Mira stared at the guard who delivered the devastating news. For a moment, she couldn’t process the words. Her father was gone. The man who had never truly been a father to her, who had withheld affection and made her feel like an outsider in her own family, was dead. Despite the hurt he had caused her, the loss settled like a stone in her chest. He was the only person who could have answered the questions that had haunted her for years.
Liana seemed equally stunned. The usually composed and manipulative older sister faltered, her face a mix of shock and anger. Mira wondered if Liana’s grief was genuine or another mask she wore for effect. Kaelan, standing by Mira’s side, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“You should go,” he said softly. “Find closure, if you can. I’ll follow soon after.”
Mira nodded, her throat too tight to form words. The guards Kaelan had assigned to escort them formed a protective circle around her and Liana as they began the journey to their father’s pack. The woods, usually alive with chirping birds and rustling leaves, seemed eerily silent. Mira’s thoughts raced as they traveled, her mind replaying fragmented memories of her childhood—her father’s cold stares, his favoritism toward Liana, and the void where his love should have been.
When they arrived at the pack’s main hall, the somber atmosphere weighed heavily on them. Pack members stood in hushed groups, their expressions a mixture of grief and suspicion. The guards led Mira and Liana inside, where their father’s body lay on an elevated dais, wrapped in ceremonial linens. The air smelled of incense and freshly cut flowers.
Mira hesitated before stepping forward. Her heart ached with unresolved questions, and her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t expect tears to come, but they did. Silent, hot streaks of grief rolled down her cheeks as she stood over the lifeless figure of the man who had shaped so much of her pain.
Liana, however, seemed distracted. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for something—or someone. When her gaze landed on Gareth, Mira noticed the tension in her sister’s posture. Gareth was standing near the back of the hall, his face a mask of feigned sorrow. When Liana caught his eye, he subtly gestured toward a side door.
“Liana,” Mira said, her voice thick with emotion. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Liana replied quickly, her voice tight. “I need a moment. I’ll be back.”
Before Mira could respond, Liana slipped away, leaving her standing alone by their father’s side. Mira turned back to the body, her mind a swirl of grief and suspicion.
Meanwhile, Gareth disappeared through the same door Liana had entered. His smirk deepened as he walked away, satisfied with the chaos he had sown. Everything was going according to plan.