Page 71 of The Reaper's Vow
Hudson's face flushes red, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. For a heartbeat, I think he might actually strike his son. The alpha power radiating from both men makes my wolf whimper and press closer to my ribs, recognizing the danger crackling between them.
“Fine,” Hudson says through gritted teeth. “But you'll both be present for the pack meeting tomorrow night. Before the full moon rises, every wolf in this territory needs to see her. To understand what we're dealing with.”
My stomach drops. “Pack meeting?”
“You think we can hide who you are forever? Word will spread. It always does. Better to control the narrative from the beginning.”
“She's not ready for that,” Damien growls.
“She better get ready fast,” Hudson snaps back. “Because whether she likes it or not, the other packs will take notice.They’ll want to test her strength, challenge her right to the Rosewood territory.”
“I never said I wanted?—”
“It doesn’t matter what you want anymore. You carry that bloodline whether you accept it or not. Others will force the issue.”
Damien's hand finds the small of my back, his touch both protective and grounding. “We're done here,” he tells his father.
Hudson doesn't try to stop us as Damien guides me toward the door. Just as we reach the threshold, Hudson calls out.
“Karina.”
I pause, turning to face the man who might have been my father in another life.
“Your mother was the strongest wolf I've ever known,” he says. “Remember that when you face what's coming.”
As we step out of his father’s study, the world around me blurs into a haze. The journey back to Damien’s room feels surreal, each step heavy with the weight of what I’ve just learned. When he finally shuts the door behind us, the soft click resonates like a final note, sealing away my old life. I stand frozen in the center of the plush carpet, its fibers warm beneath my bare feet. My arms instinctively wrap around myself, as if trying to hold together the fragments of my shattered reality. A suffocating silence envelops us, and I find myself unable to move, speak, or even draw a proper breath.
“Karina...” Damien approaches slowly, like I'm a wounded animal that might bolt. “Talk to me, kitten.”
I open my mouth, but no words come. Just a small, broken sound that doesn't even sound human. My legs give out without warning, and I sink to my knees on the carpet, my entire body trembling.
The dam breaks.
“It's all a lie,” I gasp between sobs that tear from my chest with such force they hurt. “My whole life. Everything I thought I knew about myself, about them—” I press my fist against my mouth, trying to hold back the tears.
But they won't stop coming. I bury my face in my hands, shoulders shaking. “They loved me enough to give up everything—their names, their pack, their power—and I called my wolf a monster. I hated the very thing they died protecting.”
Damien drops to his knees beside me, his frame folding around mine like a shield. His arms encircle me, pulling me against his chest where I can hear his heart beating steady and strong beneath my ear.
“They didn't die for nothing. They gave you twenty-seven years of safety. Twenty-seven years to grow strong enough to face this.”
“I'm not strong enough.” The admission scrapes from my throat, raw and broken. “I can barely handle my own wolf, let alone lead a pack or reclaim territory or whatever the hell everyone expects from me.”
His arms tighten around me, firm but careful. “You survived last night. You fought off five trained wolves with nothing but a kitchen knife and instinct. That’s not weakness, kitten. That’s strength. That’s you and your wolf refusing to die.”
I pull back, blinking through the blur of tears until I can meet his eyes. “Your father was in love with my mother.”
“I know,” he says quietly. “I could smell it on him the moment he saw you. It wasn’t just memory—it was grief. He’s been carrying it for years.”
“Is that why he sent your mother and sister out of the room?”
Damien’s jaw flexes. “My father rarely includes them in pack business. He never has. To him—and to most of the older alphas—Lunas exist to smile at ceremonies and keep quiet while the men make decisions. My mother accepted that a long time ago.She’s lived her life as an ornament, not a partner. She knows he’s never loved her.” His voice lowers, softer but edged with something bitter. “It’s the role she was raised to play. And he was content to let her stay there.”
I swallow hard. “So my mother…she threatened that.”
He nods once. “Elena didn’t fit the mold. She questioned, challenged, pushed. She became an alpha in her own right. Centuries of a male alphas upended by one female who dared to ascend.”
My chest tightens, a strange mix of pride and sorrow twisting through me. “And now me.”
