I thought if I treated him sincerely, he’d at least feel a little affection for me.
But he hated me—hated me enough to wish death upon me and my entire family.
Today’s tragedy happened simply because he mistook the Parker relatives for my poor family.
But I couldn’t let the people who truly cared about me suffer for it.
By the time I finished barking ten times, my face was streaked with tears.
“I did what you asked. Now let them go.”
But from the helicopter came roaring laughter.
“She’s so stupid—she actually believed us!”
“Yeah! How could someone that gullible have won over your parents?”
And then, the chilling howls of wolves echoed from every direction.
Pairs of glowing green eyes lit up all around us, making everyone freeze in terror.
I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached.
“Ethan Parker! You promised to let them go!”
Ethan smirked coldly.
“I only said I wouldn’t use guns—didn’t say I wouldn’t use anything else.”
He raised his hand and made a small gesture.
His trained wolf handler immediately understood and blew a whistle.
Dozens of starving wolves shot toward us like black lightning.
The pampered Parker elders, already battered by the stone guns, no longer had the strength to resist.
“My leg!!”
Uncle David had a massive male wolf clamped onto his calf. He let out a scream and passed out.
Aunt Helen’s ski suit was shredded by claws. Terrified, she sobbed uncontrollably.
I shielded Margaret behind me, flailing a dead branch, but I was hopelessly outmatched.
No—if this kept up, everyone would die.
In desperation, my fingers brushed the lighter I’d just used to light a senior’s cigarette. I hurled it to Lily with the last of my strength.
“Lily Parker, light the branches—fire will scare the wolves!”
Lily was quick-witted. Hands shaking, she set a bundle of twigs alight. The feeble flames pushed back several wolves that were closing in.
I stripped off my already-torn ski jacket and wrapped Margaret, who was shivering violently.
“Mom, I’ll draw them away. You find a place to hide!”
Margaret grabbed me, yanked off the necklace she never took off, and shoved it into my hand.
“Be careful—on that clearing over there, press the gemstone to summon the Thunder Squad!”
I understood. Margaret would never use this necklace unless we had no other choice.
I clenched the pendant, tore open my wound, and used the smell of blood to lure the wolves as I ran deeper into the resort.