Page 63 of Rejected By My Shadow Alpha
"Fascinating," he murmured, more to himself than to anyone. "You're not like her," he said, his voice low and almost thoughtful. "Your mother was unremarkable in many ways.You inherited her softness. But this one…" He tilted his head. "There's something timeless about her. I can feel it in the air."
My stomach twisted. He was already comparing us, measuring me against a child. "She's seven," I snapped. "Don't you dare use her to project whatever you think I lacked."
"She's seven," he echoed with a low chuckle, "and already more controlled than you've ever been. The way she watches and calculates. She understands her place. You…" He waved a dismissive hand. "You've always been ruled by sentiment."
Liora tilted her head, calm as a moon in shadow. "That's because you think being kind means being weak."
My heart lurched. She was reading his thoughts. No, he mustn't know. I tapped her hand gently, giving her a warning glance, but she didn't stop.
My father narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"
Liora met his gaze, her voice soft but steady. "You're thinking I'm everything you wished Mommy was, quiet and easy, someone who doesn't fight back."
She leaned forward slightly, not defiant but sure. "But you're wrong," she said. "You don't know what strong means. You think it's about yelling and hurting people, but Mommy's strong in a different way. She loves and protects me. That's why you don't like her…because she's not scared of you."
I stopped breathing.
There it was, innocence wrapped around wisdom. My daughter, barely seven, sounded like someone older. My father stared at her, stunned by what she had just said.
I stopped breathing.
Goddess…Liora had said too much. I saw it the instant his expression changed—the slight narrowing of his eyes, the flicker of interest turning sharp. He knew. My chest tightened, and a slight tremor of cold dread slithered through me. She hadn'tjust spoken. She had revealed his thoughts, and now he was calculating.
My daughter can read minds, and he'd just seen a weapon where I saw a child. Panic gripped me, but I stayed frozen, praying I could still protect her somehow.
I turned to Liora, my heart pounding, and whispered, "Sweetheart, that's enough. Let's not…let's not upset him now."
My father straightened, his eyes darkening. "So. The rumors were true." He stated matter-of-factly, a satisfied smile tugged at his lips. "How long have you had these abilities?" he asked coolly.
Liora didn't answer.
"What else can you do? You read minds, fine. What about visions? Ancient memory? Can you manipulate energy? Unlock sealed blood locks?"
"Stop it," I said, stepping between them. "She's just a child."
"She's the key," he said sharply, his eyes blazing now. "The safe…the Lunaris vault needs someone with strong alpha Lunaris power to open it. She has it, doesn't she?"
It wasn't a question for me to answer. He motioned toward a velvet-draped object in the corner, and a guard pulled the cloth away.
The chest. I had never seen it in all my years growing up in this mansion. It sat like a beast in the corner of the room: heavy gold with blackened runes etched deep across its surface. The Lunaris crest gleamed on the lid, carved with such precision that it looked like it was breathing. The lock shimmered faintly, sealed with ancient power. It was a vault older than any of us.
"She's the key," my father said, more to himself than to me. "Lunaris blood alone won't open it. Not even a Luna can open it." He scoffed and folded his arms. "Your mother tried and failed woefully. It needs a vessel." His eyes rested on Liora, hisexpression grim, "She's a child with strong ancient powers tied to the bloodline of the alpha. She can do it."
Liora stared at the chest, silent. Something passed over her face: recognition and revulsion.
"You feel it, don't you?" he pressed. "You can sense it. It's calling to you. You were born for this moment. This chest holds everything your lineage left behind: fortunes, maps, weapons, forgotten rituals. Secrets that can bring Cornerstone back to its rightful rule. You could be part of that."
I waited with bated breath. What would Liora do? The silence in the room made the atmosphere charged with tension.
"Well?" His voice sharpened like a whip. "Open it."
Liora looked at him, quiet for a moment, her small fingers fidgeting with the hem of her dress. Then she shook her head vehemently like she could see through him. "No."
My father stiffened, his face beginning to turn red. "What did you say?"
"I don't want to," she said, louder this time but still gentle. "You are a bad man."
He stepped closer, frustration rolling off him in waves. "You don't understand what's inside. This is your legacy!"
