Rise of a Silenced Wolf

Convince-2

July

He squinted his eyes. "Why?"

"Because I'm terrified that if you get everything all at once, you'll just kill me anyway," I stated bluntly.

"You don't trust me," he growled, a flash of irritation crossing his face.

"Trust is a two-way street that needs to be rebuilt, Joseph. Especially after what you did to me."

He let out a harsh scoff, but he knew damn well he didn't have a leg to stand on. He didn't say I could trust him. Even he knew how utterly laughable that would sound after shoving me off a cliff. Instead, a heavy silence fell between us before he muttered, "We're a team, July. We're just trying to fix this together. You know I love you."

I didn't offer a reply.

Fix this together?

A team?

He had tried to murder me despite knowing I carried his baby. I would sooner burn in hell than forgive him.

Yet here he was, shameless enough to say he loved me.

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of grief washed over me. Not for him, but for myself.

On the day I married him, I wore the wedding dress my mother had lovingly tailored herself. Teddy had held my arm, walking me down an aisle lined with rose petals, while my father stood at the altar, smiling at us. The weather had been flawless, and when Joseph smiled at me, it felt like the entire world lit up. I genuinely believed I was marrying a man who would kiss my forehead every single morning. I thought he was the fated mate the Moon Goddess chose just for me. I had thanked the goddess a thousand times for blessing a wolfless she-wolf like me with a true mate.

I never could have imagined that my fated mate and I would end up here. Locked in a lethal game of cat and mouse, drowning in mutual suspicion, using every ounce of wit and manipulation just to outsmart each other. I never thought that hearing him say "I love you" would make me want to vomit.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have preferred never crossing paths with him.

I could have just stayed with my parents, being their little girl forever. I could have kept going back to the pack house every weekend for dinner, where Mom would stand on the porch waiting for me, her apron dusted with flour. She would wave at me the second she saw my car turn the corner. Dad would step out of his study, taking off his reading glasses to ask about my job and my health out of pure habit, before pulling me aside to whisper, "Is that boy treating you right? If he isn't, you tell your old man." Teddy would lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, evaluating me with that sharp warrior's gaze, only to gruffly mutter, "You've gotten thin, little sister," when I wrapped my arms around him.

If I could tell them where I was right now, what would they do?

Dad wouldn't hesitate for a second. He'd rally every single pack member and storm the Silverling territory. Teddy would run every red light in existence to get to me. They would burst into this room, rip Joseph out of his chair, and smash a fist right into his nose. My big brother would slam him against the wall, wrap his hands around Joseph's collar and yell at him. I could imagine how mad he would be. "How dare you hurt my sister—" He would say so before beating him within an inch of his life.

My mom wouldn't lay a finger on him, but she would rush to my bedside, wrap her arms around me, and hold me close. In the haze of my mind, I could almost hear her choked-up voice calling me her baby girl.

I just wanted my mom to hold me.

The longing bubbled up without warning from the deepest corner of my bruised soul. I missed my family so damn much.

Tears welled in my eyes, taking Joseph by surprise.

"You're crying," he noted, a touch of confusion in his voice.

"My hand hurts," I replied bitterly. "You're crushing it."

"Sorry," he muttered quickly, finally letting go. "Fine." Maybe it was the sight of my tears that finally made him cave. "Then give me the first five hundred thousand."

My own phone had been lost during my plunge off the cliff. Joseph logged into my banking portal using his own device, filled out the recipient information and the astronomical amount, and demanded, "Password."

"I'll type it myself," I told him. "Turn around. No peeking."

He didn't object, spinning on his heel to face the window. Straining my index finger, I tapped the screen and punched in my passcode. My heart pounded as I tried to hit the back button to send a tiny wire transfer to my father, so that I could leave a hidden message telling him about my horrific reality.

But before I could execute the plan, Joseph's paranoid voice cut through the air. "Are you done yet?"

I quickly weighed my options. I didn't have enough time to send the money to my father and wipe the transaction history. To keep Joseph from smelling a rat and turning violent again, I had to put the plan on ice for now.

"All done," I said softly.

He whipped back around, snatching the phone from my fingers. Like I expected, his paranoid eyes scanned the screen, double-checking to make sure I hadn't secretly fired off a distress text to anyone. His face relaxed, a look of profound relief washing over his features. "Thank you, sweetheart. You just saved my skin again," he murmured aloud.

I forced a weak smile.

Suddenly, the heavy door swung open. Joseph spun toward the entrance, his body tightening into an instinctively defensive stance.

A stranger stood in the doorway. He wore a sharp midnight-blue suit paired with a deep burgundy tie. Given his dressing, the man wasn't a doctor.

"Get the hell out," Joseph snarled through gritted teeth. "Didn't you hear the staff? No one is allowed to disturb my wife—"

"My apologies," the man said, though his tone was entirely unapologetic. He didn't budge an inch, taking a confident step forward instead. "I presume you're Joseph?"

Joseph glared at him with deep suspicion. "Who's asking?"

"Gideon Cross, from the Justice Pack," the man announced smoothly. He pulled a sleek business card from his breast pocket and held it out. "I'm an attorney representing the claims department for Evergreen Life Insurance. I'm here to discuss the cliff accident. Our company needs to verify a few specific details with both of you face-to-face. I realize the timing is incredibly poor. But let's be honest, there is never a convenient time to deal with insurance companies."

Joseph's hostile expression melted instantly into pure delight. "Oh!" he exclaimed, ushering the man inside. "Please, come in, Gideon. Forgive my rudeness. I just mistook you for one of those parasitic reporters."

"No harm done," Gideon dismissed with a wave of his hand. He pulled up a chair and sat down, turning his sharp gaze toward me. "I'm incredibly sorry to hear about your ordeal, ma'am. Are you up for discussing the claim details right now?"

"My wishes exactly, but my wife's vocal cords were severely damaged during the fall," Joseph cut in smoothly, playing the part of the protective caretaker.

"That's not an issue. I can just establish a mind-link with her—"

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Joseph interrupted, masking his voice with a layer of fake sorrow. "She's wolfless."

"Oh," Gideon frowned, his brow furrowing as he absorbed the information. "Which means I have no way of communicating with her right now... In that case, I should probably come back another day." He gripped the armrests, preparing to stand up, but Joseph stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't put yourself out!" Joseph blurted out. "I'm her mate. I can act as our liaison and communicate with her via our mind-link. I have full authority to handle the settlement on her behalf."

Gideon’s eyes shifted, looking over Joseph’s shoulder to lock directly onto me. He held my gaze for a beat before slowly shaking his head. "As much as I'd love to fast-track this for you, corporate policy is explicit. I am legally required to have at least one direct, face-to-face confirmation from your wife. It's a strict compliance standard, I'm sure you understand."

The smile froze on Joseph's face while a fierce spark of hope ignited in my chest.

This lawyer was my golden ticket!

Joseph was too blinded by greed to walk away from this payout. He wouldn't shut the door on this conversation.

If I could just seize the moment and drop a hint, any hint, to Gideon...

I may save myself.