Page 48 of Moonlit Fate

I squared my shoulders, refusing to cower under his disapproval. “No,” I said firmly. “But it’s part of something larger. Something that could change everything for us, for all shifterkind.”

“Change,” he spat, his eyes darkening with a rage that spoke of deep-seated angst. “What do you know of change, little girl? Of sacrifice and the magnitude of leadership?”

“More than you think,” I said. The truth of it rang clear, echoing with the part of me that had always felt the pull of destiny, a siren song that beckoned even as it terrified.

Ragnar’s face hardened with that alpha authority that brooked no challenge. “You are my daughter,” he said, low and lethal. “You will put aside these foolish fantasies and focus on what truly matters—the future and well-being of our pack.”

His words only served to further my resolve. Fury coursed through my veins like wildfire, setting every nerve ending alight with a ferocity that demanded release.

“You think I’m playing at fairy tales?” I snarled. “This is not about games,Father. This is about survival. Mine, yours, the entire pack’s!”

The smirk on Larkin’s face was maddeningly serene. “Grounding and stability, Aria, dear. That’s what we need,” he said. “And our union is the perfect remedy for your flights of fancy.”

The insinuation turned my stomach, threatening to expel the meager contents of my stomach onto the polished wooden floor.Bile rose in my throat, acid and acrid, as Larkin turned toward my father, his tone shifting to one of feigned concern. “Ragnar, perhaps it’s best if we?—”

“Enough.” Ragnar rose from his seat. “I need some time. Both of you, go to the library. Warm yourselves by the fire.” He waved a dismissive hand, the iron authority of the alpha reasserting control over the chaos. “The maids will bring tea.”

“I don’t want to be alone with him,” I said.

My father’s stormy eyes met mine, and a silent battle of wills raged between us. “You have disgraced the pack enough,” he said, his tone brokering no argument. “You will do as you are told.”

I swallowed the retort that threatened to spill over. It would only stoke his ire. With measured steps, I led the way to the library, my movements automatic, my mind a labyrinth of turmoil and dark whispers. The crackling of the fire greeted us, but it did nothing to thaw the ice in my veins.

“Sit,” I said tersely to Larkin, gesturing to a high-backed chair near the hearth. I settled on the sofa, watching the flames reflected in the gilded accents of the room. The fire’s golden light cast a glow on the treasure trove of knowledge that lined the walls.

The sound of clinking porcelain heralded the arrival of the maids, who set down a tray laden with steaming teacups before retreating with hushed steps. The scent of bergamot permeated the air, fragrant and not at all comforting.

“Thank you.” I reached for a cup with fingers that betrayed none of the tremors that shook my core. The heat seeped into my palms, offering a fleeting comfort. I took a sip of the bitter brew, letting its robust flavor ground me to the present.

“Disgraced.” Larkin picked up the word my father had used as if it were currency. “Have you lost your way so completely, Aria? Or is there more to it? Some rogue influence, perhaps?”

His words were like a slap, tinged with condescension and the bitter hint of truth. “You think you know me so well, but you see only what you want,” I said.

“Ah, but I see quite clearly,” he taunted, moving even closer, his breath warm on my skin, a caress I neither wanted nor welcomed. “I see an unruly girl in desperate need of guidance. And who better than her destined mate to provide it?”

“Destined?” I laughed bitterly. “There’s nothing destined about this farce. You’re just another chain they’re trying to bind me with.”

“A chain? Or perhaps a lifeline, pulling you back from whatever abyss you are about to fall into.”

“Enough,” I snapped, my patience frayed to its very limits. “I won’t stand here and be insulted in my own home. Not by you.”

“Yourhome?” Larkin’s dark chuckle skated along my nerves. “You forget yourself. This isn’t just your home; it’s the core of the pack. And one way or another, you will fulfill your obligation to it.”

“By being shackled to you?” I hissed in disdain. “Nothing could compel me to accept such a fate.”

Larkin’s eyes narrowed, the hunter scenting the challenge I presented. He stepped forward, a looming figure intent on intimidation. “It’s not about what you accept. It’s about the good of the pack.”

“And since when did you become the arbiter of what’s good for the pack?”

“Since I agreed to take you as my mate,” he said, the possession in his tone setting my teeth on edge.

“Agreed?” I scoffed. “As if you had any say in the matter. You’re just as much a pawn in this as I am.”

“Perhaps,” he said, a glint of something shrewd passing through his gaze. “But even pawns can change the course of the game. And I intend to make my moves count.”

The fury churning in my belly burned hotter than the fire crackling in the hearth.

“If Ragnar truly believed you knew what’s best for our pack, he wouldn’t be so adamant about our union,” Larkin added. “But here we are.”

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