfect timing.

Roland had just returned from the airport, where he’d dropped off Zane, Sebastian, and my brothers. His dark sunglasses hid most of his expression, but as he pulled up beside me, he let out an exaggerated sigh.

"You look like trouble," he said, rolling down the window with a smile.

I grinned. "That’s funny. I was just about to say the same thing about you."

Roland snorted but didn’t argue.

I leaned against the car. "Think you could give me a ride?"

He raised a brow. "Of course. Where to?"

"Rue Saint-Cécile. Number 15."

Roland whistled. "Fancy place." He studied me for a moment, then unlocked the door. "Get in."

I slid into the passenger seat as he pulled away from the house. The AC blasted cool air, a welcome relief from the heat outside.

For a while, we drove in comfortable silence, but I could feel Roland’s gaze flickering toward me every few moments. Finally, I sighed, turning to him.

"Alright, spill it. What’s on your mind?"

Roland hesitated before finally speaking. "You seem... different."

I arched a brow. "Different how?"

He gave me a pointed look. "I’ve known you for a while now. You were always strong, but quiet. A little... unsure of yourself. Now? There’s something else. Like you’ve stepped into who you really are."

A slow smile crept across my lips. "I feel different, too."

Jasmine hummed in approval. "Damn right, we do. Look at us, radiating power and confidence."

I ignored her dramatics and turned back to Roland. "I’m not the same girl I was before. And I don’t ever plan on being her again."

Roland nodded as if he understood, but there was something else in his gaze. Something thoughtful. I didn’t ask what it was, though, because by then, we had pulled up in front of a small, neat house tucked between two larger buildings. It had a charming, if slightly run-down, look. The kind of place that tried hard to feel like home but carried too many shadows to succeed.

I stepped out of the car, giving Roland a quick glance. "Wait here."

"Take your time," he said, though his tone was watchful.

I walked up the porch steps, my boots making soft thuds against the wood, and knocked.

Nothing.

I knocked again, a little harder this time.

Still nothing.

Jasmine growled lowly. "She’s in there. I can hear her breathing."

I frowned and knocked one last time. Just when I was about to give up, the door creaked open.

Easter stood in the doorway, her wild curls more tamed than before, but her face—her face told a different story. Fresh bruises bloomed against her pale skin, layering over the old ones like an ugly patchwork of pain. But it wasn’t just the bruises. It was her eyes.

They were terrified.

The moment she saw me, her body tensed. "I’m not in the mood for whatever you came here to sell," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder as if someone might be watching. "Please, just go."

My heart clenched at the fear in her voice.

"I’m not here to sell anything," I said softly. "I just came to return something that belongs to you."

She frowned in confusion as I reached into my bag and pulled out the small, pink wallet she had dropped when we first met. I held it out to her.

Easter’s eyes widened. Her lips parted slightly, and in an instant, they trembled. She reached for the wallet with shaking hands, clutching it to her chest like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"I-I thought I lost it forever," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

I gave her a small smile. "Guess the universe had other plans."

Her eyes filled with tears as she let out a shaky breath. "You don’t understand... This wallet, it—it might not look like much, but it means everything to me."

I could tell she wanted to say more, but before she could, a sharp voice cut through the air from inside the house.

"EASTER! Where the hell is my sandwich?!"

The voice was male, rough and impatient.

Easter flinched so violently that I nearly reached out to steady her.

"I—I have to go," she whispered, her whole body trembling now.

"EASTER!" the voice roared again. "Are you deaf, or just as useless as ever? Get in here and make yourself useful!"

I saw it then—the sheer panic in her eyes. The way she shrank in on herself, like she was trying to make herself smaller.

Rage flared through me so fast that Jasmine nearly surfaced.

"Let me at him," she snarled. "I’ll rip his throat out."

Easter turned back to me, urgency in her gaze. "Please," she whispered. "You have to leave. Now."

She was begging me. Not for help. Not for protection.

But to leave.

Because she was scared of what he would do if I didn’t.

I clenched my jaw, every instinct screaming at me to stay. To do something. But I saw the desperation in her eyes.

I had to play this smart.

I forced myself to nod. "Okay," I said gently. "I’ll go."

Relief flickered across her face. "Thank you."

She took a step back, her hands gripping the wallet tightly.

Before she could close the door, I let my power surge. It wasn’t something I fully understood yet in this body, but I knew how to use it when I needed to. My vision blurred for a fraction of a second before sharpening again, and suddenly, I wasn’t just looking at Easter.

I was inside her head.

Fear. It was everywhere.

It clung to her like a second skin, wrapping around her thoughts and twisting them into knots of terror. And at the center of it all... her husband.

A wave of nausea rolled over me as I saw through Easter’s eyes—his hands gripping her arm too tight, his voice a thunderstorm of rage that never seemed to end. But it wasn’t just herself she was afraid for. No... it was her daughter.

My stomach tightened as Easter’s deepest fear unfolded in front of me. She wasn’t afraid of dying—no, she had resigned herself to that possibility a long time ago. What truly terrified her was the thought of her husband turning his wrath on their little girl.

Jasmine’s growl vibrated through my bones. "Find the child, Mara."

I didn’t hesitate. I pushed my power further, stretching it beyond Easter’s mind and into the house itself. The walls melted away from my vision like mist, revealing the living room, the kitchen, the hallway—until I found her.

A small girl, no older than three, curled up in a dark closet, her tiny hands covering her ears. She was trembling, her little chest rising and falling with panicked breaths. Her father’s voice thundered from another room, but she didn’t cry.

She was used to this.

A shudder ran through me, anger bubbling under my skin like molten lava.

But then I heard it—another heartbeat. Faint, steady, hidden beneath Easter’s own. My breath caught.

She was pregnant.

I pulled myself back, blinking hard as I returned to the present. Easter was closing the door, trying to shut me out. Not happening.

I caught her wrist before she could retreat, my grip firm but gentle. "Easter."

She gasped, eyes wide as she yanked her hand away. "How—" She took a step back. "How do you know my name?"

I gave her a small, knowing smile. "We go to the same college," I said smoothly. "That’s how I know."

Easter’s posture changed immediately. She stiffened, her fingers twitching at her sides, and then—just as quickly—she turned to glance over her shoulder, eyes darting toward the house.

Fear.

She turned back to me and pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh," she whispered urgently. "Please don’t mention the college, he doesn’t know."

I nodded, lowering my voice to match hers. "I’m here to help you, Easter."

Her eyes flickered with something—hope, maybe? But it was gone just as fast, replaced by exhaustion. She shook her head. "You don’t even know me. You don’t know anything about my life."

I tilted my head slightly. "Don’t I?"

She scoffed, folding her arms, but there was no real fight in her stance. "You don’t know what I need."

I exhaled slowly, then said, "Your daughter is hiding in the closet right now."

Easter’s whole body went rigid. Her breath hitched, and she stumbled back as if I had physically struck her. "What?"

I stepped closer, my voice softer now. "She’s scared. And she has every reason to be."

Easter’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her hands trembled.

"How do you—" She stopped herself.

I just met her gaze and let the truth settle. "I’m Natalie," I murmured. "and I know a lot of things."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. She looked like she wanted to believe me—like she needed to—but the fear was winning.

I decided to push one step further. "And I also know that you’re pregnant."

Her head snapped up, her face draining of color.

"What?" she whispered.

I crossed my arms. "You didn’t know, did you?"

She stared at me like I had just torn open the sky. Her hand went to her stomach instinctively, as if searching for proof. "That’s not... That can’t be..."

"You should get a test," I said simply.

Easter’s breath came fast and uneven. Her fingers clutched at the fabric of her shirt, her mind racing a mile a minute.

I let the moment settle, then finally, I said, "Meet me tomorrow."

She blinked up at me. "What?"

"There’s a coffee shop," I continued. "On the eastern side of campus. It’s called Drink Right." I held her gaze. "I’ll be there tomorrow by noon."

Easter shook her head quickly. "I can’t—"

"I’ll be waiting."

She sucked in a sharp breath. "I don’t need help."

I smiled. "Go take that pregnancy test. Then decide if you still think that. You’re children deserve better than this."

She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she didn’t. She just stood there, wide-eyed and lost, as I turned and walked back to the car.

Roland was still waiting, watching me carefully. He didn’t say anything when I climbed into the passenger seat, just raised an eyebrow in silent question.

I exhaled and leaned back into the seat. "I’m ready to go."

But before we drove off, I reached out with my power one last time.

A subtle shift in the air. A whisper of energy.

Inside the house, the closet door cracked open ever so slightly. Just enough to let in a sliver of light. I created a protection bubble for the little girl. I hated it when children suffered for the sins of adults.

Easter would come tomorrow.

I would make sure of it.

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