Mira’s breath caught at her father’s words, her heart pounding as the weight of his gaze settled on her.
“What about Kaelan and me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her father sighed, leaning back against the pillows. “Mira, you’ve always known you were… different. Your wolf, or lack thereof. The powers you’ve begun to manifest.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Do you know why that is?”
Mira frowned, shaking her head. “No. I assumed it was… fate or something wrong with me.”
“It wasn’t fate,” he said coldly. “It was me.”
The room seemed to tilt as his words sank in. Mira stared at him, disbelief etched across her face. “What are you talking about?”
“When you were born,” he began, his tone almost clinical, “your wolf was strong—too strong. There was a prophecy tied to your lineage, one that could bring destruction or salvation to the pack. I couldn’t take the risk of you becoming uncontrollable.”
Mira’s hands trembled. “So… what did you do?”
“I bound your wolf,” he admitted, his voice devoid of remorse. “It was for your own good—and the good of the pack.”
Her stomach churned, anger bubbling beneath the surface. “You… you took away a part of me? My identity? My power? For what? Your convenience?”
“I protected you,” he snapped. “And the pack. Without my intervention, you could have become a threat to everything we hold dear.”
Mira stood, her legs shaky but her resolve firm. “You didn’t protect me. You crippled me. And now you want me to do something in return, don’t you?”
Her father’s silence was answer enough.
“Step down for Liana,” he said finally. “Convince Kaelan to take her as his Luna. She’s better suited for the role, and in exchange, I’ll reverse what I did. I’ll release your wolf.”
Mira’s breath hitched, her mind spinning. The nightmares she had been experiencing—the trapped wolf, the haunting howls—it all made sense now. Her father’s betrayal, Liana’s scheming, and her own struggles had all been tied to this moment.
Her voice trembled with rage as she replied, “You think I’ll bargain with you? You think I’ll give up Kaelan, give up everything, just because you decided to play god with my life?”
Her father’s expression hardened. “You don’t have a choice, Mira. Without my help, your wolf will remain caged forever.”
Mira clenched her fists, tears streaming down her face. “I’ll find another way.”
She turned and left the room, her heart pounding as she pushed past Liana, who stood smirking in the hallway.
“Leaving so soon?” Liana asked sweetly.
Mira didn’t reply. She stormed out of the estate, her thoughts a whirlwind of pain and determination. As she mounted her horse and rode back toward Kaelan’s pack, one thing was clear: her father’s betrayal had changed everything.