Fragmented Fate: Book 2

19 years ago

When Dr. Jeffery Davison closed the door to the nursery, the clock struck two in the morning. Shadows danced along the walls, mimicking his weary figure and hunched-over back.

The corner of his eye held the sight of his frail, whimpering daughter. She was so small, her body trembling with every shallow breath, her heart beating weakly like a bird caught in a storm. The machines around them beeped softly. It was a cruel reminder of how close she was to slipping away.

Jeffrey gazed down at her small face, his eyes charring with unshed tears. He couldn’t grasp why fate seemed determined to tear his world apart, why his innocent child had been cursed with a failing heart.

Suddenly, the creak of the nursery door pulled him from his dark thoughts. He looked up to see his wife Annabelle standing hesitantly in the doorway. Her auburn braids framed her face, the face that used to bring him joy, but now her expression felt distant and cold. She stepped inside slowly, as if unsure of her place in what had once been their sanctuary.

“Jeffery,” she said softly, her voice heavy with a sense of guilt. “We need to talk.”

Jeffery braced himself, the look in her eyes exposing her. “What’s going on, Annabelle?”

Annabelle hesitated, and her gaze flickered towards their daughter. Tears filled her eyes, but they weren’t the tears of a grieving mother; they were the tears of someone grappling with an already-made decision.

“I’m leaving,” she whispered.

Jeffery felt the ground shift beneath him. “What do you mean, ‘leaving’?”

Anabelle’s eyes fell to the floor. “I’ve met someone.”

“You’ve met...someone.” Jeffery could but only repeat.

“Yes,” Annabelle admitted. “He’s…not like you, Jeffery. Not like…us. He’s wild and vibrant. He makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time. He’s…” She stumbled on her words.

“Not like us,” Jeffery murmured. He could already guess who it was. “Is it him?”

Annabelle looked hesitant but suddenly uttered the words that pierced Jeffery’s heart. “Yes. It’s the werewolf man we helped a few months ago.”

Jeffery’s heart sank. He didn’t know what to say. There they were, standing before their dying daughter, and yet his wife, the mother of their precious child, was saying she would abandon them. As if they didn’t matter to her. As if the situation of her baby girl didn’t matter to her.

“I didn’t plan for this to happen,” Annabelle said, tears streaming down her face now. “But I love him. I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t…do this.”

She gestured vaguely around the room, at their daughter, as if the burden of their fragile family was too heavy to bear.

“You’re leaving us,” Jeffery said with a hollow voice. He marched up to her with heavy steps. “You’re leaving her. You can choose to leave me, but how can you leave her?! How can your consciousness allow you to leave your child? We don’t even know if she’ll...” His voice broke. “If she’ll make it out of this!”

Annabelle’s face crumbled, but she didn’t argue. “I’m sorry,” she whispered before turning to walk away.

“Oh no, you’re not!” Jeffery shouted, yanking her backwards and harshly gripping her arm. “You don’t get to create a life and then walk out. You can’t abandon your responsibility, Anna!”

“Let go,” Annabelle whimpered.

“What did he tell you? Huh? What did he say? That you’re his ‘mate’ or some bullcrap like that? He said his mate died! You’re not his mate!”

“Jefferey, you’re hurting me!” Annabelle begged. “I know we’re not mated, but we found something with each other. You have to accept that whether you like it or not!”

“I won’t let you!” Jeffery seethed. “You can’t walk out on us. My daughter doesn’t deserve this!”

The door burst open with a thunderous crash, and before Jeffery could react, he was hurled across the room. His shoulder slammed into the adjacent wall, the impact reverberating through his body.

“Don’t touch her!” A feral growl tore through the room, shaking the air. It was followed by the faint, heartbreaking cries of the baby.

Jeffery struggled to push himself off the ground, his limbs trembling from the force of the blow. His gaze landed on the rugged figure standing protectively beside his wife. His arms encircled her possessively as if she belonged to him.

But she didn’t.

She was his wife. His family. And this wereman had no right to touch her, no right to tear apart what they had built.

Jeffery’s voice dripped with venom as he sneered. “Is this how you repay a man who saved your life? By taking his wife?”

Annabelle flinched, her eyes brimming with guilt. “I’m sorry, Jeffery,” she whispered.

Her gaze flicked to the crib, where their daughter wailed softly before she allowed herself to be led away by the werewolf.

Jeffery sat down, feeling numb, the sound of his daughter’s fragile heartbeat ringing in his ears.

For a moment, he could only stare at the closed door, the unexpected betrayal hanging over him. But as he looked at his daughter (his now sole reason for living) a cold resolve began to settle in.

He staggered to her crib, surrounded by tangled wires and softly beeping machines. His fingers brushed through her wispy hair as he whispered, “I’ll save you, little one. No matter what it takes.”

He walked to his study. Glancing out the window, he could make out the figure of his wife and the werewolf as they sauntered away, hand in hand. With a disgusted expression, he pulled out a business card he had hoped never to use. The name printed on it was sharp and bold:

“The Silver Vow”

An underground group notorious for their ruthless inhumane ways of dealing with werewolves. He knew they were dangerous, but they were his only hope.

With trembling fingers, Jeffery dialled the number. After a few rings, a gruff voice answered. “This is The Silver Vow. Who’s calling?”

“My name is Dr. Jefferey Davison,” Jeffery said. “We met a while ago.”

“Oh, Dr. Davison. I’m glad to hear from you. What made you call?”

Jeffery took a deep inhale. “I need your help.”

A low chuckle came from the other end. “Help isn’t free, Doc. What’s the job?”

“I found the werewolf you were looking for,” Jeffery said, his voice hardening. “I can help you find him if you kill him immediately.”

The man at the other end of the call made a freezing sound. “Geeze, Doc. Didn’t know you had it in ya. Last I remember you said you found our work disgusting and inhumane.”

“That’s before I…” Jeffery sighed. “He’s destroyed my family.”

There was a pause before the voice responded, “I told you those are nothing but selfish worthless creatures. They disturb the natural flow of the world. Don’t worry, Doc. We can handle that for ya.”

“Thank you—”

“But there’s a price.”

Jeffery paused for a moment. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t see it coming. “What do you want?”

“We want you to join us. You take the Vow. Once you’re in, there’s no turning back. You’re one of us for life.”

Jeffery's grip tightened on the phone as he glanced back at the nursery where his daughter lay fighting for her life. He thought of her fragile heart, of everything she deserved, and the monster who had taken it all from them.

“I’ll do it,” he said. “I’ll become one of you.”

“Good,” the voice replied. “Welcome to The Silver Vow, Doc.”

The call ended, and Jeffery went to sit in the darkness, a man transformed. He was no longer just a father or a psychiatrist. But it didn’t matter much. It would be a small price to pay for the life of his most beloved being in the world.

He may be a part of the Silver Vow now. He may live the rest of his life in guilt, but nothing would stop him from protecting his daughter.

Even if it meant sacrificing his own humanity.