KAIA'S POV
"Papa," I say quietly, watching him struggle to process what I just told him. "There's more."
He looks up at me from where he's sitting on the floor, his face still pale with shock. "More?"
I take a deep breath. Five years. I've kept this secret for five years, and now it's all coming out.
"I wanted to tell you what happened that night," I begin. "But when we found Kelly, when Mama died from the shock... you were grieving so much. You'd lost your wife and your youngest daughter in one night. I couldn't bring myself to make it worse."
"What are you saying?" Papa asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I heard what Kelly said before she died," I continue. "Her exact words."
Papa struggles to his feet, using the wall for support. "Tell me."
"She said 'rape'," I say, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "And then she said 'Duskmore.'"
"Rape," Papa repeats, the word falling from his lips like a stone. "She said rape."
"Yes."
“Ronan was seventeen five years ago.” He comments, still shaken from the news
"But he's not the only Duskmore," I say, and he looks up at me.
"What do you mean?" Papa asks.
"Ronan isn't the only son of Alpha Raven," I explain. "Remember? Five years ago, a boy appeared from nowhere claiming to be the illegitimate son of Alpha Raven."
Papa's eyes widen with understanding. "The bastard son."
"His mistress had him almost the same time as Ronan," I continue. "They were practically the same age. But he left that year, didn't he? Disappeared right after Kelly died. Doesn’t that sound sketchy to you?"
"Marcus," Father says suddenly, his voice tight. "His name was Marcus."
"You remember him?" I ask.
"Of course I remember him," Papa says. "He was Ronan's half-brother.”
"Where did he go?" I asks.
"Nobody knows," he replies.
The pieces are starting to come together in my mind. Marcus Duskmore. The illegitimate son who appeared and disappeared in the same year my sister died.
"Did Kelly specifically say which of the Duskmore raped her?" Papa asks me suddenly.
I shake my head. "She couldn't. She was dying. She only had the strength for two words. 'Rape' and 'Duskmore.'"
Papa nods slowly, processing this information. "So we don't know for certain which Duskmore she meant."
"Does it matter?" I ask. "They're all the same family."
"It matters," Papa says firmly. "We can't jump to conclusions without proof."
"Papa—"
"Ronan has already marked you," he continues. "That can't be undone. We need to think carefully about what we do next."
I look at my father, feeling trapped between their logic and my need for justice.
"I've already decided what I'm going to do," I say firmly.
"What?" Papa asks.
"I plan to get my revenge on them," I say. "And the only reason I'd accept to be with him is to get that revenge."
Papa's face goes white again. "Kaia, you can't—"
"I can and I will," I interrupt. "I'll play the part of the dutiful mate. I'll smile and nod and be everything he wants me to be. And when I have enough information, when I know exactly which Duskmore killed Kelly, I'll destroy them all."
Papa looks horrified. "Kaia, please, think about what you're saying—"
The sound of drums cuts through his words.
Both of us freeze. The rhythm is deep and commanding, echoing across the pack lands with unmistakable authority.
"What is that?" I ask.
Papa's face goes grim. He grabs my arm, his fingers digging in desperately. "Do not say this to anyone else," he hisses in my ear. "Do you understand me? Not a word about revenge or Marcus or any of it."
"Papa, what's happening?" I ask, fear creeping into my voice.
"Okay?" he insists, shaking me slightly. "Promise me you won't say anything."
"I promise," I say quickly. "But what—"
The front door bursts open before I can finish my question.
Papa pulls me behind him protectively as we both turn toward the sound. Through the doorway, I can see a large crowd gathered outside our house.
Pack members, neighbors, even people I don't recognize. They're all standing in a circle, watching and waiting.
And walking through them are four men in the dark uniforms of the royal guard.
The guards stop in front of us, their faces stern and official. The leader, a tall man with scars across his cheek, steps forward.
"We're here for Kaia Grimm," he announces in a voice that carries across the crowd.
"I'm Kaia Grimm," I say, my voice steadier than I feel.
"The Alpha wants us to bring his mate," the scarred guard continues. "You're to come with us immediately. There's going to be a formal announcement of the mating bond."