Page 170 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
“You were a child,” I whisper fiercely into her hair. “It wasn’t your fault. None of it was your fault.”
“It never stopped haunting me,” she sobs against my shoulder. “Your mother was such a lovely, gentle-hearted woman. She adored you, Astra. Even at the end, even when they were...She was only thinking about protecting you.” Her voice breaks. “I can’t remember who screamed more—your mother or you. You were there, watching. They made you watch everything.”
The image sends fresh pain through my chest. “What about Selene?” I ask quietly. “Was she...?”
Daciana nods miserably. “All the children. But Selene doesn’t remember any of it. She and many others suppressed their memories. They don’t remember what happened.”
“Good,” I whisper fiercely. “She shouldn’t have to carry that.” I pause for a moment before asking my next burning question. “What about my father?”
Daciana pulls back slightly, wiping her eyes with shaky hands. “He came back for you and your mother after your grandfather’s death. Gareth killed him, too.” Her voice turns bitter with old pain. “Gareth was twisted beyond anything, Astra. Evil in ways I didn’t understand as a child. He enjoyed the power, the fear. He was as brutal as possible.”
I stare down at my hands, processing this final piece of the puzzle. Both parents dead. Both murdered by a monster who forced children to carry the guilt of his crimes.
A sad smile pulls up one corner of my lips. “I really am an orphan, then.”
Daciana grips my hands tightly, her voice intense through her tears. “But you are loved. Your parents gave the ultimate sacrifice, and now, you are dearly, deeply loved. Hold on to that, Astra. Please.”
We sit together in the quiet of the room, and for the first time since my mother died, I allow myself to truly grieve. Not just for her, but for my father I never knew, for the childhood that was stolen from me, for the innocence lost by an entire pack of children who were forced to become unwilling participants in a murder.
And somehow, amid all that grief, I find a strange kind of peace.
Epilogue
Astra
“This is the final report on the Tashina estate.” Seth hands Lucian the paper while I sit impatiently, my eyes drifting to the windows. I glance back at Lucian, whose lips curve without him even looking at me.
“I’m nearly done, Astra.”
“You said that an hour ago,” I point out, though there’s no real irritation in my voice. Watching Lucian work has become one of my favorite pastimes. The way his brow furrows in concentration, how he absently runs his fingers through his dark hair when he’s thinking—it’s mesmerizing.
Seth looks between the two of us. “Plans?”
“We have to go somewhere,” I reply.
He looks amused and oddly relieved. “Well, I’m glad you two are getting along. I guess Lucian no longer needs me to beat him black and blue just to get your attention.”
I raise an eyebrow at Seth, feeling confused by that statement.
“Seth.” Lucian’s voice is deadly quiet, and when I look at him, he is glaring at his friend. “Get out.”
Seth winces, clearly understanding that he messed up, but before he can dart out the door, I block his path. “I don’t think so. What are you talking about?”
“Me?” Seth blinks innocently. “I was talking about…sparring practice…”
“I wasn’t born yesterday, Seth. You said Lucian got you to beat him black and blue to get my attention…” I trail off as a memory pops into my head. I whip around to face a guilty-looking Lucian. “The inn! When you got me all that herbalist equipment. You said you were jumped by four shifters!”
“I was—”
I cut off his frantic reply with a finger pointed at his chest. “Don’t you dare lie to me!”
“Sorry, Lucian. You’re on your own!” Seth escapes around me, leaving me alone with my mate, who is looking everywhere but at me.
“Lucian, did you really make Seth beat you up just to get in my good graces?” I ask menacingly.
He glances at me. “Well, it worked, didn’t it?”
The sly smile on his lips makes me want to punch him. “You’re shameless.”
