The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter-Chapter 207: Come Back

Natalie~

The moment we arrived at Zane’s estate—what was left of it— the silence hit harder than the wreckage. The air was filled with the scent of blood and smoke, the wind eerily still, like the world itself was holding its breath.

I didn’t wait.

My heels landed on the crimson-smeared gravel, and I barely registered the broken glass crunching beneath me. My hands were already rising, fingers trembling, my heart pounding like war drums in my chest.

"Jasmine," I breathed, my voice shaky, almost drowned out by the storm inside me. "We have to find him. Please."

Her voice came fast, fierce. "I’m here. I’m ready, Mara."

I closed my eyes and exhaled slow, letting my power pour out of me like a wave crashing against the darkness. It surged through the estate, dancing along every wall, under every shattered stone, every bloodstained corridor. I pushed it deeper—past the ruins, under the rubble, through secret doors and shadowed halls I didn’t even know existed.

I searched everything.

And got nothing.

Not even a whisper.

A cold knot twisted in my stomach.

I tried again, harder. "Come on," I muttered through clenched teeth. "Come on, Griffin..."

Still—nothing.

The silence that followed was like getting punched in the chest.

My knees buckled.

"He’s not here," I said, the words falling out in a breathless whisper. "He’s not—he’s not anywhere."

Jacob, Eagle, Bubble, and Fox were nearby, their eyes on me but saying nothing. They knew better. My brothers—ancient, powerful, otherworldly—but not even they could soften this moment. Not when the guilt in my chest was roaring louder than any voice could reach.

"I left him," I whispered. "I left him with Shadow."

The name tasted like poison.

I dropped to my knees, landing hard on the blood-slick gravel, the jagged stones digging into my skin, but I barely felt it. Everything inside me was already breaking.

Jacob moved fast, kneeling beside me, but I pulled away. "No! Don’t—don’t try to comfort me! I don’t deserve it!"

Fox and Bubble exchanged a glance, concern tightening their faces.

"I forgot about him," I choked out. "I forgot about Griffin, the one person who needed me, who trusted me to keep him safe—and I let him down. I got so angry, so furious, I didn’t even think about him. He was right in this house and I... I told him to stay by my side. That I’d protect him. And I—"

My voice broke.

"I left him."

Tears blurred my vision until I could no longer see the broken walls, but I could smell it.

The blood.

The rotting.

My stomach twisted violently. The entire estate was covered in it. The scent of copper and death choked me. Dismembered body parts littered the ground like discarded rags.

I hadn’t noticed before—not really. But now I saw everything.

A hand clutching a gun that would never be lifted again. A man’s torso slumped against a wall, his eyes open, unblinking. A young boy—maybe twenty, maybe younger—missing half his skull, blood soaked into the cracked tiles beneath him.

"I did this," I said, barely recognizing my own voice.

Jasmine whimpered in my head.

"They threatened Alex. They came after our son."

"They didn’t know," I snapped bitterly at her. "They didn’t know who he was. They were just following orders. Stupid, horrible orders, but still..."

My breath caught again, a sob tearing free from my chest.

"I’m a monster."

"No, you’re not," Jacob said gently, stepping close and finally pulling me into his arms. "You were a mother protecting her child. You were a sister defending her home. You lost control—but that doesn’t make you a monster."

"I killed all of them," I sobbed into his chest. "And I left Griffin to die!"

"We’ll find him," he promised. "Any of us would’ve done worse in your place. And yes... you lost control. But that doesn’t mean it ends here. We can fix this, Natalie. You can fix this."

I pulled away, staring at him with red-rimmed eyes. "How? They’re dead. I tore them to pieces. Griffin’s gone."

His eyes locked with mine, steady. "Then bring them back."

I blinked.

"What?"

"Remember how you brought Griffin back from the dead?" he asked with a small smile. "You’ve only scratched the surface of what you can do. Bring. Them. Back."

A beat passed.

Then I stood.

His words lit something in me—something trembling and delicate but powerful. Then I closed my eyes again, taking a deep breath. I could feel the remnants of their souls. They were still here, just... scattered.

"Back," I whispered. "Come back to me."

The magic inside me pulsed like a heartbeat. I focused on the blood-soaked earth, on the torn flesh, on the broken bones and ruined hearts.

"I’m sorry," I said, not just to Griffin this time, but to all of them. "You didn’t deserve to die. I took your lives in anger... and I give them back in peace."

A golden light bloomed from my hands—soft and slow, like a sunrise. It stretched across the estate, fingers of warmth sliding into every crevice, every broken hallway, every body.

And then it happened.

Bones snapped back together.

Flesh reformed.

Eyes fluttered open.

A scream tore through the still air.

Then another.

Two men beside me, their clothes still soaked in blood, stared at me in horror and scrambled back like I was the devil himself.

They ran—but slammed right into the invisible barrier Jacob had cast around the estate. A shimmering hum of power stopped them cold.

They collapsed, trembling.

Fox whistled low. "Okay, that’s a sight."

"Fox, Eagle, Bubble," Jacob said, turning. "Round them up. All of them."

In a flurry of speed, the three moved through the estate, bringing the newly awakened men into a line outside. One by one. Thirty-four in total. Bloodstained, shaking, wide-eyed.

They stood in front of me.

The girl who killed them.

And now brought them back.

"I’m sorry," I began, my voice shaking. "I wasn’t thinking. You were following orders and I... I lost control. I killed you."

Everywhere was silent.

"But I brought you back. You didn’t deserve what happened."

One man gulped, trembling from head to toe.

"I can erase your memories," I continued softly. "If you can’t handle what happened—if you want peace, I’ll give it to you."

They looked at one another, whispers passing between them. Some wiped tears. One even dropped to his knees in quiet prayer.

"No one?" I asked after a moment.

They shook their heads slowly. Every last one.

I nodded. "Jacob. Please let them go."

The shimmering barrier dropped with a flick of Jacob’s fingers.

"Before you leave..." I stepped forward. "Don’t follow orders blindly again. Please. If something doesn’t feel right—say something. Even if it’s scary. Even if it’s the King himself. You don’t have to die for someone else’s foolishness."

They shifted uncomfortably.

"If you’re afraid to talk to the King, speak to the Prince. He’ll listen."

"Prince?" one of them asked, confused. "We don’t... we don’t know who—"

"Cole Lucky," I said, eyes shining. "The owner of this house? He’s the Faceless Prince. Zane Anderson Moor. And the kingdom knows now."

The collective gasp was audible.

"I know," I added with a wry smile. "He’s way too hot to be hiding under a fake name."

That drew a chuckle from Fox, and even a nervous laugh or two from the crowd.

"If you can’t reach him... come to me."

And just like that—

They bolted.

Sprinted like their tails were on fire, scrambling over each other just to get away.

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Well. That went smoother than expected."

Fox snorted. "Yeah, if your definition of ’smooth’ includes mass resurrection, psychological trauma, and a royal identity reveal. I’m definitely putting that in the family scrapbook."

Bubble clapped his hands. "We did great! Now what?"

I turned to my brothers. "What now?" I asked quietly. "How do we find Griffin?"

Fox was about to speak—

When Jacob suddenly gasped.

Loud. Sharp. Eyes wide.

My heart lurched into my throat. "Jacob?"

He didn’t speak.

He just stared—

At something none of us could see yet.